A/B testing is a powerful method to optimize your push notification strategy by comparing two different versions of the same notification. You create two variations of a notification—each with different texts, icons, images, buttons, and parameters—and send them at the same time to the same audience segment. This allows you to see which version performs better in terms of engagement, click-through rates, and user interaction.

By running these tests, you can gather valuable insights into what your audience responds to best, and use that data to refine your messaging and improve future campaigns.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: To reach a significant result from the two notifications, A/B testing requieres at least 100 subscribers. You won’t  be able to send A/B notifications until you cross this threshold.

To set up an A/B test for your push notifications, follow these steps:

Switch to Web Push Notification Mode. First, ensure you are in the Web Push Notification Mode. Then, go to the A/B Test section on the left sidebar.

Create the first notification. Follow the steps detailed in the tutorial for a single notification. This includes entering a title, message, URL, selecting a campaign, customizing the icon, adding UTM parameters (if needed), and setting up any buttons or images you wish to include.

Create the second notification. After creating the first notification, create a second one with different elements. Change the text, icon, image, buttons, or other parameters. Keep the campaign, audience segment, and posting time the same for both notifications.

Select the audience segment. It will be the same for both notifications. You have two options:

• Select an Audience from those you’ve saved. Audiences enable detailed segmentation based on criteria like first visit, last visit, subscription date, and number of visits.
• Use the Advanced options to create a custom segmentation for this notification. You can choose a saved audience as the segment and further refine it by country, device, OS, and browser.

Select a campaign. This will allow you to keep your notifications organized.

Finally, select a time to post. Both will be scheduled for the same time as this ensures that you are comparing identical conditions, helping you understand which version performs better. When ready, click Schedule.

Analyze the Results. Once the notifications are sent, you will be able to compare the performance of the two versions. Track which notification had a higher engagement rate, click-through rate, or better overall performance.

By running A/B tests, you’ll gain valuable insights to improve future push notifications and optimize user engagement. If you need extra guidance to make the most of your campaigns, book a personalized call with an expert here.