Split testing with the "Send an email" action in automations

The “Send an email” action split test in ActiveCampaign lets you test different versions of your emails in an automation using one action. With the “Send an email” action split test, you can compare the performance of up to 5 variations of the same email. For example, each email version can have a different subject line, preview text, or email content.

There are two ways to use split testing in automations. Learn more about the difference between split testing options in ActiveCampaign. Learn more about the “Split” automation action.

This article explains the “Send as email” action split test feature.

Take note

• The winner of an email split test within the "Send as email" action can only be manually selected
• While a “Send an email” split test is running:
  
  • You cannot modify the email variants
  • Revision History is unavailable until the split test has finished
• Past split test variants can be found in Automation Settings > Messages

Create a split test in the “Send an email” action

1. Click Automations on the left menu.
2. Open an existing automation or create an automation to configure the “Send an Email” split test.
3. Click the (+) node where you want to add the Send an Email action.
4. Click the “Send an email” action option.
5. Create the email. Learn more about the “Send an email” action options.
   
   

     The original email will be copied and transformed into the split test. The “Email name” you choose on the original will be the name for all the split test variations. It is best practice to complete the email before you click “Create a split test,” including the required fields, content, and email design.

6. From the “Send an email” modal, click “Create a split test” to the right of the “Email name.“ The original email will be copied and noted as "Test 1.” "Test 2" will be added in a new tab.
   
   

     The email must be complete (i.e., must have a name, subject line, from, and content) for the “Create a split test” hyperlink to appear.

7. Click “Add test” to add more test variations. You can have a total of 5 split tests in the “Send an email” action.
8. To edit the subject line and preheader of the split test variants, click on the tab for the variant you want to edit, then type in your updates for that variant.
9. To edit the email content:
   
   • Click the “Edit Design” button on the content preview. This will move the “Send an email” action to draft and redirect you to the Email Designer.
   • Click on the tab of the email variant you want to edit and make your updates.
   • Once you are done editing, click “Save and exit” at the top right. The Email Designer will close, and you will be redirected to the “Send an email” action draft.
     
     (red callout) If you click the “Finish” button in the Email Designer, it will activate the “Send an email” action.
10. To configure Split Settings, once you are done editing the email variants, click the settings icon to the right of “Add test” in the “Send an email” modal. Under “Split Settings,” click the arrows or type a number in the percentage dropdowns to adjust the send percentage for each test email.
11. (Optional) To configure the email send settings from the “Send an email” modal, click the settings icon to the right of “Add test,” and click “Email Settings” to open the email send settings options.
12. Click “Finish split test” to activate the “Send an email” action, or if you need to continue working on it, click “Save as draft” to leave the email in draft status. Contacts will skip the action if it is in draft status.

Use AI to create email variants

1. From the “Send an email” modal, click “Create a split test” to the right of the “Email name.“ The original email will be copied and noted as "Test 1.” "Test 2" will be added in a new tab.
2. On the email variant you are editing, select “Edit with AI” to the right of the “Email name.”
3. Select any of the individual content pieces you would like to edit with AI:
   
   • Content - the prompt you input will rewrite the email content for that message.
   • Subject Line - the prompt you input will rewrite the subject line for that message.
   • Preheader - the prompt will add or rewrite the preheader for that message.
4. Input a prompt that describes how you would like AI to modify the existing test message. Example: you can input “Make it more positive” to have the AI rewrite your content with a more positive spin on it.

Monitoring the “Send an email” action split test

After a split test has been activated within the “Send an email” action, there are a few options for monitoring the results:

• Notification
  An active Split Test displays a notification in the top-left corner of the automation.
  
• Messages Tab
  Click “View test(s)” in the notification mentioned above to open the “Messages” tab in the automation settings. This tab will show you the “Test in progress” emails(s) that are being tested at the top. Here you can review top-level metrics for each email variation and navigate to the action in the canvas by selecting the email from the list.
• Reports
  From the “Messages” tab in the automation settings, click the three dots next to the email you want information on. Click “View report” in the menu, and you will be redirected to the campaign report for that email.
• Visual Indicator
  The Send Email action with an active Split Test will have a "Test in progress" chip. Hover over the action to show the current stats for each test variation.

Declaring a Winner

You can choose a winning email variant at any time during the split test in two ways:

1. Hover over the “Send an email” action and click “declare the winner” for the split test email variant you want to win. Click “Declare winner” in the notification modal to confirm.
2. Click into the “Send an email” action. Click the email variant that you want to declare the winner, then click the “Declare the 'Test' as winner” button. Click “Declare winner” in the notification modal to confirm.

When you declare a winner:

• The Split Test will stop.
• A copy of the selected winning variant is created and assigned to the “Send an email” action.