URL-Based A/B Testing

If you want to run real A/B tests without changing a single line of code or asking IT for help, this is the method for you.
Perfect for any business—especially those with strict security or compliance requirements.

Why Choose URL Testing?

• No technical risk: Your site is never modified—just route visitors to different URLs you already control.
• IT-friendly: No new infrastructure, no page cloning, no backdoor changes.
• Fastest time to value: Set up in minutes, see real results fast.

TIP

This is the most recommended starting point for first-time users or corporate sites with IT/security restrictions.

How It Works

1. Pick what you want to test:
   Do you have several product pages, landing pages, or collections you want to compare?

   Example (from the Shopify demo store):

   • /products/the-multi-location-snowboard
   • /products/the-multi-managed-snowboard
   • /products/the-compare-at-price-snowboard

2. Create a “template” type experiment in Performance Now!

   • Set a key, such as product_id, with outcomes for each URL segment:
     • the-multi-location-snowboard
     • the-multi-managed-snowboard
     • the-compare-at-price-snowboard

3. Attach the experiment to an optimizer.

   • Set the landing page as /products/.
   • Performance Now! will automatically split traffic and optimize toward the best-performing outcome.

4. Use parameter-based testing when relevant.
   For collection sort order, for example:

   • /collections/all?sort_by=best-selling
   • /collections/all?sort_by=price-ascending

   Set up an experiment with key sort_by and outcomes:

   • best-selling
   • price-ascending

   Set the optimizer landing page as /collections/all—the platform will handle the rest.

What About Security and Compliance?

• No site modification. No content changes are made to your site.
• No server clones. You control all content at all times.
• Compatible with any CMS or e-commerce platform.

If your team ever moves to page/content testing:
You can still use the same optimizer and just add more advanced experiments, but URL testing never requires extra permissions.

FAQ

• Can I run multiple URL tests at once?
  Yes—each optimizer can be linked to a different experiment, and you can use as many as you need.

• Does this work with Shopify?
  Yes, and it’s often the easiest way to test different product or collection pages with zero code.

• Can I use this with tag managers or on non-Shopify sites?
  Absolutely—URL-based testing works everywhere.

For on-page text, image, or CSS changes, see Content and Advanced Testing.