This article explains what happens when you add new variants to a project after it has started.
For projects using Continuous Optimization
Table of Contents
You can add and remove ideas at any time after your project starts. Continuous Optimization lets you keep testing without restarting.
You don't have to wait until all your ideas are ready to start testing. Launch your project with what you have, then add more ideas later when you're ready.
- What happens when I add ideas?
- When can I expect my new ideas to go live?
What to expect when adding new variants
The Initialization phase tests every active variant in its own "isolation" combination. For example, a project with eight variants (ideas) will start with eight single-variant combinations plus a control combination. The process of isolating variants establishes baseline data for those variants when we move to the Optimization phase.
New variants get queued during the Initialization phase
Adding new ideas to the Initialization phase doesn't change anything immediately. The new ideas get queued until the Initialization phase ends, and the project moves to the Optimization phase.
New ideas added during the Optimization phase also get queued, but they are immediately available when the system generates new combinations.
New variants get initialized
During the Optimization phase, the system checks for queued variants and initializes them by making stand-alone combinations, just like during the Initialization phase.
The system will only create combinations when another combination is deactivated.
These "isolation" combinations are deactivated after they reach maturity when they've collected enough data. But don't worry, your idea will appear in another combination soon.
If there are too many new variants, the system will switch between initializing new variants and creating regular combinations.
Each variant appears in more than one combination
When every new variant in their respective variable has been initialized, the variants will begin to appear in new combinations. If there are many new variants in the same variable, it may take longer to finish initializing them.
Based on the performance of the initial combinations, each variant has a chance to survive; a minimum number of times it will appear in new combinations. Each variant appears in at least one more combination after initialization.
The system continues to add variants to new combinations for the minimum number of times mentioned above, despite the variant's continued performance. After these chances are exhausted, the variants are fair game for the system as it continues to generate new combinations.
Only the strong survive
If a variant performs poorly during its initialization period, it will have fewer chances than those that performed well.
Frequently asked questions
I added new variants during the Optimization phase, and they still show as queued. When will they be added to a combination?
Queued variants will become active once when poor-performing combinations are deactivated. The number of variants that can be initialized at one time during the Optimization phase is limited to 20% of your combination slots.
Why did my new variant's combination get deactivated?
The first combination for every new variant is an "isolation" combination. This type of combination is deactivated when it receives sufficient traffic for consistent results. Your variant may appear in a new combination after the isolation combination is deactivated. How quickly it reappears depends on how many other new variants there are in the same variable and the rate at which combinations are deactivated by the system.
How do I know if it's an isolation combination?
An isolation combination contains a single non-control variant. It's also the first combination where that particular variant appears.
How can I tell which combinations my variant is part of?
The Manager can show you all the combinations for a selected variant.