Configure Redirects for your Variations

This article covers the following:

• Overview
• Configure a Redirect for Your Variation
  • Method 1: Configure a Redirect in the Visual Editor
  • Method 2: Configure a Redirect in the Campaign Setup
• How Wingify Handles Redirects
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs

Overview

Redirecting a variation in an A/B test lets you test different versions of a webpage hosted on different URLs. Unlike standard variations, where you use the Visual Editor to make on-page changes such as changing a button color or rearranging text, a redirect in your variation sends a portion of your traffic to a completely different page.

Adding a redirect gives you the flexibility of running A/B and Split URL tests within a single campaign. This means you can simultaneously test minor UI tweaks on the existing page alongside a completely different page hosted on a separate URL.

This approach is ideal when you want to validate major changes, such as a full redesign, a new layout, or a different user journey, against minor UI changes. Instead of relying on heavy CSS or JavaScript edits, you can simply host a new version of the page and split traffic between the two URLs. For example, testing- /pricing vs /new-pricing to determine which version drives better conversions.

Configure a Redirect for Your Variation

Let us understand the two primary methods to configure a redirect for your variations:

Method 1: Configure a Redirect in the Visual Editor

Follow these steps to configure a redirect for the desired variation using the Visual Editor:

1. Open your A/B test campaign in the Visual Editor. For more information, refer to the steps explained in Access Visual Editor.
2. In the variation selection bar at the top, select the specific variation you want to redirect.
3. Click the vertical ellipsis next to the variation name.
4. Select Redirect from the dropdown menu.
5. In the Redirect users to another page dialog, enter the Redirect URL.
6. (Optional) Select your preferred Redirection Settings:
   • Exclude Query String: Check this if you do not want to pass URL parameters (for example: ?utm_source=google) to the new page.
   • Exclude Fragments: Check this if you do not want to pass URL fragments (for example: #section1) to the new page.
7. Click Done and then Save your changes.

Method 2: Using the Campaign setup

You can also configure a redirect for your variation directly from the campaign setup page without launching the Visual Editor. Follow these steps:

1. From the left navigation menu, navigate to Testing > A/B
2. Create a new test or open an existing one in the Draft state.
3. Go to Variations & Traffic section of your campaign setup.
4. Click the Add Variation dropdown. 
5. Select the Redirect to another page option.
6. In the Redirect to field, enter the destination URL. Use the dropdown to select the URL match type, for example, URL matches, URL matches pattern, or Custom Redirection.
7. Click the Checkmark icon to confirm the URL. 
8. Click Save Now. The redirect is configured successfully for your selected variation.

How Wingify Handles Redirects

When a visitor arrives at the original URL, the SmartCode runs and determines whether they should be redirected to a variation. If they are selected for the redirect:

• Wingify performs a JavaScript-based redirect to the destination URL.
• By default, Wingify carries over all query parameters to the destination URL to ensure tracking and attribution remain intact.
• If you apply on-page modifications to a variation and then enable a redirect for it, Wingify ignores the on-page changes and prioritizes the redirect. If you remove the redirect later, the original on-page modifications are restored.

Troubleshooting

FAQs

• Can I test multiple redirect pages in one campaign? 
  Yes. You can create multiple variations, each redirecting to a different URL, to compare multiple designs against your control.
• Do I need to add the SmartCode on the destination page? 
  Yes. The SmartCode is required on the destination page to track goals, conversions, and visitor behavior after the redirect happens.
• Will visitors see a flicker before the redirect? 
  The redirect executes as soon as the SmartCode loads. To minimize any flicker, ensure the SmartCode is placed in the <head> section of your original page.

Need more help?

For further assistance or more information, contact Wingify Support.