> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.elevateab.com/elevate-helpcenter/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.elevateab.com/elevate-helpcenter/page-testing/preview-and-qa-a-page-experiment.md). # Preview and QA a Page Experiment Pre-launch checklist for page experiments in Elevate A/B Testing, covering visual checks, functionality, third party apps, tracking verification, and scope. *** Work through this before you launch. A broken variation does not just lose the experiment, it loses you real orders while it runs, and you learn nothing. Every item below is pass or fail. If something fails, fix it and check again before launching. **Prerequisites:** the experiment created and saved, and every variation template finished in the Shopify theme editor. ### How to view a variation Select **Preview** on a variation to open it as a visitor sees it. Preview renders both desktop and mobile, so you can check each variation at both widths without leaving the app. When checking on your live storefront rather than in preview, use a fresh incognito window each time. A normal window may already hold a variation assignment from earlier testing and show you the same version every time. ### Visual check | Check | What passes | | -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Control page | Looks exactly like your current live page, with no changes at all | | Each variation | Your intended changes are present and rendered correctly | | Mobile | Each variation loads correctly at phone width. Most layout breakage appears here first. | | Desktop | Each variation loads correctly at full desktop width | | Tablet | Checked if tablet is a meaningful share of your traffic | | Side by side | The only differences between control and variation are the ones you intended. Watch for spacing, font, and missing section differences you did not mean to introduce. | Unintended differences are the most common QA failure on page experiments, because duplicating a template copies its settings at that moment and nothing after. Any theme edit you made to the original since duplicating is missing from the copy. ### Functionality check | Check | What passes | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | Add to cart | Adds the correct product from every variation | | Navigation | Menus, breadcrumbs, and internal links work on every variation | | Images | All images, thumbnails, and galleries load | | Forms | Any form on the page submits correctly on every variation | | Video and media | Embedded media loads and plays | | Quick view and modals | Any popups or modals your theme uses open and function | ### Third party apps Apps that inject into your storefront are configured per template in many themes. They do not always carry across to a duplicate. | Check | What passes | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | Reviews widget | Appears on every variation | | Upsell and cross sell | Any recommendation or bundle widgets appear | | Subscription selector | Present and functional if the page offers subscriptions | | Live chat and support widgets | Load on every variation | | Trust badges and seals | Present on every variation | A missing reviews widget on one variation is not a small cosmetic difference. It is a second, unintended change, and it will move your numbers. ### Tracking verification | Check | What passes | | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | Events are arriving | Visiting a page in the experiment produces an event | | Correct variation recorded | The event records the version you actually saw | | Add to cart is recorded | Adding a product produces a corresponding event | | Assignment is sticky | Close the page, reopen it, and you see the same variation | Experiment data is cached and refreshes every two hours, so a test visit will not appear straight away. Select the refresh control next to **Experiment Settings** to pull live data. See the reports documentation for where to find this data and what each metric means. ### Template and scope check | Check | What passes | | -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Correct templates assigned | Each variation points at the template you intended | | No 404s | Every variation loads the page, not a not found error | | Theme edits saved | Any recent change in the theme editor is live on the variation | | Scope is correct | If you scoped to specific products, collections, or pages, the experiment appears on those and nowhere else | | Breadth is correct | If the experiment runs on all products or all collections, check several different ones, not just the first | Scope errors are quiet. An experiment running on your whole catalogue when you meant one product still produces data, and the data still looks plausible. ### If your store is translated If you use Shopify Translate and Adapt, check every variation in every language before launching. A duplicated template starts with no translations, so visitors in other languages see untranslated content until you add them. Translated text also runs longer or shorter than the original, which can break a layout that looked correct in your default language. ### The short version If you have very little time, do this at minimum: 1. Open the page in a fresh incognito window. 2. Confirm you see one of the variations, and that it looks correct. 3. Add a product to cart. 4. Start checkout. 5. Confirm the events arrived against the right variation. This covers the path that matters. If it works, the fundamentals are sound. ### Next steps * Reading Results and Ending a Page Experiment * Troubleshooting Page Experiments