> 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/troubleshooting-page-experiments-and-faqs.md).

# Troubleshooting Page Experiments and FAQs

Fixes for common page experiment problems in Elevate A/B Testing, plus answers to frequent questions about templates, variations, plans, and SEO.

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Symptoms first. Find the one that matches, confirm the cause, apply the fix.

### The variation looks identical to the control

**Likely cause.** The variation template was duplicated but never edited, or your changes were made to the wrong template.

**Confirm.** Open the variation template in the Shopify theme editor and check your changes are there.

**Fix.** Edit the correct template. Remember that duplicating copies the original at that moment, so any change you made to the original afterwards is not in the copy.

### A section or widget is missing from the variation

**Likely cause.** Sections and app blocks are configured per template. A duplicate carries what existed when it was made and nothing since.

**Confirm.** Compare the two templates side by side in the theme editor.

**Fix.** Add the missing section or app block to the variation template. This matters more than it looks. A missing reviews widget is a second, unintended change and it will move your numbers.

### Recent theme edits are not showing on the variation

**Likely cause.** The edit was saved to the original template, not the variation. They are separate files.

**Fix.** Make the change in both templates if it is meant to be common to them, or only in the variation if it is the change you are testing.

### A variation returns a 404

**Likely cause.** The template was deleted or renamed in Shopify after the experiment was set up.

**Fix.** Recreate the template, or edit the experiment and point the variation at an existing one.

### The experiment is running on pages I did not select

**Likely cause.** Scope was left at all products, all collections, or the wrong pages were selected.

**Confirm.** Open the experiment and check the scoping option chosen in the variations step.

**Fix.** Edit the scope. Scope errors are quiet, because an over-broad experiment still produces data that looks plausible.

### I always see the same version when testing

**Likely cause.** This is intended. Assignment is sticky so returning visitors get a consistent experience.

**Fix.** Use **Preview** to view each variation directly, or open your storefront in a fresh incognito window for each check.

### The preview thumbnail shows the wrong page

**Likely cause.** The thumbnail is cached from an earlier state.

**Fix.** Open the **⋮** menu on the card and select **Refresh preview**.

### Visitors in other languages see untranslated content

**Likely cause.** The variation template is a new file and starts with no translations.

**Fix.** Translate the variation in Shopify Translate and Adapt before launching. See Shopify Translate and Adapt.

### I cannot find the right template in the picker

**Likely cause.** Templates from previous experiments accumulate in the list, all named with an `eab-` prefix.

**Fix.** Use the search field in **Select Template**. Delete templates from ended experiments you will not reuse, but never one that is applied as a winner or belongs to a running experiment.

### No data is appearing

**Likely cause.** Experiment data is cached and refreshes every two hours.

**Fix.** Select the refresh control next to **Experiment Settings** to pull live data. If nothing appears after that, see the installation verification documentation.

### After applying a winner, my page edits do nothing

**Likely cause.** Applying a winner publishes the variation template as the live template. Your original template is no longer the one visitors see.

**Fix.** Edit the applied variation template. If you would rather work in the original, move the winning changes into it and publish that instead.

### The layout breaks only on mobile

**Likely cause.** The variation was built and checked at desktop width.

**Fix.** Correct the responsive settings on the variation template. Check every variation at phone width before launching, not only the one you built last.

### FAQs

**Do I need the Elevate A/B Testing theme extension for page experiments?** No. Page experiments serve a different template rather than changing anything on the page, so the extension is not part of the delivery path.

**Do I need to build the alternate template before creating the experiment?** No. Elevate A/B Testing can duplicate your current template during setup. You then edit the copy in the Shopify theme editor.

**How many variations can I run?** Up to five including your control, so four alternatives. Start with two. Fewer variations reach a conclusion sooner because traffic is split fewer ways.

**Which Shopify plans support page testing?** All of them. No duplicated products and no code editing are required.

**Will visitors see the page change between visits?** No. Assignment is sticky, so a returning visitor sees the version they saw before.

**Does ending an experiment delete my variation templates?** No. Pausing and completing both return traffic to your control template and leave the variation templates in your theme. Nothing is applied to your store unless you apply it and confirm.

**Is this bad for SEO?** Variations render at the same URL rather than at separate addresses, so a page experiment does not create duplicate pages for search engines to index.

**Should I use a page experiment or a content experiment?** A content experiment edits elements on the page you already have, with no template work. A page experiment serves a genuinely different template. If you are duplicating a template to change one headline, you wanted a content experiment.

**Should I use a page experiment or a split URL experiment?** Page experiments compare templates at the same URL. Split URL experiments send visitors to entirely different addresses. If the two versions already live at separate URLs, use split URL.

**Can I edit an experiment while it is running?** Yes. Changing traffic allocation is safe. Changing what is being tested, such as the scope or a variation template, means your data describes two different experiments and the result is no longer meaningful. End it and start a new one instead.

**Where do I apply the winning variation?** In **Experiment Settings**. The option appears once the experiment reaches statistical significance. Applying it publishes the variation template as the live template for that page type.

**Can I run more than one page experiment at a time?** Yes, but overlapping experiments on the same pages can contaminate each other. See the traffic isolation documentation.

### Next steps

* Page Testing Overview
* Create a Page Experiment
* Preview and QA a Page Experiment