How Do I Create, Edit, Promote, Delete, or Duplicate Variants?

A page variant is a different instance of the same landing page. For example, say you want to test which landing page design, messaging, or content will boost more conversions or page views; you can compare two variants of a landing page to test which one performs better.  

So, if you're about to enable Smart Traffic, or want to run an A/B test, setting up your variants is the first place to start. 

This article will explain the different actions you can do with your page variants:

1. Creating Variants,
2. Editing a Variant,
3. Previewing Variants,
4. Duplicating Variants,
5. Promoting Variants (A/B testing only)
6. Creating New Pages from Variants,
7. Moving Variants to other Pages,
8. Deactivating Variants, and 

Creating Variants

To get started with A/B testing or Smart Traffic, you'll need to create a page variant. 

1. Navigate the Page Overview of the landing page you want to create a new variant for. 
2. Scroll to the bottom and click Create New Variant:
   
3. Once you've created a new variant, you can continue to add new variants. 

Editing a Specific Variant

You may want to view only a specific variant to test the changes you've made. To access your page variant, follow these steps:

1. From the list of pages in Unbounce, select the page you’d like to edit. This will bring up your Page Overview.
2. Scroll down to the A/B or Smart Traffic test center, and click on the Edit button:
   
3. The Classic Builder or Smart Builder will appear, where you may edit the variant. 
4. Once you're finished editing your variant, click the Save & Publish button on the top right corner of the Classic or Smart Builder.

Previewing a Variant

Previewing your page variant is a great way to compare one variant with another and gauge how your page(s) will appear before it's published. 

1. Click the ellipses icon for the variant you want to duplicate from the Page Overview.
2. Select Preview from the drop-down menu:
   
3. The Preview mode of your landing page will appear.

See our article to learn more about Previewing Your Page. 

Duplicating and Adding Variants

To start a Smart Traffic or A/B test, you will need to create multiple variants for your test. The quickest & recommended way would be to duplicate one variant, and edit the duplicated variant as needed. To duplicate a variant: 

1. Click the ellipses icon for the variant you want to duplicate from the Page Overview.
2. Select Duplicate from the drop-down menu:
   
3. The duplicated variant will appear within the list; here, you can add variant weights (A/B testing) or include this variant within your Smart Traffic test. 
4. Be sure to Save & Publish your page to finalize these changes. 

Promoting a Variant to Champion

You'll only see this option if you're conducting an A/B test. 

If you'd like to change the current Champion Variant, you must first promote another challenger variant to the Champion.

1. While in the Page Overview, select the A/B Test Page Traffic Mode.
2. Click the ellipses icon for the variant you'd like to set up as a Champion/leading variant.
3. From the drop-down, select Promote to Champion:
   • This will automatically discard the previous Champion Variant.
4. To continue A/B testing, be sure to re-add the Champion variant back to the test by clicking the ellipses icon, the Add to test:
   
5. Lastly, set the traffic weights, and be sure to Republish your page:
   

See How to Run an A/B Test to learn more. 

Creating a New Page from a Variant

Are you looking to create a completely new page from one of your more successful page variants? Follow these steps to learn how.

1. Click the ellipses icon for the variant you'd like to create a new page for.
2. Select Create new page from variant from the drop-down menu:
   
3. In the new dialog box that appears, enter the page name:
   
4. Click Create Page at the bottom right corner of the dialog box. 
5. The Page Overview of the newly created page will appear. 

Rest assured, the variant will still exist on the original page as well.  

Move Variant to Another Page

If you feel a page variant is better suited for a different landing page and a different A/B or Smart Traffic test, you can move variants from page to page. 

1. Click the ellipses icon for the variant you'd like to move.
2. Select Move to another page from the drop-down menu:
   
3. In the dialog box that appears, select which page you want to move the variant to from the drop-down menu:
   
   
4. Once you've chosen a page, click Move Variant. 
5. You'll be redirected to the Page Overview where the variant has moved to; the variant name will have [moved] next to it.  

Rest assured, the variant will still exist on the original page as well.  

Deactivating or Deleting a Specific Variant

Do note: A Champion Variant cannot be deactivated or deleted. You must first a) promote another challenger variant to the Champion, then, b) deactivate or delete the previous Champion Variant.

To deactivate a specific variant:

1. Navigate to the Page Overview of the landing page you'd like to edit.
2. Click the ellipses icon of the challenger variant, and then select Deactivate this variant in the drop-down menu:
   
3. Be sure to Save & Publish your page within the Page Overview to finalize these changes. 

You must first deactivate a variant before you delete it. To delete a deactivated variant:

1. Click the ellipses icon in the deactivated variant.
2. Select Delete this variant from the drop-down menu:
   
   • You can only delete variants once they are inactive. 
3. Be sure to Save & Publish your page to finalize these changes. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I view a specific published page variant in my browser?

You may want to view only a specific variant to test out the changes you've made. Once you've published your page, you can use the variant-specific URL.

The variant-specific URL follows the format:

[the URL of the page] + [variant letter] + .html

For example, if your landing page was on the URL http://unbouncepages.com/my-landing-page, then the variant-specific URL for Variant A would be:

http://unbouncepages.com/my-landing-page/a.html

Are you still seeing your variant by using the direct, variant-specific URL after deleting or deactivating? Rest assured, the variant will continue to be active until the cache is cleared but will ONLY be available by using the specific URL. 

Remember: do not direct traffic to your variant-specific URL, as this can affect your page stats.

How do I change a variant's name?

Hover over the variant name to rename/change the variant's name (or any variant from the list). Click the pen icon. In the field that appears, update the variant's name: