How to create an A/B test campaign - Online Help | Zoho Campaigns

How to create an A/B test campaign

A/B testing (also known as split testing) allows you to compare two versions of an email campaign to determine which one performs better. Instead of relying on guesswork, you use data to understand what your audience responds to. In Zoho Campaigns, A/B testing is built directly into the campaign builder. You can test subject lines, sender details, or the entire email content, and then automatically send the winning version to the remaining contacts. This document will walk you through how to set up an A/B test campaign in Zoho Campaigns step by step.

Before you begin 

Make sure you have the following ready before you start:

  • A Zoho Campaigns account with at least one mailing list or segment

  • A minimum of 4 contacts in your list (required to run an A/B test)

  • A clear idea of what you want to test, whether it's subject line, sender name, or email content

To create an A/B test email campaign,


  1. From the navigation toolbar on the left, click Campaigns and select Email.

  2. In the To section, select the topic that best matches your campaign.

  3. Add the recipients for your campaign. You can add both lists and segments.

  4. At the top right of the campaign builder, toggle the A/B test button to turn it on.

  5. Drag the slider to decide what percentage of your list will receive the test. For example, you might send Version A to 20% and Version B to another 20%, then send the winning version to the remaining 60%.

  6. Choose how long the test will run before a winner is picked. You can set the duration in hours or days.

    Notes
    Info: Contacts entering the workflow during the test duration will wait until the test is evaluated. Once the evaluation period ends and a winner is determined, these contacts will receive the winning version, or the preferred version in case of a tie.

  7. Now you can choose how Zoho Campaigns should decide the winner. You have three options:

  8. Open Rate: Use this if your primary goal is to maximise how many people open the email. Best for testing subject lines and sender names.

  9. Click Rate: Use this if you want to measure actual engagement like who clicked a link or CTA.

  10. Manual: Use this if you want to review the results yourself and decide which version to send.

  11. Then select the option how to proceed if the test results are inconclusive. You can either choose Variation A, Variation B or the I'll decide later option.

  12. Once all the settings above are configured, click Save to move on to building your email content.

Configure both versions of your email

After saving your A/B test settings, you can start building both versions of your email. For each version, set:

  1. From name and From email address: The sender identity your recipients will see

  2. Reply-to address: Where replies will go

  3. Subject line: The headline in the inbox

  4. Preheader text: The preview text shown below the subject in most email clients

  5. Email content: The body of your email, including layout, text, and images. You can click on the template category, finalise a template and click Use template.

  6. You can also configure advanced settings for each version. All of these work the same way as in a regular email campaign created using Zoho Campaigns.

Launch your A/B test campaign

Once both versions are fully configured and reviewed, click Launch to send the campaign.

Use cases 

Here are some common scenarios where A/B testing can make a real difference:

1. Finding the best subject line

A SaaS company sends a monthly product update newsletter. They test two subject lines:

  • Version A: "Your July Product Update"

  • Version B: "3 New Features You Need to Try This Month"

Version B gets 22% more opens because it is specific and curiosity-driven. They use this style for all future newsletters.

2. Brand Name vs. Personal Sender

An e-commerce brand tests whether emails from "The Style Store" or from "Sarah at The Style Store" get more clicks. They find that personalised sender names get higher engagement, especially on promotional campaigns.

3. Improving Click-Through on Promotional Emails

A travel agency tests two versions of a sale announcement email. The layout and subject line are the same, but Version A has a single large CTA button at the top, while Version B has three smaller links spread throughout. Version A wins with a 30% higher click rate.