How to Create a Custom Post Type Test

A Custom Post Type Test lets you compare different versions of items in one of your WordPress custom post types — such as courses, events, staff profiles, case studies or any content type you’ve registered — to determine which version performs best.

You can create new variants, test against existing ones, and launch everything from your WordPress dashboard.

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Step 1: Create a New Custom Post Type Test

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Nelio A/B Testing → Tests.
2. Click Add Test.
3. In the dialog, select Custom Post Type (under the Page category).
4. Give your test a clear, descriptive name, such as Course Description Variant Test or Event Listing Layout Test.

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Step 2: Define Scope and Consistency

In the right sidebar, you’ll see configuration options similar to other test types:

• Description — Optionally document your hypothesis or what you expect to learn.
• Test Scope — Select which items of the custom post type will be included in the test.
  • By default, only the selected item (the “control”) is included.
  • Enable Global Consistency if you want the same variant shown across all contexts for that post type (for example, in archives, search results, listings) without affecting quota usage.
• Status & Management — Set start and end dates or schedule the test.

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Step 3: Choose Control and Variants

In the main panel, select your control version (Version A) — the custom post type item you’re testing — and add one or more variants.

By default, when you create a Custom Post Type Test, Nelio automatically duplicates the control item as Variant B, so you can modify it freely — from small text changes to a full rewrite.

Alternatively, you can test the control item against an existing one by checking the corresponding box; you’ll then select an already-published item of that custom post type as a variant.

You may also see the “Use control URL in variants” option (depending on the type of content):

• When enabled, visitors will continue to see the original control URL, even when viewing a variant. Nelio dynamically swaps the variant’s content under the hood while keeping the same URL — ideal for maintaining consistent analytics and SEO behavior.

💡 Use control URL in variants

When you test against an existing custom post type item and this option is disabled, visitors are redirected to the variant’s actual URL. Enable the checkbox if you prefer to keep all variants under the same address.

You can also click New Variant to add additional variants to your test.

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Step 4: Edit Your Variants

Click Edit on a variant to open it in the WordPress editor.

• For duplicated variants, you can modify text, images, blocks, or layout just like any other custom post type.
• For existing-item variants, you’ll edit that live custom post type directly.
• Use the Nelio sidebar to switch between duplicated variants or return to the test overview.

When finished, click Save Draft (or Update), then return to the test screen.

💡 Note about responsive designs: If your original custom post types uses different designs for desktop, tablet, and mobile, make sure to apply your changes separately for each device view when editing the variant. Otherwise, only the desktop version of the variant will show the alternative design, while the tablet and mobile versions will continue displaying the original layout.

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Step 5: Define Goals and Conversion Actions

Click Define Goals in the test editor and add one or more goals (e.g., Increase event registrations, Boost course enrolments, Improve staff profile visits).

Under each goal, select the relevant conversion actions, such as page view, element view, button/link click, external link click, scroll depth, or WooCommerce actions (Add to Cart, Purchase).

🔍 Learn more What Are Conversion Actions and Goals →

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Step 6: Add Segmentation Rules (Optional)

Segmentation lets you decide who participates in the test. You can target visitors by conditions such as:

URL parameter · Referrer · Language · Location · Logged-in status · Visitor Type · Day/time · Browser · Device type · Operating system · Window Width Cookie · IP address

If skipped, the test includes all visitors to the selected custom post type item.

🔍 Learn more What is Segmentation and How to Use It →

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Step 7: Start the Test

When everything is ready:

1. Review your setup summary at the top of the page.
2. Click Start.

Nelio A/B Testing will:

• Randomly assign visitors to variants.
• Track conversions anonymously via Nelio Cloud.
• Display real-time results in your dashboard.

⏯ Pause, Resume, or Stop Your Test

• Pause a running test if you need to make changes, then resume it later.
• Stop a test manually whenever you want, or let it end automatically under certain conditions such as duration, total number of visits or confidence results (available in Professional and Enterprise plans).
• Once a test is stopped, its results remain available for review.

⚠️ Important note about editing paused tests

Editing a paused test may reset or affect ongoing statistics. When in doubt, duplicate the test before resuming.

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Step 8: View Results and Analyze Performance

While your test runs, go to Nelio A/B Testing → Tests and click View Results to monitor its progress.

Summary of the results

In the right sidebar, you’ll find a quick overview of your test:

Test Progress

The main area of the results page is divided into two tabs that visualize your test’s progress and performance:

• Conversion Rates — A line chart showing conversion evolution across variants.
• Views and Conversions — Compares total visits and conversions for each variant.

Confidence indicators appear alongside these charts, updating automatically as more data accumulates.

Below the charts, you’ll find a summary table with:

• A thumbnail preview (if available) of each variant.
• Number of visits and conversions.
• Conversion rate and improvement over control..
• A button to view each variant’s heatmap (if available).

Step 9: Improve Your Web Conversion

You can end a test manually using the Stop button in the upper-right corner of the results page, or let it end automatically based on the configured end mode.

Once finished, review your results. If there’s a clear winner, apply the winning variant so it becomes the default page for all users — improving your site’s conversion performance instantly.