How to Create a Template Test

A Template Test lets you compare different templates (designs/layouts) on your WordPress site — to find out which template converts better (subscriptions, purchases, engagements).

You can create new template variants, test them across the content that uses them, and analyse results—all directly in your WordPress dashboard.

Step 1: Create a New Template Test

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Nelio A/B Testing → Tests.
2. Click Add Test.
3. In the dialog, select Template (under the “Global” or test types list).

Step 2: Name and Define Your Test

Give your test a descriptive name (e.g., “Landing Page Template – Version A vs B”).

On the right sidebar you’ll find:

• Status & Management: see whether the test is Draft, Ready, Scheduled, or Paused, and configure start/end dates.
• Description: note what you are testing and what you expect (e.g., “Switching to a full-width template will increase newsletter sign-ups”).
• Note: The template test only applies to the set of content that uses the template under test.

Step 3: Choose Control and Variants to Test

A template split test lets you compare different templates applied to the content on your website that currently uses a specific one. For example, you can analyze which page design generates more newsletter sign-ups or which layout keeps visitors engaged longer.

Select the Template to Test

1. In the main panel, choose the template you want to test — the Control Version (Version A).
2. First, select the type of content that uses this template (e.g., pages, posts, or custom post types).
3. Then, select the specific template of that type you want to test.

Add New Variants

1. Create one or more variants (Version B, C…) of the template.
2. Select alternative templates from the list of options available in your WordPress installation.
3. Give each variant a descriptive name — for instance, “Template B – Full Width” or “Template C – Two Columns.”

Step 4: Define Goals and Conversion Actions

Every test needs a goal — what counts as success.

Each goal can include one or more conversion actions that describe the specific behavior you want to track.

Name your goals, then click the Add Action button to choose from the available conversion actions.

You can combine multiple actions under one goal.

🔍 Learn more: What Are the Conversion Actions and Goals? →

Step 5: 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 you skip segmentation, all visitors to the tested pages are included automatically.

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

Step 6: 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.

Step 7: 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:

Goal selector – Choose which goal’s results to display.

Status icon – Indicates experiment status:

🟡 Collecting data.

🕒💛 Potential winner, low confidence

🟢🏅 Clear winner found.

🔴 No improvement over control.

Unique results – Filter duplicates.

Public results – Share a public link.

Export results – Download a CSV.

Summary – Shows status, duration, start date, and end condition.

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.

Step 8: 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.

After completing a test, review the results to identify the winning template. Then, manually assign that template to the relevant pages or posts in WordPress to apply your learnings and improve your website’s conversion rate.

Next Steps

• Explore Segmentation Options →
• Interpret Your Test Results →
• Learn About Analytics and Reporting →