# Creating a Real-time 2.0 A/B Test

This feature is in BETA version. For more information, contact your Customer Success Representative.

Real-Time A/B Testing allows marketers to experiment and optimize customer journeys by testing multiple variants of a campaign treatment—such as message content, timing, or delivery channel—in real time.

With A/B Testing in Treasure Data Real-Time Journeys, you can test what works best and continuously improve performance without waiting for batch updates.

![Real Time AB Test](/assets/creating-a-realtime-time-ab-test-2025-10-09-4.7c8c183e6cf420261b3216adf8e88229fdd10658a751bbc1f9bea4503d363387.5b2238d2.png)

## Key Capabilities

### 1. Create A/B Tests in Journey Flows

- Add A/B Test steps anywhere in the journey (except after end or jump nodes).
- Create up to 8 variants plus an optional control group.
- Customize test and variant names (default: A–H).
- Split traffic equally or assign custom percentages.
- Supports nested tests (up to 10 layers) and merge branches post-test.


### 2. Automatic Variant Assignment

- Users are randomly and consistently assigned to a variant when they reach the A/B test node.
- Variant assignment is based on a stable internal ID, ensuring consistent treatment across sessions and re-entries.


### 3. Persisted Test Membership

- Variant assignments are stored and can be referenced for downstream analytics and targeting.
- Even after users exit a journey, their test membership is retained for future re-targeting or analysis.


## Coming Soon in future milestones

The following enhancements are planned for an upcoming milestone:

### Activation with Variant Metadata

Marketers will be able to pass A/B test and variant data to external systems during activation. This will support downstream personalization and performance measurement.

- Activation payloads will include the test name and variant (if assigned).
- If multiple A/B tests are nested, the system will send the closest relevant variant.


### Drag-On Rules for Segment Targeting

In the Real-Time Segment Editor, marketers will be able to include or exclude profiles based on their A/B test group membership.

- Support for targeting current or historical variant members.
- Useful for follow-up actions, retargeting, or suppressing specific variants.


## Safeguards & Deletion Protection

- Edit Protection: Once a journey is launched, A/B tests within it cannot be changed.
- Delete Protection: A journey cannot be deleted if one of its A/B tests is referenced in another journey. This prevents accidental breakage of dependent experiments.


## Example Use Case

Campaign Objective: Optimize email subject lines

- Stage 1: Add an A/B Test node testing two subject lines (Variant A and Variant B).
- Stage 2 (Future): Use a drag-on rule to only show a follow-up offer to users from Variant A who opened the email.
- Analysis (Future): Export variant membership through activation metadata to evaluate click-through and conversion rates.