Forced decision methods for the JavaScript (Browser) SDK v6

❗️

Warning

This content covers the Feature Experimentation JavaScript (Browser) SDK v6 features currently in pre-production testing and is subject to change before release

For the latest released version, see JavaScript (Browser) SDK.

These methods help test and debug various flows of your client applications by forcing users into a specific variation.

The JavaScript (Browser) SDK checks forced decisions before making any decisions. If a matching item is found for the requested flag, audience conditions and traffic allocation are ignored, and the SDK returns the forced decision immediately before making normal decisions.

Minimum SDK version

v6.0.0+

Scenarios

The following describes specific scenarios the JavaScript (Browser) SDK follows:

Flag-to-Decision

• SDK looks up at the beginning of any decide call for the given flag. If a matching Flag-to-Decision forced decision is found for the flag, it returns the decision.

Experiment-Rule-to-Decision

• SDK looks up at the beginning of the decision for the given experiment rule (of the flag key). If a matching Experiment-Rule-to-Decision forced decision is found for the flag, it returns the decision.

Delivery-Rule-to-Decision

• SDK looks up at the beginning of the decision for the given delivery rule (of the flag key). If a matching Delivery-Rule-to-Decision forced decision is found, it returns the decision.

❗️

Warning

You must associate your variations to a flag rule before calling any forced decision methods.

On forced decisions, the JavaScript (Browser) SDK fires impression events and notifications just like other normal decisions (unless disabled by the disableDecisionEvent option).

📘

Note

These forced decisions are not persistent and are cleared when the OptimizelyUserContext is re-initialized.

For more information about each method see the following sections:

• setForcedDecision
• getForcedDecision
• removeForcedDecision
• removeAllForcedDecisions

Version

6.0.0 and higher

OptimizelyDecisionContext

export interface OptimizelyDecisionContext {
  flagKey: string;
  ruleKey?: string;
}

OptimizelyForcedDecision

export interface OptimizelyForcedDecision {
  variationKey: string;
}

Set forced decision method (setForcedDecision())

Sets a forced decision (variationKey) for a given OptimizelyDecisionContext.

Parameters

This table lists the required and optional parameters for the Javascript (Browser) SDK.

Returns

A boolean value that indicates if setting the forced decision (variationKey) was completed successfully.

Example

See the full Javascript (Browser) SDK example in the full code example section.

Get Forced Decision Method (getForcedDecision())

Returns the forced decision (variationKey) for a given OptimizelyDecisionContext. Returns the OptimizelyForcedDecision instance or null if there is no matching item.

Parameters

This table lists the required and optional parameters for the Javascript (Browser) SDK.

Returns

A forced decision OptimizelyForcedDecision instance for the context or null if there is no matching item.

Example

See the full Javascript (Browser) SDK example.

Remove forced decision method (removeForcedDecision())

Removes the forced decision (variationKey) for a given OptimizelyDecisionContext.

Parameters

This table lists the required and optional parameters for the Javascript (Browser) SDK.

Returns

A success or failure boolean status if the forced decision (variationKey) was removed.

Example

See the full Javascript (Browser) SDK example.

Remove all forced decisions method (removeAllForcedDecisions())

Parameters

There are no required parameters for removeAllForcedDecisions().

Returns

A success or failure boolean status.

Example

See the full Javascript (Browser) SDK example.

Full code example

import { createInstance, createPollingProjectConfigManager } from '@optimizely/optimizely-sdk';

const SDK_KEY = "YOUR_SDK_KEY";

const pollingConfigManager = createPollingProjectConfigManager({
  sdkKey: SDK_KEY,
});

const optimizely = createInstance({
  projectConfigManager: pollingConfigManager,
});

if (optimizely) {
  optimizely.onReady().then(() => {
    const attributes = { logged_in: true };
    const user = optimizely.createUserContext('user123', attributes);
    if (!user) {
      throw new Error('failed to create user context');
    }

    let result, decision, forcedDecision;

    // set a forced decision for a flag
    result = user.setForcedDecision({flagKey: 'flag-1'}, {variationKey: 'off'});
    decision = user.decide('flag-1');

    // set a forced decision for an ab-test rule
    result = user.setForcedDecision({flagKey: 'flag-2', ruleKey: 'ab-test-1'}, {variationKey: 'variation-b'});
    decision = user.decide('flag-2');

    // set a forced variation for a delivery rule
    result = user.setForcedDecision({flagKey: 'flag-3', ruleKey: 'delivery-1'}, {variationKey: 'on'});
    decision = user.decide('flag-3');

    // get forced variations
    forcedDecision = user.getForcedDecision({flagKey: 'flag-2'});

    // remove forced variations
    result = user.removeForcedDecision({flagKey: 'flag-2', ruleKey: 'ab-test-1'});
    user.removeAllForcedDecisions();
    user.decideAll();

  }).catch((err) => {
    console.log(err);
    // handle error
  });
} else {
  // handle instantiation error
}

See also

OptimizelyUserContext