Optimizely Performance Edge and Optimizely Web Experimentation
Describes the differences and similarities of Optimizely Performance Edge and Optimizely Web Experimentation.
You cannot run an Optimizely Performance Edge and Optimizely Web Experimentation project on the same individual webpage. Depending on the use case of the specific page, one product has particular advantages over the other.
Where and why
Optimizely Performance Edge and Optimizely Web Experimentation both offer distinct advantages. The following table suggests where you might run experiments using Optimizely Performance Edge, Optimizely Web Experimentation, and Optimizely Feature Experimentation and why.
| Product | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Optimizely Performance Edge | Entry pages: Homepage, Landing pages, SEO pages Category pages - Product, Article pages | Extremely fast Seamless redirects Single page application (SPA) support ** Focused on A/B testing |
| Optimizely Web Experimentation | Checkout, Subscription pages Critical personalized experiences | Powerful targeting PCI compliance available - Already set up to track conversions (shared with Edge experiments) |
| Optimizely Feature Experimentation | Everywhere Backend and frontend Search algorithm and pricing New cart features | SDKs in backend languages Control over core application or site code and functionality - Zero latency |
The following page triggers for dynamic websites are now available for Optimizely Performance Edge: Immediately, When a callback is called, When the DOM changes, When a JavaScript condition is true, and Manually. The following page conditions for dynamic websites are now available for Performance Edge: URL Match, Element is present, and JavaScript condition.
Important
You cannot run a Optimizely Performance Edge experiment and a Web experiment on the same page at the same time. For more information, see the FAQ .
Core functionality
Optimizely Performance Edge uses a smart, lightweight microsnippet that lets you deliver client-side web experiments to your site visitors faster.
| Feature Category | Feature |
|---|---|
| Visual Editor (WYSIWYG) | Insert HTML Edit HTML Style changes Rearrange Redirects |
| Code Editor | Custom JavaScript** Custom CSS |
| Page Triggers | Immediately Manually* When the URL Changes* When the DOM Changes* |
| Page Conditions | URL Match Element is Present* JavaScript Condition* |
| Audience conditions | Cookie Device Browser Query Parameter IP Address Location |
| Event tracking | Click events Pageview events Custom events** |
*These page triggers and conditions are available. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you want access to these features.
**Performance Edge uses a different JavaScript API from Web. Instead of using window.optimizely to use the API as you would in Web, you use window.optimizelyEdge. See the Performance Edge API reference for more.
Optimizely Web Experimentation and Optimizely Performance Edge feature support
Create and deliver experiences
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Experiments | Yes | |
| Visual Editor | Yes | |
| Preview mode | No | Force variation IDs work, and you can preview from the visual editor on a variation-by-variation basis, but there is no preview mode with a preview widget in it. |
| Experiment change hiistory | Yes | |
| Traffic allocation | Yes | Sticky bucketing is not supported if changes in traffic are made mid-experiment. |
| Cross-browser testing | Yes | |
| Project JavaScript | Yes | |
| Dynamic website support | Yes | |
| Experiment scheduler | Yes | |
| Extensions | Yes |
Experiment types
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? |
|---|---|
| Multi-page (funnel) tests | Yes |
| Multiple variation (A/B/n) tests | Yes |
| Multivariate testing (MVT) | No |
| Stats accelerator | No |
| Multi-armed bandit | No |
| Mutually exclusive experiments | Yes |
Implementation
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? |
|---|---|
| One-line implementation | Yes |
| Custom snippets | No |
Results and results segmentation
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Exit or bounce rate | No | This type of metric is only compatible with Personalization campaigns which are not supported. |
| Browser type | Yes | |
| Device type | Yes | |
| Referrer segmentation | Yes | |
| Source type segmentation | Yes | |
| Campaign results page | No | Personalization Campaigns are not supported. |
| Experiment results page | Yes | |
| Stats Engine | Yes | |
| CSV export | Yes | |
| Bot filtering | Yes | |
| Cross-project events | Yes | |
| Custom attributes | No | |
| Offline events | Yes | |
| Custom events | Yes |
Page triggers
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate | Yes | |
| Manually | Yes | Requires Support for Dynamic Web Pages to be enabled. |
| When the URL changes | Yes | Requires Support for Dynamic Web Pages to be enabled. |
| When the DOM changes | Yes | Requires Support for Dynamic Web Pages to be enabled. |
| Polling | No (incompatible) | The polling page trigger is incompatible with Performance Edge due to fundamental technical limitations. |
| Callback | No (incompatible) | The callback page trigger is incompatible with Performance Edge due to fundamental technical limitations. |
Page conditions
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| URL Match | Yes | |
| Element is present | Yes | Requires Support for Dynamic Web Pages to be enabled. |
| JavaScript condition | Yes | Requires Support for Dynamic Web Pages to be enabled. |
| Callback | No (incompatible) | The callback page condition is incompatible with Performance Edge due to fundamental technical limitations. |
Audience targeting
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Audience builder | Yes | |
| Referrer URL | No | |
| Query parameter | Yes | |
| Custom JavaScript | No | |
| Cookies | Yes | |
| IP address | Yes | |
| Traffic source | No | |
| Device | Yes | |
| Browser | Yes | |
| Language | No | |
| Ad campaign | No | There is a workaround using query parameters, however, that targeting condition is not sticky. See the documentation on Audience Conditions. |
| New versus returning visitors | No | |
| Geotargeting (location) | Yes | |
| Time of day | No | |
| Custom attributes | No (incompatible) | Custom attributes for audience targeting are incompatible with Performance Edge due to fundamental technical limitations. |
| Platform or OS | No |
Security and administrative control
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? |
|---|---|
| PCI compliant snippet | No |
Advanced personalization
| Optimizely Web Feature | Supported in Performance Edge? |
|---|---|
| Adaptive audiences add-on | No (incompatible) |
| Adaptive recommendations | No |
| Dynamic customer profile | No |
| External attributes | No |
| Personalization campaigns | No |
| Uploaded audiences | No |
| Behavioral targeting | No |
| Third-party data audience | No |
| Campaign results page | No |
Analytics integrations
| Optimizely Web Experimentation Feature | Supported in Optimizely Performance Edge? |
|---|---|
| Out-of-box one-click integrations (Google Analytics, Adobe, and so on) | No |
| Custom analytics integrations supported with custom ProjectJS | Yes |
Updated 5 months ago