Advanced Configuration¶

This section covers advanced configuration options for BoastPress AB Testing, including the bucket rules system, version assignment modes, and cookie settings.

Bucket Rules System¶

The bucket rules system allows you to segment users and target specific variations to different user groups.

Creating and Managing Buckets¶

To create and manage buckets:

1. Navigate to A/B Tests > Bucket Rules
2. Click Add New Bucket
3. Enter a name and description for the bucket
4. Configure rules (see below)
5. Set a priority (lower numbers = higher priority)
6. Click Save Bucket

Understanding Rule Types¶

Bucket rules can be based on four types of conditions:

Query Parameters¶

Query parameters are values in the URL after the question mark (?).

Example rule: - Field: Query - Key: utm_source - Operator: Equals - Value: facebook

This rule matches users who arrive from a URL containing ?utm_source=facebook.

Cookies¶

Cookie rules check for specific values in the user's browser cookies.

Example rule: - Field: Cookie - Key: returning_visitor - Operator: Equals - Value: true

This rule matches users who have a cookie named returning_visitor with the value true.

HTTP Headers¶

HTTP header rules check values in the request headers.

Example rule: - Field: Header - Key: User-Agent - Operator: Contains - Value: iPhone

This rule matches users browsing from an iPhone.

IP Ranges¶

IP range rules check if the user's IP address falls within a specified range.

Example rule: - Field: IP - Key: (leave empty) - Operator: (not applicable) - Value: 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.255

This rule matches users with IP addresses in the specified range.

Rule Operators¶

For query parameters, cookies, and headers, you can use these operators:

• Equals: Exact match (case-insensitive)
• Contains: Partial match (case-insensitive)
• Starts With: Value begins with the specified string
• Ends With: Value ends with the specified string

Setting Rule Priorities¶

When multiple buckets could match a user, the priority determines which one takes precedence:

1. Lower numbers indicate higher priority
2. Default priority is 10
3. Buckets with the same priority are evaluated in the order they were created

Combining Multiple Rules¶

You can add multiple rules to a single bucket. When multiple rules are present:

• All rules must match for the bucket to be applied (AND logic)

Assigning Buckets to Test Versions¶

To assign a bucket to a test version:

1. Edit the test version
2. In the "Bucket Assignment" dropdown, select the bucket
3. Save the version

Now, users who match the bucket's rules will see this version.

Version Assignment Modes¶

BoastPress AB Testing offers two methods for assigning users to test variations:

Random Assignment¶

In random assignment mode:

• Users are randomly assigned to variations
• Each variation has an equal chance of being shown
• Assignment is based on a hash of the user's session ID or cookie

To use random assignment:

1. When creating or editing a test, select "Random" as the Version Assignment Mode
2. Ensure each version has a unique name
3. Set one version as the default

Bucket-Based Targeting¶

In bucket-based targeting:

1. Create buckets with specific rules (as described above)
2. Assign each version to a specific bucket
3. When a user matches a bucket's rules, they see the corresponding version
4. If a user doesn't match any bucket, they see the default version

To use bucket-based targeting:

1. When creating or editing a test, select "Bucket-based" as the Version Assignment Mode
2. Create buckets in A/B Tests > Bucket Rules
3. Assign buckets to versions in the test edit page
4. Set one version as the default for users who don't match any bucket

In the next section, we'll cover how to track and analyze the results of your A/B tests.