A/B testing

Test your Facebook ads to optimise and improve their performance

We've found that winning A/B tests decreased CPR by just over30%on average (compared to losing ads).1

Overview

As a marketer, it can be challenging to accurately run A/B tests on your advertising, which can lead to inaccurate insights and optimisations.

Facebook's A/B testing tools work across the Facebook family of apps and services to help you understand which ad strategies have the strongest impact on campaign performance. You can use the insights you gain from an A/B test to improve your future media plans.

Benefits of A/B testing

Randomised, non-overlapping groups of people

Easy to set up in Ads Manager and the API

Actionable results and best practices for future campaign planning

How does A/B testing work?

Facebook's A/B testing tool helps you easily test different ads to see which ad performs the best. A/B testing divides your audience into random, non-overlapping groups who are shown ad sets which are identical on all aspects except for a distinct difference, or "variable". For example, your variable could be a different creative, audience, placement or delivery optimisation.

The performance of each ad set is then measured against your campaign objective, and the best-performing ad set wins. After the A/B test has been completed, you'll receive an email and notification of the winning strategy.

A/B testing lets you test with one or more variables, including creative, audience, delivery optimisation and placement.

Getting started

You can create an A/B test by selecting a campaign or ad set in Ads Manager and clicking the button labelled "A/B Test" within the API or via the Experiments tool.

  1. Select a marketing objective that enables A/B testing: brand awareness, reach, traffic, app installs, video views, lead generation, conversions, catalogue sales, engagement and messages.
  2. Select the option to create an A/B test.
  3. Select the variable(s) to test: creative, audience, delivery optimisation or placements.
  4. Run your campaign.
  5. Once a winner has been determined, you'll be able to identify your winning ad set in Ads Manager and an email will be sent to you with the results.

  6. Apply what you've learned about your results to determine your ad strategy for future campaigns.


Where can I learn more?

For more information, visit the Advertiser Help Centre.