What is Adaptive Testing?
Adaptive Testing allows you to send multiple variations of a message to different segments of your audience, measure performance, and then send the winning variation to the remaining subscribers. This helps you optimize message content and overall campaign effectiveness.
Key Benefits
Data-driven optimization: Make decisions based on actual performance metrics rather than assumptions
Improved engagement: Discover which message variations resonate best with your audience
Easy setup: Intuitive interface that doesn't require training or external expertise
Flexible testing: Test different content variations to understand what drives results
Creating an Adaptive Test
Getting Started
Enable Adaptive Testing: When composing a new message, toggle the "Adaptive Test" option to ON
Create Your Variants: Build different message variations to test
Setting Up Your Content Test
Create Your Variants: You can create up to 4 different message variations
Each variant can have unique subject lines, message content, and images
Use the duplicate variant button to copy content and make minor adjustments
Use "Copy from Variant A" to quickly replicate content across variants
Configure Test Settings:
Test Size: Choose what percentage of your audience receives the test (the rest receives the winner)
Audience Split: Decide how to divide your test audience across variants (e.g., 25% each for 4 variants)
Winning Message: Choose whether the winner sends automatically or creates a draft for review
Winner Determination:
You can select when the winners are determined between 1 and 48 hours after the variants are sent. The winning variant is based on unique click-through rate (CTR)
The system automatically identifies the best-performing variant
Tracking and Analyzing Results
Performance Dashboard
Access comprehensive test results through the Performance Dashboard:
Test Results View: See all variants side-by-side with key metrics:
Recipient count per variant
Click-through rate (CTR)
Unique clicks
Donation metrics (when donation tracking is enabled)
Winner Highlight: The winning variant is clearly marked based on CTR performance
Detailed Insights: Review adaptive test insights and message goals
Individual Variant View: Click any variant to drill down into detailed performance metrics
Message List
The Adaptive Tests list view shows:
Test status at a glance
"Send Winner" action for tests waiting for you to schedule the winning message
"Winner variation scheduled" status for completed tests
Best Practices
Content Testing Tips
Test One Element: Focus on testing one variable at a time (e.g., subject line OR call-to-action)
Include Links: Add tracking links to measure click-through performance accurately
Meaningful Differences: Make variations different enough to produce measurable results
Donation Tracking: Use unique URL parameters for each variant (e.g.,
utm_campaign=appeal_Avsappeal_B) so your fundraising platform can differentiate donations by variant in its reporting. Tatango displays aggregate donation totals across all variants.
General Guidelines
Test Size: Use our recommended audience test size
Allow Sufficient Time: The 1-hour determination window ensures enough data for accurate results
Review Results: Check the Performance Dashboard to understand why the winner performed best
Apply Learnings: Use insights from tests to inform future campaigns
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
"Can't schedule message in past" validation error
Ensure all scheduled times are in the future
Double-check your timezone settings
Verify the winner message time is set correctly
INSERT LINK prompts not appearing
These appear automatically when variant content is blank
If you see [INSERT LINK HERE] in red text, you're viewing a cloned test; use "Copy from Variant A" instead
Last updated: April 2026