A/B testing (also called split testing) lets you compare different versions of an email to see which one performs best with your patients before the full send goes out. Instead of guessing whether one subject line or layout will land better, you send competing versions to a sample of your audience, let real engagement decide the winner, and Aesthetix CRM automatically delivers that winning version to everyone else.
When you enable A/B testing on an email campaign, you can test up to six different versions of a single email element with your recipient list. You choose one thing to test, such as the subject line or the body content, and Aesthetix CRM sends each variation to a portion of your audience. After a duration you set, the platform identifies the best-performing version based on a metric you choose (opens or clicks) and sends that winner to the rest of your list.
Testing variations this way gives you real data on what resonates with your patients and prospective patients, helping you write campaigns that drive more opens, clicks, and bookings over time.
Optimize engagement: See which version actually earns higher open or click rates.
Make data-backed decisions: Replace guesswork with real recipient behavior.
Improve deliverability: Refine subject lines so more emails reach the inbox.
Boost conversions: Apply what works to keep improving your email strategy.
Go to Marketing > Emails and select Campaign from the dropdown. After creating a new email campaign and opening it in the email builder, toggle on Enable A/B Testing in the left panel.
Note that A/B test campaigns can only be sent using Send Now or by scheduling the campaign for a specific date and time. A/B testing does not work with batch schedule or RSS schedule sends.
Pick one element to split test, either the email subject line or the email content. You can only test one type per campaign, not both at once.
Email Subject Line (optimize open rates): The subject line is the first thing recipients see, before they ever open your email. Experiment with length or add personalization to improve open rates.
Email Content (optimize click rates): Test elements inside the email that influence whether recipients take action, such as section titles, copy length, call-to-action buttons, images, and videos.
The test duration is the window during which Aesthetix CRM measures open or click results before declaring a winner. Choose a duration between 30 minutes and 24 hours.
When setting this, consider how long it realistically takes your patients to notice, open, and act on an email. A duration that is too short may declare a winner before enough people have engaged. If no open or click results come in for the chosen metric by the end of the duration, the first variation is sent out as the winner by default.
Select how many variations to test, up to a maximum of six. The number you use depends on your strategy, but keep your audience size in mind: you need a minimum of 10 contacts per variation, and at least 40 total contacts to run any split test.
Use the Test Size slider to decide what percentage of your contacts receive the test variations. The remaining audience is held back to receive the winning version.
For example, if you test two variations (A and B), you might send each to 25 percent of your audience and reserve the remaining 50 percent for whichever version wins.
Build out your subject variations or content variations, depending on the test type you chose. If you want to move faster, you can use the built-in AI content tool to generate variation ideas automatically.
Select the metric that decides the winner:
Unique Open Rate: The version with the most unique opens wins. Best for subject line tests.
Unique Click Rate: The version that generates the most unique clicks wins. Best for content tests.
Before launching, you can preview or test the campaign by clicking the three dots. When you are happy with it, set the delivery method to Send Now or Schedule for a Specific Date/Time and launch.
Aesthetix CRM runs the test automatically. When the duration ends, the winning email is sent to the remaining percentage of your audience with no further action needed from you. Once the campaign has gone out, you can review detailed statistics for each variation and for the overall campaign in your campaign statistics dashboard.
After the test duration ends, Aesthetix CRM compares the variations using your chosen criteria (unique opens or unique clicks) and selects the version with the strongest performance. That winning email then automatically goes out to the remaining portion of your audience that was held back during the test.
If the duration ends with no results recorded for your chosen metric, the first variation is treated as the winner and sent by default.
Test one element at a time. Change only the subject line or only the content, never both in the same campaign, so you know exactly what drove the result.
Meet the audience minimums. You need at least 10 contacts per variation and 40 total. Smaller lists will not produce reliable results, so consider fewer variations if your audience is limited.
Match the metric to the test. Use unique open rate for subject line tests and unique click rate for content tests.
Give the test enough time. Set a duration that reflects how long your patients usually take to open and act on email, so the winner is decided on real engagement rather than a rushed sample.
Keep variations meaningfully different. Test changes that are distinct enough to produce a clear winner, such as a different subject angle or a different call-to-action, rather than tiny tweaks.
Reuse what works. Once you have a winning version, duplicate it and use it as the starting point for future campaigns.
What is the maximum number of variations I can test? You can test up to six variations at a time.
Can I test both the subject line and the content in the same A/B test? No. You can choose only one test type per campaign, either email subject or email content.
How many contacts do I need to run a test? You need a minimum of 10 contacts per variation and at least 40 total contacts to conduct any split test.
What happens if no one opens or clicks during the test window? If there are no results for your chosen metric by the end of the test duration, the first variation is automatically sent out as the winner by default.
Can I use A/B testing with any send method? A/B test campaigns can only be sent using Send Now or by scheduling the campaign. They do not work with batch schedule or RSS schedule sends.
Will the results appear in my reporting? Yes. You can view A/B test results for open rate, click rate, and the winning version in your campaign statistics dashboard.
Can I reuse the winning variation for future campaigns? Yes. Duplicate the winning version and use it as a starting point for future email campaigns.
If you have questions about setting up A/B testing or interpreting your campaign results, reach out to Aesthetix CRM support and our team will be glad to help.