A/B test subject lines & bodies (Template mode)

Create multiple email variants in a Template-mode campaign and compare their performance in analytics.

7 min read·Intermediate·7 steps

1
Understand A/B testing in Template mode
A Template-mode campaign can hold multiple email variants for the same sequence position, so you can compare different copy against each other.
2
Open your campaign's Email Template
Open the Email Template config for a Template-mode campaign.
3
Start a new variant
Click A/B Testing (top-right of the templates list) or Add A/B variant below it to open the New A/B Variant form.
4
Fill in the variant
Enter a Template Name, Subject Line, and Email Body. Insert merge tags where they help personalize the copy.
5
Preview and save
Optionally click Send Test to preview the variant in your own inbox, then click Create Template to save it.
6
Add more variants
Repeat to add additional variants. Each one gets a numbered #N badge marking its position in the sequence; the gap between variants is controlled separately by Wait/Delay nodes on the canvas.
7
Compare results in analytics
Launch the campaign and let it run, then compare your variants' performance in campaign analytics. Winner selection is manual — there's no automatic winner — so review the metrics yourself and edit or delete the underperforming variant.

Pro tips

Hard-won shortcuts that keep warm-up on track.

Vary the subject or the opener — not both — so analytics can tell you what actually moved the needle.

Check reply and open rates in campaign analytics yourself, then delete or rewrite the weaker variant — there's no automatic winner.

Give each one a name like “short-subject” or “case-study-open” so analytics rows stay readable later.

A broken merge tag looks worse when it's your best test variant — preview each one before launch.

How do I add an A/B variant?

Click A/B Testing or Add A/B variant, fill in the form, then click Create Template.

Does FirstSales pick the winner automatically?

No — comparison is manual. You review each variant's performance in campaign analytics and choose.

How do I know which variant won?

Compare their metrics side by side in campaign analytics.

What can I vary?

Template Name, Subject Line, and Email Body, including merge tags.

What does the #N badge mean?

It marks the variant's position in the sequence.

How do I set the delay between variants?

With Wait/Delay nodes on the canvas — not from within the variant form.

Can I test a variant before launch?

Yes — Send Test opens the test-email drawer so you can preview it in your own inbox first.

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