# A/B Test Status

An A/B Test can have several different statuses.\
This document explains the available statuses and how to start, pause, stop, and archive an A/B Test from the Dashboard.

## Types of A/B Test Status

The diagram below gives you an at-a-glance overview of A/B Test statuses by environment.\
The starting point is **A/B Test creation** — when you create a single A/B Test, it becomes available in both the Production Environment and the Development Environment.

![A/B Test Status by Environment](/files/j5yvVOB0Y8Z8YvclfDqy)

### Production Environment

* Provides five statuses: **`Draft`** - **`Running`** - **`Paused`** - **`Stopped`** - **`Archived`**.
* Status changes are possible.
* When changed to **`Stopped`** or **`Archived`**, the Development Environment status changes as well.
* Creating a new version of a test automatically changes the status to Draft. You cannot create a new version when the status is Draft or Archived.

### Development Environment

* Provides five statuses: **`Draft`** - **`Running`** - **`Paused`** - **`Stopped`** - **`Archived`**.
* You can change the status between Draft -> Running <-> Paused, but Stopped and Archived follow the Production Environment status. In other words, when the Production Environment becomes Stopped, the Development Environment also becomes Stopped.
* Creating a new version of a test automatically changes the status to Draft. You cannot create a new version when the status is Draft or Archived.

{% hint style="info" %}
Running tests in multiple environments

You can run an A/B Test simultaneously in both the Development Environment and Production Environment. It is also possible to run an A/B Test in only one of the two environments.\
However, keep in mind that stopping an A/B Test in the Production Environment will also stop it in the Development Environment.
{% endhint %}

## Changing A/B Test Status

This section covers how to change the status of an A/B Test from the Dashboard.\
Changing to Stopped or Archived status is only available in the **`Production Environment`**.

### Starting an A/B Test

Click the **`Start`** button in the upper right corner of the detail page of a Draft A/B Test. In the popup that appears, set the traffic allocation level and click the **`Start`** button again. Users will then be exposed to the A/B Test according to the traffic allocation level.

![](/files/YN8F3hmefyTVgLOEfhh3)

### Pausing an A/B Test

Click the **`Pause`** button in the upper right corner of the detail page of a running A/B Test. All users of the paused A/B Test will see the state (screen, features, logic, etc.) corresponding to Group A.

If an issue occurs during an A/B Test or if a side effect from the A/B Test is suspected, you may consider switching to the paused state while investigating the cause. To resume, click the **`Start`** button again.

![](/files/5eJ5iN2jG24clQXKBn5s)

### Stopping an A/B Test

Click the **`Stop Test`** button in the upper right corner of the detail page of a running or paused A/B Test. In the popup that appears, select which test group to use when stopping the A/B Test, then click the **`Stop Test`** button.

![](/files/6WlLM5PYSsWafFqgONVx)

Once you select the Winner group when stopping the test, all subsequent Variation Distribution will be directed to the Winner group.\
For example, if you select Variation B as the Winner group, all users will thereafter encounter the logic corresponding to Variation B.

{% hint style="danger" %}
Remove A/B Test-related code after stopping

Leaving A/B Test-related code in place can cause **service stability issues**.

* Dependencies may become strong when writing code related to the subjects of the A/B Test.
* Unnecessary server traffic may be generated.

Therefore, always clean up the related code after stopping an A/B Test.
{% endhint %}

### Creating a New Version of an A/B Test

When you want to restart an experiment while keeping the Experiment Key, you can use the new version feature.\
Click the **`Create New Version`** button in the upper right corner of the detail page of a Running/Paused/Stopped A/B Test. Hackle will preserve the current version's A/B Test results and create a new version.\
The newly created version is in Draft state and data starts being calculated from when it is changed back to Running.

![1514](/files/2Y5KEUwXfIbxmfZPW4e4)

### Archiving an A/B Test

A/B Tests that are no longer in use can be changed to Archived status.\
Click the **`Archive Test`** button in the upper right corner of the detail page of a Stopped A/B Test, and Hackle will preserve the results of that A/B Test.

![](/files/C4NiCBtZguQ9Dx1aFgpb)


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