Welcome to the help guide for Optimizely Performance Edge
Optimizely Performance Edge is a faster way to deliver client-side web experiments. It works by using a streamlined "microsnippet" to perform targeting and variation assignment tasks at the CDN level.
If you have Optimizely Web Experimentation, you can add Optimizely Performance Edge to your experimentation stack for a faster, better visitor experience, all using a subset of Optimizely Web Experimentation features you already know how to use. Keep reading for more details!
How Optimizely Performance Edge works
Optimizely Performance Edge moves the work of experimentation out of your visitors' browsers and into CDN edge servers. It combines three different components—the Edge Decider, microsnippet, and tracking snippet—to boost the speed and performance of your experiments and keep visitors engaged.
When to use Optimizely Performance Edge versus when to use Optimizely Web Experimentation
Only some situations are suitable for Optimizely Performance Edge. Often, it makes more sense to use Optimizely Web Experimentation for your experiments. Here is how to tell the difference:
| Product | Where | Why |
| Optimizely Performance Edge | Use it on entry pages, like your homepage, landing pages, or SEO pages | Optimizely Performance Edge is extremely fast and is focused on A/B testing. It offers seamless redirects and limited support for Single Page Applications. |
| Optimizely Web Experimentation | Use it for pages within your site, like product pages, article pages, checkout pages, or subscription pages. | Optimizely Web Experimentation offers powerful targeting. It is configurable for PCI compliance and has already been set up to track conversions. |
What is included with Optimizely Performance Edge?
Optimizely Performance Edge uses a subset of features available in these areas of Optimizely Web Experimentation. The documentation is the same for both Web and Edge, but each document will have specifics for each product.
Review the developer documentation for Optimizely Performance Edge for more.
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