Idea builder for Optimizely Experimentation

Idea builder is a dedicated tool in Optimizely Experimentation that helps you generate experiment ideas using Opal, Optimizely's AI assistant. Provide structured context about your page, goal, and research, and Opal returns specific, actionable test ideas you can save, refine, and act on. Opal can analyze a single page or a multi-step flow.

You can also build an experiment directly from an idea. Opal creates the variation, the metric, and the audience, so you act on an idea without configuring each component yourself.

Idea builder works best when you also have additional context ready, such as a heatmap image, qualitative research documents, or notes from your analytics tool. These inputs are optional but improve the quality of generated ideas.

Access Idea builder

Click Ideas.

The Ideas page displays two tabs: Draft and Saved.

The context panel contains three collapsible sections: Test Setup, Research, and Sources.

Provide page context

The Test Setup section is where you define where the test runs and what you want to improve.

Use the Target by drop-down list to select one of the following:

• URL – Enter a page URL for Opal to analyze. To analyze a multi-step flow, click + add up to four URLs, such as a product detail page, cart, and checkout page. Opal evaluates the full flow and suggests the best ideas across all the pages.
• Saved page – Select a page already saved in your experimentation account. This option is not available in Optimizely Feature Experimentation.
• Screenshot – Upload an image of the page you want to analyze. Drag and drop the image or click Add to upload.

In the Goal field, enter the primary outcome you want this experiment to achieve. For example, enter Increase demo bookings or Improve step 1 to step 2 conversion. A clear goal helps Opal focus ideas on the behavior you want to change.

Add optional context

The following sections are optional but improve the relevance of generated ideas:

Research

The Research section lets you add qualitative insights or files that explain user behavior and problem areas. Click Research to expand it.

Upload files such as heatmaps, analytics reports, or user research documents to give Opal visual evidence of user interactions. Drag and drop files or click Add to browse. Each file must be 5 MB or smaller.

In the text field, enter analytics notes, data points, or observations not captured in an uploaded file. For example, enter Bounce rate is 80% for enterprise customers and 50% for small business customers.

Sources

The Sources section lets you reference past tests to inform new ideas and avoid duplication. Click Sources to expand it.

Use the Previous Tests search field to search for and select up to four past experiments. This helps Opal build on existing test results and avoid repeating experiments that did not work.

To remove a test, click X on each test card. To reset the entire context panel, click Clear.

Generate ideas

After providing your page context and any optional inputs, click Get ideas.

Opal analyzes the context you provided and generates experiment ideas. While ideas are generating, Opal displays its reasoning process.

Generated ideas display as individual cards.

Click View Details to expand a card and see the full details.

Each expanded card includes the following information:

• Title – The name for the experiment idea.
• Description – A summary of what the experiment would change.
• Problem – The user behavior or friction point the idea addresses.
• Hypothesis – A prediction of how the change will affect user behavior and the primary metric.
• Why this will work – The rationale behind the idea, including the conversion principle or heuristic that supports it.
• Sources – The page observations or principles Opal used to generate this idea.

To remove an idea, click X on the idea card. To regenerate ideas, adjust the fields in the context panel and click Update.

Refine an idea

Click Refine on any idea card. Click Refine on multiple cards to refine several ideas in one conversation. To deselect a card, click X next to its Refine button.

The Opal chat panel opens with suggestions tailored to Idea Builder, such as Generate bolder ideas, more variations, or similar ideas.

Enter a natural language prompt to refine the selected ideas. For example:

• Make this more focused on mobile users.
• Generate three more ideas like this.
• Merge these two ideas together.

Click Submit.

Opal generates updated or additional ideas based on your prompt. Click + to add them to the idea list. Refined ideas display at the bottom of the list.

Save ideas

To save an idea for later, click Save on the idea card.

Saved ideas are available on the Saved tab.

To delete a saved idea, click More (…) > Delete.

Build an experiment from an idea

The Build feature within Idea builder is currently in beta. It is currently only available for Optimizely Web Experimentation. Contact your Customer Success Manager or sign up for the beta on Optimizely.com.

Build an experiment from an idea to turn that idea into a complete A/B test you can review and start. Opal does not only create the variation, it also creates the metric and the audience the test needs. You act on an idea without configuring each component yourself.

The following video shows the complete flow, from an idea card to an experiment ready to start:

1. Go to the Ideas page.
2. On the Draft or Saved tab, find the idea you want to test.

3. Click Build on the idea card. The Visual Editor opens in a new tab. Optimizely creates the experiment and adds Variation #1. Opal receives the idea as a prompt, so you do not need to write a prompt yourself.

   

4. The New Idea pop-pup shows the idea details along with the Build Prompt. Click Build Variation.

   

5. The Visual Editor opens in a new tab. Optimizely creates the experiment and adds Variation #1. Opal receives the idea as a prompt, so you do not need to write a prompt yourself.
6. Review the change Opal applied to the variation. Opal lists what it changed under What I built. The summary covers anything Opal decided differently from the idea.

7. Click Save All to keep the changes. To discard the changes instead, click Undo All.

   

8. Wait for Opal to check the experiment configuration. Opal reads the metrics and audiences that already exist in your project. Opal also reads the pages the experiment activates on. Opal reuses a matching event or audience instead of creating a duplicate.
9. Select a primary metric. Opal suggests metrics based on the idea. Click the checkbox for each metric you want, then click submit. The first metric you select becomes the primary metric. To describe a metric in your own words, click Something else. To continue without a metric, click Skip.
10. Select an audience. Opal suggests audiences, recommends one, and gives a short reason for each option. Select one option, then click submit. To describe an audience in your own words, click Something else. To continue without an audience, click Skip.
11. Choose what to do next. Opal creates the metric and the audience you selected and attaches them to the experiment. Opal then offers three options:
    • Review experiment – Opens the experiment Summary page in a new tab.
    • Preview variation – Opens the variation the way a visitor sees it.

    • Generate another variation – Adds another variation to the same experiment.

      

12. Click Review experiment, then review the pages, audience, variations, traffic allocation, and primary metric on the Summary page.

13. Click Start Experiment to run the test.

    

What Opal builds

Opal creates each component the experiment needs to run:

• Experiment – Opal creates an A/B test and takes the experiment name and description from the idea.
• Variation – Opal adds Variation #1 with the change it applied in the Visual Editor. Optimizely splits traffic evenly between the original and the variation.
• Metric – Opal sets the metric you select as the primary metric. Opal reuses a matching event when one already exists in your project.
• Audience – Opal adds the audience you select. Opal reuses a matching audience when one already exists in your project.
• Activation – Opal targets the pages you set as context, either the URL or the saved page.

You can change any of these from the experiment settings, the same way you would for an experiment you create yourself.