Can A/B tests be performed on non-live web pages?

• A. No, they must be on live pages only
• B. Only in production with traffic
• C. They can only be run on mobile sites
• D. Yes, as long as the sample size is large enough for a statistically meaningful result

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that A/B testing hinges on statistical significance, which comes from having enough data rather than the page being live or non-live. If you can expose a randomized portion of visitors to each variant on a non-live (staging) page and collect a sufficient amount of data, you can determine whether the observed difference in your metric is real or just random noise. The key factor is the sample size and the ability to measure the same outcome consistently over a suitable period.

So, yes—A/B tests can be run on non-live pages as long as you gather a large enough sample to reach meaningful results. If the sample is too small, you won't be able to distinguish real effects from random variation, regardless of whether the pages are live or staging.