In a split URL test, each variant lives at its own address, for example /pricing and /pricing-new, and visitors are randomly redirected to one or the other. It is used when the variants differ too much to swap with an in-page script, such as a complete redesign, a different page template or a new multi-step flow.
When to choose it
Standard A/B tools change elements on a single URL in the browser. That works for headlines and buttons but becomes fragile for whole-page redesigns. Building the variant as a separate page avoids heavy client-side manipulation and lets the new version load at full speed.
Doing it without hurting SEO
Google's testing guidance covers split URL tests directly. The main points are to avoid cloaking and to make it clear which URL is the original.
- Add rel=canonical on the variant URL pointing to the original page.
- Use a 302 (temporary) redirect, not a 301, when sending users to the variant.
- Treat Googlebot like any other visitor: do not special-case it by user agent.
- End the test promptly and remove or redirect the losing URL.
<!-- on /pricing-new -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/pricing" />Measurement details
The redirect adds a hop, which can slow the variant slightly and may cause some visitors to drop before the page loads. Assign visitors as early as possible, ideally at the server or edge, and confirm that analytics records both URLs under the same experiment so results can be compared cleanly.
Example
Testing a redesigned pricing page
Hypothetical CRM Saltmarrow rebuilds its pricing page with a new plan comparison table and a usage calculator. It publishes the redesign at a separate URL, canonicalizes it to the original, splits traffic at the edge and compares trial starts and sales-qualified leads between the two pages.
Common mistakes
Using a 301 redirect
A permanent redirect tells search engines the original has moved. Use a 302 for the duration of the test.
Leaving the variant live
Forgotten test URLs can be crawled and indexed as duplicates. Clean up when the test ends.
Questions
It is a type of A/B test. The difference is technical: each variant is a separate URL rather than an in-page change.
