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Decision model variant states

Abstract

Overview of the available states of a decision model variant (Sitecore Personalize).

At all times, a decision model variant is assigned a state. The assigned variant state controls whether the variant can be edited, added to an experiment, or whether the variant can be shown to guests, and much more.

A variant can belong to one of four potential states:

  • Draft

  • Test

  • Production

  • Archived

A variant in a Draft state has the following properties:

  • You can only make changes to a decision model variant when it is in a Draft state.

  • You cannot add a decision model with only variants in a Draft state to an experiment.

  • You can move a variant in a Draft state to a test state, production state, or archived state.

When you are satisfied with the results of using the Test Canvas feature, we recommend moving your decision model variant to a Test state.

Note

You can add a decision model to the experiment after you move it to a test state.

You can move a decision model variant to a Test state to start a silent test. A silent test runs on all decision model variants in a Test state, as long as you add a a decision model to the experiment.

The silent test is not seen by and does not impact guests. However, the silent test gathers results for 100% of the guests that visit the targeted page. There is no allocation of audience size for decision model variants in a Test state.

Warning

You cannot edit decision model variants in a Test state. To edit a decision model variant in a Test state, you must move it to a Draft state. If you do this, you will lose all test data.

When the silent test has run for long enough, you can view a report to ensure the decision model variant is working as expected.

A variant in a Test state has the following properties:

  • A silent test automatically starts when you move a decision model variant from a Draft to a Test state, as long as you added a decision model to the experiment.

  • You cannot edit a variant in a Test state. You must move it to a Draft state.

  • You can move a variant in a Test state to a Draft state, Production state, or Archived state.

A variant in a Production state has the following properties:

  • Sitecore Personalize enables you to have six decision model variants in a Production state at all times.

  • You can only manage audience allocation when the decision model variant is in a Production state.

  • You cannot make other changes to a variant in a Production state.

  • You can only move a variant in a Production state to an Archived state.

  • To take a variant out of a Production state, you must move it to the Archive state.

  • To make a change to a variant in a Production state, you must perform one of the following options:

    • Archive and clone the variant.

    • Create a new decision model variant and base it off the decision model variant you want to edit.

You can archive a decision model variant when you no longer want to use a decision model variant in an experiment.

Reasons for archiving a decision model variant include:

  • You want to edit the decision model variant but it is in a Production state. Because you cannot edit a Decision Model Variant in the Production state, you must archive it and create a clone.

  • You want to place a seventh decision model variant in the Production state. Because there is a maximum of six decision model variants in the Production state, you must archive one.

A variant in an archived state has the following properties:

  • You cannot make changes to a variant in the Archived state.

  • When you archive a decision model variant, you delete any test data and cannot make edits. To reinstate the variant, you must create a clone.