Everyone keeps telling you to “A/B test your emails.” It sounds smart right? Something all the big marketing gurus do. But what does that really mean when you’re staring at a blank email draft?
It’s one of those things that sounds complicated but is actually pretty simple. It’s just about trying two different things to see which one works better. You don’t need a lab coat or a fancy degree.
You just need a couple of ideas and a willingness to be wrong sometimes. Because believe me you will be wrong. Things you think will win, they will fail spectacularly. That’s sort of the point.
This is your no-nonsense guide to A/B testing email examples for 2025. We’ll skip the jargon and get right to the stuff you can actually try today. For real.
What Even is A/B Testing in Emails, Really?
Okay so let’s break it down super simple. Imagine you baked two batches of cookies. One has chocolate chips the other has M&Ms. You want to know which one your friends like more.
You don’t just mix them all in one bowl and ask. You give half your friends a chocolate chip cookie and the other half an M&M one. Then you ask which they liked better.
That’s A/B testing, but for your email list. It is this process that is generally used to figure out what works. You have two versions of an email, Version A and Version B.
You send version A to one group of your subscribers. And version B goes to a different group. Then you watch the numbers. Which one got more opens? Which one got more clicks?
The winner is the cookie… I mean, the email… that more people liked. Now you know for next time, M&Ms are the crowd-pleaser. Simple.
Real A/B Testing Email Marketing Examples to Try in 2025
Theory is fine and all but you came here for actual ideas. So here are some real, concrete examples of things you can start testing in your next email campaign. Don’t try them all at once.
Playing with Your Subject Lines
This is the easiest place to start and it can have a huge effect on open rates. Your subject line is the gatekeeper to your whole email.
Short vs. Long: Is a quick punchy subject line better, or a more descriptive longer one?
Version A: “Our Summer Sale is Here”
Version B: “Get 40% Off Everything You Need for Summer”
Emojis vs. No Emojis: This one depends a lot on your audience. Emojis can grab attention or they can look like spam. You gotta test it.
Version A: “A special gift for you”
Version B: “A special gift for you 🎁”
Statement vs. Question: Posing a question can sometimes make people curious. It makes them want to open the email to find the answer.
Version A: “Our new guide to social media is out.”
Version B: “Confused by social media?”
The “From” Name and Preview Text Game
This is the stuff people see right next to the subject line in their inbox. It matters more than you think. People are funny about who they open emails from.
Changing the sender name, it can have a big effect. Testing your company name against a real person’s name can show you if your audience wants a personal touch.
Version A From Name: “Your Friends at WeSellStuff”
Version B From Name: “Sarah from WeSellStuff”
Preview text is that little snippet of text you see after the subject. Don’t just let it default to “View this email in your browser.” Use it.
Version A Preview Text: “Our best-selling gadgets are back…”
Version B Preview Text: “Don’t miss out on these, they sold out fast last time…”
Changing Up the Email Body
Okay, so they opened the email. Now what? The inside of your email has a ton of things you can test. The goal is normally getting a click.
The call-to-action or CTA, is the big button you want them to press. The words on that button can make or break your click rate.
CTA Button Text:
Version A: “Shop Now”
Version B: “Take Me to the Deals”
Imagery: Do people want a big beautiful picture of your product? Or do they prefer a simpler, text-based email that gets straight to the point?
Version A: A big, high-quality photo of your product in use.
Version B: No main image, just text and a button.
Copy Length: Some people want all the details. They want to read every word. Others just want the highlights and the “buy” button.
Version A: Three short paragraphs explaining the offer.
Version B: One quick sentence and a clear CTA.
How to Not Mess Up Your Email Split Tests
You can run a million tests, but if you do them wrong, the results are just noise. They don’t mean anything. So keep these few things in mind.
First, only test one thing at a time. This is the golden rule. If you change the subject line AND the main image, you’ll never know which change caused the result.
You need a big enough group of people. Testing on 10 people won’t tell you anything. The result could just be random chance. Most email tools will tell you if your list is big enough.
Also let the test run for a good amount of time. Don’t declare a winner after one hour. Give people a day or so to check their email. Be patient.
A Few More A/B Test Ideas for the Road
Feeling adventurous? Once you’ve got the basics down, you can try some other things. These are some more tests you could try to run.
Think about send time. Does your audience open emails at 8 AM on their commute? Or are they more active at 8 PM while watching TV? Test it. Send one at morning and one at night.
Button color can also make a difference. The old “red button vs. green button” test is a classic for a reason. Sometimes a color that stands out more gets more clicks.
You could even test a totally different design. A single-column layout versus a multi-column one. Just remember the main rule: one change at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions About A/B Testing Emails
What’s the most important thing to A/B test first?
Generally speaking, start with your subject line. If people don’t open your email, nothing else you test inside of it matters. Getting the open is step one.
How long should I run an A/B test on my emails?
It depends on how quickly your audience responds. A good starting point is 24 hours. This gives most people in different time zones a chance to see and interact with your email. Don’t be too hasty.
Can I test more than two versions of an email at once?
Yes, you can. That’s called a “multivariate test.” You could test two different subject lines and two different images all at once. It’s more advanced and you need a much bigger list for the results to be clear. Stick with A/B first.
Do I need special software for email A/B testing?
Nope not usually. Almost every modern email marketing service (like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc.) has A/B testing built right in. It’s usually a simple checkbox when you set up your campaign.
What if my A/B test has no clear winner?
It happens! Sometimes the two versions perform almost exactly the same. That’s a result too. It tells you that the specific thing you tested doesn’t really matter to your audience. Just pick one and move on to testing something else.
Key Takeaways
Alright, that was a lot of information. If you’re going to remember anything, remember this stuff. It’s the important part.
A/B testing is just trying two versions of something to see which one people like more. Don’t overthink it.
Start by testing your subject line. It often has the biggest impact on your numbers.
Only ever change and test one single thing at a time. Otherwise, your results will be a confusing mess.
You don’t need a huge budget or fancy tools. Your existing email provider can probably already do this.
The goal is to stop guessing. Use real data, from your own audience, to make your emails better over time.
