Variants
Variants are the changes you want to compare.
In CLEA experiments, a variant can be a content change, a prompt change, a page structure change, or a scheduled review change. Keep the change narrow. The narrower it is, the easier the result is to read.
Variant types
Most useful variants fit one of three types.
| Variant | Example |
|---|---|
| Content | Rewrite one page section or add one proof section |
| Prompt | Change the tracked question wording |
| Page structure | Add a comparison page or change internal links |
Name the change
Write exactly what changed.
Keep it narrow
Avoid changing many things at once.
Watch matching prompts
Use questions that can show the effect.
Compare later
Review movement after enough data exists.
Control versus variant
The control is the earlier state.
The variant is the changed state. CLEA does not enforce a strict lab setup, so the notes matter. Write what changed and when it changed.
Change log
Keep a simple change log.
This can live in the experiment goal note, a workflow file, or a page file. It should be easy to read later.
## Change log Changed the comparison page intro on July 9. Added source proof for prompt tracking. No prompt wording changes during the test.
Avoiding mixed signals
Mixed signals make experiments hard.
If mentions improve after three unrelated changes, you may not know which change helped. This is why narrow variants matter.