A preview only shows you the customer you previewed. When your template changes its offer by VIP tier, region, or language, a random customer shows you one version and hides the rest.

A test group is a saved list of up to 10 customers you preview your templates with. Built well, it covers each case your personalization handles, so one pass through Smart Preview shows you every version of the email. You build it once in the QA Center and use it on every template.

This guide will walk you through how to create a test group, from opening the QA Center to saving a group with labeled customers, and how to find, edit, and delete your groups afterward.

How to Create a Test Group

This walkthrough builds a group with one customer per VIP tier to check tier-based offers.

Open Test Groups

Navigate to Plan → Content Studio → QA Center. The QA Center opens on Test Groups, with your existing groups shown as cards.
Click Create Test Group.

Define Your Test Group

The New Test Group page opens. Its title changes to the group's name as you type it.

Please note: A group can have up to five labels, of up to 100 characters each. A sixth label isn't added, and no message appears. Group names aren't checked for duplicates, so give each group a name you can tell apart.

In Test group name, enter a clear, unique name of up to 100 characters.
Optional: In Description (Optional), describe what the group is for, so teammates know when to use it.
Optional: In Test group labels (Optional), type a label and press Enter. Add up to five. Labels you've used on other groups are suggested as you type, and they help you find groups later.

Add Your Customer IDs

Under Select customer IDs, enter up to 10 customers. Each ID is checked against your account as you enter it.

Please note: The group can't be saved while any ID is Invalid. Hover over Create Test Group to see why it's disabled. Duplicate IDs aren't flagged, so check that each row holds a different customer.

In the first row, enter a customer ID in the ID Number field.
Optional: In that row's label field, add labels that describe the customer, such as their VIP tier. In Smart Preview, these labels appear as Key Segments next to the customer's ID.
Optional: click the Label column header and name the column, for example, VIP tier.
Click Add Customer ID to add the next row, and repeat. The counter shows how many of the 10 rows you've filled.
Check the Status column. Each ID shows Valid once it is found in your account. An ID that isn't found shows Invalid: correct it, or remove its row with the trash icon in Actions.

Protip: Before you add customers, list the cases your templates handle, such as each VIP tier, each language, or a customer with no data, and find one customer for each. Ten well-chosen customers show you more than ten random ones.

(Optional): Upload Customer IDs from a CSV File

Instead of typing IDs, you can upload them from a CSV file.

Please note: Only the first column of the file is read, and a header row is read as a customer ID, so remove it before uploading. Only the first 10 IDs are added; the rest are dropped without a message. Uploading replaces every ID in the table and clears the row labels.

Prepare a CSV file with one customer ID per line in the first column, and no header row. The file can be up to 10 MB.
Click Upload CSV.
If the table already has IDs, the Replace customer IDs? warning opens. Click Continue to replace them, or Cancel to keep them.
In the Upload window, drag the file in or click to choose it, then click Add Customer IDs.
Check the Status of each uploaded ID, and add row labels if you want them.

Create the Test Group

Please note: Cancel and the back arrow leave the page without asking to save, and your changes are lost.

Click Create Test Group. You return to the Test Groups list, where the new group appears as a card with its labels, its last-modified date, and the number of customers.

FAQ

How many customer IDs and test groups can I have?

Up to 10 customer IDs per group, and up to 1,000 groups per account. Add Customer ID is disabled once you reach 10 rows, and Create Test Group is disabled at 1,000 groups.

Why can't I save my test group?

A group needs a name and at least one customer ID, and every ID must show Valid. An ID is marked Invalid when it isn't found as a customer in your account: check for typos and extra characters, and make sure you're using the customer ID, not an email address. If the save is rejected, a message explains why.

How should I format my CSV file, and does it add to the IDs already in the table?

Put one customer ID per line in the first column, with no header row; other columns are ignored, commas and semicolons both work, and the file can be up to 10 MB. Only the first 10 IDs are used. Uploading replaces every ID in the table and clears the row labels, after a warning when the table already has IDs.

Why didn't my sixth label appear?

A group and each customer row can have up to five labels. Further labels aren't added, and no message appears. Labels are also cut at 100 characters.

What happens if I add the same customer twice?

Duplicate IDs aren't flagged, so the customer appears twice in Smart Preview. Check your rows before saving.

Can I get back changes I canceled, or a group I deleted?

No. Cancel, and the back arrow leaves without saving and without asking first, and deleting a group can't be undone. Save before you leave the page, and to restore a deleted group, create it again with the same customers.

Key Elements to Keep In Mind

You can find your test groups in Plan → Content Studio → QA Center:
- Search matches group names, descriptions, labels, customer IDs, and customer labels, and highlights the match on the card.
- Sort by Name (A-Z), Name (Z-A), Newest or Oldest. Groups show newest first.
- Date modified shows only groups changed in the period you choose. Click Apply.
If you'd like to edit a group, click its card, or click ⋯ on the card and select Edit, then click Save. The following can be updated:
- Name and description
- Group labels
- Customer IDs and their labels. The saved IDs are checked again when the page opens.
To delete a group, click ⋯ on its card, select Delete, and confirm in Delete test group?. Deleting can't be undone, and anyone previewing with that group switches back to a random customer.