Getting Started with Variants

Variants are the core feature that defines what will be the actual output of a Content container. Each variant contains the real content data and rules for when it should be served to users.

What is a Variant?

A Variant is a specific version of content that includes: - Content Data: The actual information that users will receive - Conditions: Rules that determine when this variant should be served - Control Settings: Configuration for enabling/disabling the variant

Variants are the building blocks that Content containers use to deliver personalized experiences.

Core Variant Components

Every variant has four essential components:

1. Name

• Purpose: Human-readable identifier for the variant
• Example: "Berlin Welcome Message", "US Holiday Promotion", "New User Onboarding"
• Usage: Helps organize and identify variants within a content container

2. is_enabled

• Purpose: Boolean toggle to control variant availability
• Values: true (active) or false (inactive)
• Usage: Temporarily disable variants without deleting them

3. Payload

• Purpose: The actual content data that users receive
• Format: JSON object with key-value pairs
• Example:

  {
    "text_banner": "Hello from city {geo.city}!",
    "text_welcome": "Welcome from country {geo.country}!",
    "text_person_welcome": "Hi {attribute.user_name}!"
  }
  

4. Conditions

• Purpose: Rules that determine when this variant should be served
• Format: Array of logical conditions with rules
• Example:

  [
    {
      "logic": "or",
      "rules": [
        {
          "attribute": "geo.city",
          "operator": "in",
          "values": [{"value": "Berlin"}]
        },
        {
          "attribute": "geo.city", 
          "operator": "contains",
          "values": [{"value": "New"}]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "logic": "or",
      "rules": [
        {
          "attribute": "geo.country",
          "operator": "equals", 
          "values": [{"value": "Germany"}]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
  

How Variants Work

Content Selection Process

When a user requests content:

1. Content Container: Receives the API request with user context
2. Variant Evaluation: Checks each enabled variant's conditions against user data
3. Condition Matching: Finds variants whose conditions match the user context
4. Variant Selection: Selects the appropriate variant based on priority/rules
5. Payload Processing: Processes the variant's payload with user context data
6. Response: Returns the processed content to the user

Example Scenario

User Context:

{
  "geo": {
    "city": "Berlin",
    "country": "Germany"
  },
  "attributes": {
    "user_name": "Anna"
  }
}

Variant Conditions: City is "Berlin" OR contains "New" OR country is "Germany"

Result: Conditions match! Variant is selected.

Payload Processing:

{
  "text_banner": "Hello from city Berlin!",
  "text_welcome": "Welcome from country Germany!",
  "text_person_welcome": "Hi Anna!"
}

Prerequisites

Before creating variants, you need: - A Usertune account - A workspace created - A content container created (see Content Getting Started)

Step 1: Access Your Content Container

1. Sign in to app.usertune.io
2. Navigate to your workspace
3. Click on the content container where you want to add variants
4. You'll see the content dashboard with existing variants (if any)

Step 2: Create New Variant

1. Click "Add Variant" or "New Variant" button
2. A variant creation form will appear

Basic Configuration:

• Name: Enter a descriptive name
• Example: "Berlin City Welcome", "Default Message", "Holiday Promotion"
• is_enabled: Toggle to enable the variant (default: enabled)

Step 3: Configure Payload

Define what content this variant will deliver:

Simple Payload Example:

{
  "message": "Welcome to our service!",
  "cta_text": "Get Started"
}

Dynamic Payload Example:

{
  "greeting": "Hello from {geo.city}!",
  "offer": "Special discount for {geo.country} customers",
  "personalized": "Hi {attribute.user_name}, welcome back!"
}

Step 4: Set Conditions

Define when this variant should be served:

Geographic Condition:

[
  {
    "logic": "and",
    "rules": [
      {
        "attribute": "geo.country",
        "operator": "equals",
        "values": [{"value": "Germany"}]
      }
    ]
  }
]

Multiple Conditions:

[
  {
    "logic": "or", 
    "rules": [
      {
        "attribute": "geo.city",
        "operator": "in",
        "values": [
          {"value": "Berlin"},
          {"value": "Munich"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "logic": "and",
    "rules": [
      {
        "attribute": "attribute.premium_user",
        "operator": "equals",
        "values": [{"value": "true"}]
      }
    ]
  }
]

Step 5: Test and Save

1. Test Conditions: Verify your conditions work with sample user data
2. Test Payload: Check that payload processing works correctly
3. Save Variant: Click "Save" or "Create" to finalize

Common Variant Patterns

Default Variant

• Name: "Default"
• Conditions: No conditions (catches all users who don't match other variants)
• Purpose: Fallback content when no other variants match

Geographic Variants

• Name: "US Users", "EU Users", "APAC Users"
• Conditions: Based on country or region
• Purpose: Location-specific content and compliance

User Segment Variants

• Name: "New Users", "Premium Users", "Returning Customers"
• Conditions: Based on user attributes
• Purpose: Personalized experiences for different user types

A/B Testing Variants

• Name: "Version A", "Version B"
• Conditions: Random distribution or user segments
• Purpose: Compare different content approaches

Next Steps

After creating your variants:

1. Learn Payload Details: Explore Payload for advanced content configuration
2. Master Conditions: Study Conditions for complex targeting rules
3. Test Thoroughly: Verify variants work with different user contexts
4. Monitor Performance: Track which variants perform best

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Variants are where your actual content lives and where the magic of personalization happens. Master payloads and conditions to create powerful, targeted user experiences.