Back
A/B Test Thumbnails to Optimize Player Engagement in Your Fortnite Islands
The Fortnite Team
Test. Learn. Optimize. Repeat. The journey to a more successful island starts with making the right first impression.
The new Thumbnail A/B Testing feature in the Creator Portal lets you compare two different images to see which one drives more clicks and a higher click-through rate. (Don’t worry, we’ll define these terms in a bit!). This helps you optimize engagement, reduce guesswork using real player data, and iterate faster.
This image displays the results of an active A/B thumbnail test with sufficient data collected.
Clicks represent the number of times players clicked on your thumbnail. Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of impressions that result in clicks. (Impressions are the number of times your island thumbnail is shown to players.) For example, if your island receives 100 impressions and 5 clicks, that’s a 5% CTR. For more details, visit our Project Analytics documentation.
Test duration depends on audience size and engagement, typically lasting anywhere from a few days to several weeks with a maximum of 90 days. You can also end the test manually at any time. In the future, you’ll be able to define your own test window using a custom date threshold.
A/B testing compares the performance of two thumbnails by tracking how many players click on each. We use a 90% confidence threshold to determine statistical significance. So for example, if the Creator Portal tells you that thumbnail B’s CTR (1.52%) is 21.09% higher than thumbnail A's (1.23%), you can be ≥90% confident that the result is because thumbnail B performs better.
Results are displayed in the release module on the Creator Portal Project Release page. To ensure a consistent experience for players and statistically sound results, each individual will only ever see one version of the thumbnail during the A/B test.
If no preferred thumbnail is chosen within 90 days, the system will default to the thumbnail with the higher CTR if the 90% confidence threshold is met. If that threshold isn’t met, the system will default to thumbnail A. Only one A/B test is allowed per published island release at a time. To run a new A/B test or use a different image after selecting an official thumbnail, you’ll need to publish a new release. At launch, A/B testing will not include traffic from Fortnite.com. Players on Fortnite.com will see thumbnail A by default until a final thumbnail is selected.
Also check out the recently released Discover Performance Snapshot in the Creator Portal. This report gives you a comprehensive view of the performance metrics that can impact your island’s success in Discover. A/B testing helps you improve CTR — which is the pathway to potential increases in players and playtime.
For tips on crafting dynamic thumbnails, check out the Fortnite Creator Marketing Playbook.
Take a look at the documentation to find out more about Thumbnail A/B Testing, and stay tuned for more features designed to help you maximize your island’s performance!
The new Thumbnail A/B Testing feature in the Creator Portal lets you compare two different images to see which one drives more clicks and a higher click-through rate. (Don’t worry, we’ll define these terms in a bit!). This helps you optimize engagement, reduce guesswork using real player data, and iterate faster.
This image displays the results of an active A/B thumbnail test with sufficient data collected.
Clicks represent the number of times players clicked on your thumbnail. Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of impressions that result in clicks. (Impressions are the number of times your island thumbnail is shown to players.) For example, if your island receives 100 impressions and 5 clicks, that’s a 5% CTR. For more details, visit our Project Analytics documentation.
How to Run a Thumbnail A/B Test
During the "Upload Promotional Media" step of the publishing flow, you can upload two thumbnail variants for A/B testing.Test duration depends on audience size and engagement, typically lasting anywhere from a few days to several weeks with a maximum of 90 days. You can also end the test manually at any time. In the future, you’ll be able to define your own test window using a custom date threshold.
A/B testing compares the performance of two thumbnails by tracking how many players click on each. We use a 90% confidence threshold to determine statistical significance. So for example, if the Creator Portal tells you that thumbnail B’s CTR (1.52%) is 21.09% higher than thumbnail A's (1.23%), you can be ≥90% confident that the result is because thumbnail B performs better.
Results are displayed in the release module on the Creator Portal Project Release page. To ensure a consistent experience for players and statistically sound results, each individual will only ever see one version of the thumbnail during the A/B test.
If no preferred thumbnail is chosen within 90 days, the system will default to the thumbnail with the higher CTR if the 90% confidence threshold is met. If that threshold isn’t met, the system will default to thumbnail A. Only one A/B test is allowed per published island release at a time. To run a new A/B test or use a different image after selecting an official thumbnail, you’ll need to publish a new release. At launch, A/B testing will not include traffic from Fortnite.com. Players on Fortnite.com will see thumbnail A by default until a final thumbnail is selected.
New Tools for Data-Driven Insights
Thumbnail A/B testing is part of our ongoing efforts to equip you with more tools for smarter, data-backed decisions.Also check out the recently released Discover Performance Snapshot in the Creator Portal. This report gives you a comprehensive view of the performance metrics that can impact your island’s success in Discover. A/B testing helps you improve CTR — which is the pathway to potential increases in players and playtime.
For tips on crafting dynamic thumbnails, check out the Fortnite Creator Marketing Playbook.
Take a look at the documentation to find out more about Thumbnail A/B Testing, and stay tuned for more features designed to help you maximize your island’s performance!