Primary goal
The one metric a test is judged on, chosen before it starts.
Also called primary metric, overall evaluation criterion
A test usually tracks several goals, but it should be judged on one, chosen in advance: orders, revenue per visitor or profit per visitor for most store tests. Picking it after seeing the results invites choosing whichever looks best.
Other goals explain the result or act as guardrails.
A product page test is judged on orders; add-to-cart rate and refund rate are tracked alongside it.
Related terms
- Guardrail metricA metric a test must not make worse, watched alongside the goal the test is trying to improve.
- Conversion rateThe share of visitors who completed a goal, such as placing an order, out of all visitors in a variant.
- Revenue per visitor (RPV)Total order revenue divided by visitors in a variant: a goal that combines how many visitors buy and how much they spend.