Glossary
Plain-language definitions for common Apex terms such as experiments, variations, goals, assignments, guardrails, SDK, Worker, and consent mode.
Use this glossary when Apex uses a product or analytics term you do not use every day.
A/B test
A comparison between two or more versions of a storefront experience. Apex calls the test an experiment.
Assignment
The version a visitor receives in an experiment. Apex keeps assignments sticky so the same visitor keeps seeing the same variation while the assignment is valid.
Control
The unchanged version of the experience. Results for other variations are compared against the control.
Conversion
A visitor action that counts toward a goal, such as clicking Add to cart, reaching a page, firing a custom event, or placing an order.
Experiment
The test container. It holds status, variations, targeting, traffic allocation, schedule, goals, QA, and results.
Goal
The success metric for an experiment. Apex supports click, pageview, custom, and revenue-style goals. One goal should be marked primary for the experiment decision.
Guardrails
Rules and warnings that protect test quality. Guardrails cover launch readiness, runtime, statistical interpretation, traffic health, and auto-pause behavior.
SDK
The JavaScript runtime that runs on the storefront. It loads experiment config, checks targeting, assigns visitors, applies variations, and sends events.
Snippet
The shop-specific script tag that loads Apex on a storefront.
Variation
A version inside an experiment. A variation can be the control or a treatment with storefront changes.
Visitor ID
The pseudonymous identifier Apex uses to keep assignment and event data connected for a browser visitor.
Worker
The edge service that serves Apex snippets and config, receives events, supports previews, and routes analytics data.
Consent mode
A runtime setting that lets Apex wait for a consent provider before using persistent storage or tracking. See Consent and regional compliance and SDK consent modes.