<b>I optimized clicks and accidentally tanked revenue.</b>

<b>I optimized clicks and accidentally tanked revenue.</b>

Product grid test. New layout pushed cheaper items up top. Add-to-carts jumped 14%. I cheered.

Guardrail metric: average order value. Down 22%. People bought, just bought the cheap junk I'd promoted to the top.

Net revenue per visitor: negative. My "win" lost money.

Now every test has one primary metric AND a guardrail it's not allowed to crater.

— Pick your one true north metric (usually revenue/visitor)
— Set guardrails: AOV, refund rate, churn, support tickets
— A primary win that breaks a guardrail is a loss

Go add a revenue guardrail to your running test before you call it. Report back.