I recently did a walkthrough of a simple yet truly randomized A/B test on the campaign canvas, using the Match Function Cloud App. Here is the link to that: Walkthrough of Randomized A/B Email Test in E10 Campaign Canvas.
This post is much shorter, with fewer screenshots. Hopefully, that means it's easier to read.
Anyway, here is how I do randomized A/B tests for some of the weekly campaigns I run. This is a 50/50 split because these particular campaigns are time-sensitive and are generally to smaller lists, where the "10/10" results in a 10/10/80 test aren't as meaningful.
Step 1: Create a numeric field called "Randomized" or something equally awesome.
Step 2: Build a "Randomizer" program. This runs contacts through the Math Function Cloud Connector to assign them a random value in the Randomized field. It's dead simple. Here's how to set up the cloud connector. All net new contacts are fed here via filter, as well as those contacts in campaign steps like the last one in Step 3 below.
Step 3: Build your campaign. Here are the ingredients: Segment, Compare Contact Fields decision step (on the Randomized contact field), Emails you're testing, Add to Randomizer Program step. Of course, you can add anything you'd like, or repurpose this for a 10/10/80 test.
That's it, really. I started by sending all of my database through the Randomizer program. Depending on the size of your database, this could take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks.
So, that can be a doozy but, once you have that, then you can test anything on anyone at anytime.
All that being said, it would be nice to have this all handled directly on the campaign canvas, no?