Select stable page elements for personalization

Change the headline you mean to change, rather than its whole section or a nearby element. A stable target also makes your personalization easier to maintain when the page layout changes.

Open an editable campaign in the visual editor. If your target has no stable ID or class, ask your website developer to add one.

For example, WorkForge (opens in a new tab) could give its main headline the ID hero-title. The selector #hero-title identifies that headline without depending on it being the third heading in a layout.

Select and inspect the element

1. Select an audience and switch to Personalize.
2. Click the element on the page.
3. Check that the highlight surrounds the intended content, not the entire section.
4. Open Target in the element panel.
5. Review the targeting mode and saved selector before changing content.

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Visual editor Target controls for the WorkForge homepage headline personalizationOriginalOriginal

Use a stable target

Choose CSS Selector when you have a stable ID or class. A shared class can match several elements, so inspect every match.

If the change has a saved element fingerprint, you can use Smart Match instead. It uses recorded text, appearance, structure, and selectors to find the element. Check the highlight before relying on its selection.

The page targeting reference covers Smart Match comparisons, duplicate text, selector fallbacks, domains, and wildcards. Neither targeting method removes the need to check a redesigned page.

Preview the change on your site

1. Enter a replacement you'll recognize, such as a headline written for agencies.
2. Review the sidebar's Page Changes list.
3. Resolve Wrong page, No matching elements on this page, or Element is hidden on this page before publishing.
4. Return to the dashboard and choose Preview on your site.
5. Use Choose preview URL to open the page you edited.
6. Use the debugger's on-site inspector to confirm which element changed.
7. Check desktop and mobile layouts. Your site may use separate elements for each.

Smart Match's confidence percentage describes the element match, not statistical confidence in campaign performance. Testing your changes covers the audience checks too.

Once the intended element changes at each screen size, publish your changes.

After a redesign, retest your URLs and element targets.