Self-Host AB Split Test on Any Website

AB Split Test has an external domain mode, so it’s built for testing on other domains. Follow the steps below to set up AB Split Test as your own private split test server that you can use anywhere.

No per-visitor bills. No data shipped off to somebody else’s cloud. Just WordPress and other open-source software doing their thing on a server you control. Your website stays exactly where it is (Webflow, Shopify, Squarespace, plain HTML, whatever) and simply loads one script.

Pick your path

Two ways to get there

Both paths end in the same place: one line of code on your website, and a private dashboard for your tests.

---

Path A

Use your WordPress hosting

About 10 minutes, all in your browser. No terminal needed.

Step 1 of 4

Create a new WordPress site

In your hosting panel, add a new WordPress site on its own subdomain, like abst.yoursite.com, and switch on HTTPS (most hosts call it SSL or Let’s Encrypt). Keep it separate from your main site.

Done when https://abst.yoursite.com opens a fresh WordPress site with a padlock in the address bar.

Step 2 of 4

Install AB Split Test

Download the plugin zip from My Account → Downloads. In your new site’s admin, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin, choose the zip, then Install Now and Activate. Then add your licence key under AB Split Test → Settings.

Done when you can see AB Split Test in your admin menu.

Step 3 of 4

Switch on external domain mode

Go to AB Split Test → Settings → Tracking & Privacy.

1. Under External Domain Testing, add yoursite.com and save.
2. Set Primary site to An external site, pick yoursite.com, and save again.

Done when the embed snippet for yoursite.com shows on that screen. Copy it somewhere safe.

Step 4 of 4

Switch on the extras (optional)

Path B sets these up for you. Here they’re a few clicks each:

Extra	Where to switch it on
Auto-updates	Plugins: click Enable auto-updates next to each plugin. Dashboard → Updates: enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress.
Heatmaps, analytics and replays	AB Split Test → Settings → Heatmaps & Replays: turn on User Journey Tracking. Then on Tracking & Privacy, tick Heatmaps, Page Analytics & Session Replays on external domains.
AI assistants (MCP)	AB Split Test → Settings → Developer, then follow the MCP Integration Guide.

Done? Jump to the finish line.

---

Path B

No WordPress? Use Docker

Don’t have WordPress? Run this on your existing server or a new one. About 20 minutes. Copy, paste, done.

Step 1 of 5

Get a server

Already have a Linux server you can log in to as root? Use it and skip to step 2. It just needs ports 80 and 443 free (so not one that already runs a website).

Need a new one? Get a small VPS: a little computer you rent by the month. Normal shared hosting won’t cut it, because you need to install Docker. Pick these options when you order:

Setting	Choose
Operating system	Ubuntu 24.04 (plain, no extras)
Memory	2 GB RAMGo for 4 GB if your site gets over 100,000 visits a month. Every visitor sends tiny tracking pings to this server.
Disk	20 GB or more
Access	Full root access over SSH

Hosts we like

Some of these are affiliate links. If you sign up through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps keep AB Split Test independent.

Done when you have your server’s IP address (like 203.0.113.10) and its root password.

Step 2 of 5

Give your server a name

Your split-testing server gets its own address, like abst.yoursite.com. Log in to wherever your domain’s DNS lives and add one record:

Type	Name	Value
A	abst	Your server’s IP address

On Cloudflare? Set the cloud icon to grey (“DNS only”). Your server gets its own free HTTPS certificate in step 5.

Done when dnschecker.org shows your server’s IP for abst.yoursite.com. It usually takes 5 to 30 minutes, so carry on with step 3 while you wait.

Step 3 of 5

Log in to your server

Open Terminal on a Mac or PowerShell on Windows. Type this with your server’s IP and press Enter:

ssh [email protected]

Type yes if it asks about a fingerprint, then paste your root password. It stays invisible while you type. That’s normal.

Rather not use a terminal app? Most hosts have a Browser terminal or Console button in their dashboard. Click it and you’re in.

Done when the last line looks like root@yourserver:~#

Step 4 of 5

Install Docker

Docker runs your platform in a neat, sealed box, so it never clashes with anything else. Paste these one at a time:

apt update && apt install -y git curl unzip

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Give it 1 to 3 minutes, then check:

docker --version

Done when you see something like Docker version 28.x.

Step 5 of 5

Install AB Split Test

This is the big one. Two commands build your whole split-testing platform. First, download the installer:

git clone https://github.com/SiteSpot/abst-docker.git && cd abst-docker

Then run it with your own details swapped in:

./install.sh \
  --domain yoursite.com \
  --hostname abst.yoursite.com \
  --licence YOUR-KEY \
  --journeys \
  --mcp

Swap this	For
yoursite.com	The website you want to test
abst.yoursite.com	The name you made in step 2
YOUR-KEY	Your AB Split Test licence key

The last two lines are optional extras. They’re switched on in the command above because they’re worth having, but you don’t need either one:

Flag	What it adds
--journeys	Heatmaps, page analytics and session replays for your website, so you can see where people click and scroll
--mcp	Lets AI assistants like Claude and Cursor create tests and check results for youHow it works

Don’t want one? Delete its line before you run the command. If you delete the last line, also delete the \ at the end of the line above it. You can always add a flag later by running the command again with it on the end.

Grab a coffee. In 2 to 5 minutes it prints what you’ll want to keep:

HTTPS is handled for you with a free Let’s Encrypt certificate. Your licence gets activated for this server, and it doesn’t use up an extra site.

It keeps itself up to date, too. WordPress, AB Split Test and every other plugin update automatically, so there’s nothing to babysit. Rather handle updates yourself? Add --no-auto-updates to the command.

Done when the installer prints your embed snippet. Copy everything it prints into a note somewhere safe, then head to the finish line.

---

Both paths

The finish line

Two last steps, whichever path you took.

Step 1 of 2

Add the snippet to your website

Paste your embed snippet into the <head> of every page. Here’s where that lives:

Platform	Where to paste it
Webflow	Site settings → Custom code → Head code
Shopify	Online Store → Themes → Edit code → theme.liquid, just before </head>
Squarespace	Settings → Advanced → Code Injection → Header
Wix	Settings → Custom code → Add code → Head, all pages
Hand-built HTML	Inside <head> on every page, or your shared header file

Done when your site is saved and republished with the snippet in place.

Step 2 of 2

Launch your first test

Open the Magic editor: on path B, use the link the installer printed. On path A, create a new test in your AB Split Test dashboard and pick the Magic (point-and-click) option. Your homepage loads with the editor on top. Click any headline, button or image, write a new version, pick a goal and save.

Check results any time in your dashboard at https://abst.yoursite.com/wp-admin/.

Bonus: AI assistants

Let your AI assistant run your tests

Your server can talk to Claude, Cursor, Windsurf and other AI assistants over MCP, the standard way AI tools connect to apps. Once it’s connected, you set up tests and check results just by asking.

On path B with --mcp? You’re already set up: the installer printed your AI assistant setup. Took it out? Run the step 5 command again with --mcp on the end. Nothing else changes.

./install.sh \
  --domain yoursite.com \
  --hostname abst.yoursite.com \
  --licence YOUR-KEY \
  --mcp

It installs the open-source WordPress MCP Adapter, creates a separate abst-mcp login for your assistant, and prints a ready-made setup for your AI tool:

If you use	Do this
Claude Code	Copy the claude mcp add … line it prints and run it on your own computer
Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline	Paste the mcpServers block into your tool’s MCP settings, then restart itThese need Node.js on your computer

Then just ask:

Keep the password safe. It can manage all your tests, just like your admin login. Lost it? docker compose exec app abst mcp shows it again, and abst mcp --reset swaps it for a new one. MCP needs HTTPS, so it won’t run on a local localhost trial.

On path A? Go to AB Split Test → Settings → Developer: it links to the MCP Adapter download and copies the setup for your AI tool. The MCP Integration Guide walks through it and lists every tool your assistant can use.

---

Path B · Keep for later

Handy commands

For the Docker path. Log in to your server (path B, step 3) and run cd abst-docker first.

I want to	Run this
See my embed snippet again	docker compose exec app abst info
Get a fresh Magic editor linkLinks expire after about 2 hours	docker compose exec app abst editor-link
Show my AI assistant setup again	docker compose exec app abst mcp
Refresh the server softwarePHP, database and HTTPS. WordPress and plugins already update themselves.	git pull && ./install.sh --upgrade
Change my domain, or add an extra	Run the path B step 5 command again with the new options

Back up your tests and results:

docker compose exec db sh -c 'mariadb-dump -uroot -p"$MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD" wordpress' > backup.sql

Troubleshooting

Something not working?

If you see	Do this
Path A: no embed snippet on Tracking & Privacy	Add yoursite.com under External Domain Testing and save first. The snippet appears after that.
“Docker is not installed”	Path B step 4 didn’t finish. Run it again and check docker --version.
HTTPS or certificate errors	Your DNS record isn’t pointing at the server yet. Check dnschecker.org (path B, step 2), wait a few minutes, then re-run the step 5 command.
The page won’t load at all	Your host may block ports 80 and 443. Find “Firewall” in your host’s dashboard and allow both.
Tests don’t show on my site	Make sure the snippet is in the <head> of every page, republish, and clear your site’s cache.

Still stuck? Contact support and paste in what the installer printed. We’ll get you running.