# Adding Text Labels Next to Icons: A/B Test Example

Page: https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/lab/ab-test-library/tests/adding-text-labels-next-to-icons-ab-test-example

## Hypothesis

If a persistent text label sits next to the icon, visitors who do not recognize the icon may no longer have to guess what the function does. Use of the labeled function could go up and misclicks down, though tighter space may make nearby controls harder to use.

## When to run this test

This test is worth running when visitors seem to struggle with what the icons mean: support tickets ask what an icon does, session recordings show people tapping icons by trial and error and backing out, or an important function goes almost unused. If the label helps, visitors reach the right function without decoding the icon, and misclicks drop. If the function sits somewhere hard to find or is not something visitors need, question its placement and purpose first, because a label will not make people use a function they are not looking for.

## Primary metric

**Use of the labeled function**: Compare completion of the function represented by the selected icons among eligible assigned visitors.

## Other metrics

- **Action completion rate**: Compare completion of the action represented by the icon.
- **Misclick rate**: Measure clicks that do not complete the intended function or lead somewhere else.
- **Function-related support requests**: Compare questions about what the icon means using the same traffic denominator.

## What to check before and during the test

- **Labels**: Add visible text labels beside selected icons.
- **Icon set**: Choose the functions in scope before the test and keep the icons unchanged.
- **Placement**: Use one fixed label position.
- **Space**: Check space for nearby controls and content.
- **Device and language**: Review layouts where localized labels have different lengths.

## What to watch when reading the result

- Read any rise in use of the labeled function together with the misclick rate; if use and misclicks rise together, the label may not have made the meaning clearer. A change in function-related support requests adds context but does not decide the test on its own.
- Do not count a hover-only tooltip as an added label; this test measures a persistent visible one. If tap targets shrank to fit the labels, do not treat the gain as a reason to ship. Keep accessible names available to screen-reader users in both arms instead of relying on the visual label, so the icon-only version still has a clear name.
- Your result is bound to the language you measured and the selected icon set; re-test in that layout before moving labels to languages with much longer text or to narrow screens. If the target function is rarely used, enter its current usage rate in the [sample size calculator](https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/calculators/sample-size-calculator) before launch to learn the visitors per arm needed to catch a small difference.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does a hover tooltip count as a label?

It is not the persistent visible label in this comparison. The accessible name may come from visible text and should contain it. The icon-only version also needs a clear accessible name. Verify keyboard and voice use. Measure completion of the represented function.

### Does greater function use mean the label helped?

Track clicks that fail to complete the function or lead to a different destination using consistent events. Support questions about the icon's meaning provide diagnostic context.

### Will labels work the same in other languages?

Do not generalize to languages with much longer labels. Check affected layouts and ensure adding labels does not shrink adjacent controls or touch targets.