Optimization wrappers in the Navigator

Learn how editing an element in a variation creates a new structure in your page hierarchy.

An optimization wrapper is added to elements that you choose to edit in variations. Depending on the element type, the wrapper may be applied at the element level (e.g., a header) or at the section level (e.g., a form). The wrapper appears in the Navigator and helps Optimize apply your changes, as well as organize and manage different versions of the elements.

Why optimization wrappers are used

Inheritance — if an element is contained within an optimization wrapper, it reflects that the element now has multiple versions — one for the base site, and one for each variation where it’s been edited. Changes to the base site version of the element won’t be inherited by its variations.

How optimization wrappers look in the Navigator

The optimization wrapper groups the base and variation versions of an element under a shared parent — labeled either Base or Variation, depending on what you’re viewing. This wrapper only appears after you’ve edited the element in a variation.

For example, here’s a simple page structure before any optimization wrapper is added:

Body
├─ Navbar
├─ Section 1
│  ├─ Container
│  │  ├─ H1 Header
│  │  └─ Link

After editing the H1 Header in a variation, Optimize adds an optimization wrapper. Here’s how the structure appears when viewing that variation:

Body
├─ Navbar
├─ Section 1
│  ├─ Container
│  │  ├─ Optimization
│  │  │  └─ Variation
│  │  │     └─ H1 Header
│  │  └─ Link

Once the optimization wrapper is added, it remains visible in the Navigator — even when you’re not viewing a variation. Here’s how the structure appears when viewing the base page:

Body
├─ Navbar
├─ Section
│  ├─ Container
│  │  ├─ Optimization
│  │  │  └─ Base
│  │  │     └─ H1 Header
│  │  └─ Link

How do you remove an optimization wrapper?

Automatically removed — optimization wrappers are automatically removed when you archive an optimization or when you delete an optimization — but only draft optimizations can be deleted.

Manually remove — if you don’t want to archive or delete an optimization, you can manually remove an optimization wrapper if it’s no longer needed. This frees up the contained elements so they can be included in a new optimization.

To manually remove an optimization wrapper:

1. Go to the base site (i.e., if viewing an optimization, click X in the top bar to exit it)
2. Go to the Navigation panel
3. Drag each element out of the optimization wrapper and place it outside the wrapper
4. Right-click the optimization wrapper, then click Delete