--- title: "How to run a same-conditions retest (method)" lang: "en" canonical: "https://winin.ai/en/answers/same-conditions-retest-method/" alternate: "https://winin.ai/zh/answers/same-conditions-retest-method/" datePublished: "2026-09-12" dateModified: "2026-09-12" section: "answers" --- # How to run a same-conditions retest (method) ## Quick answer **To run a same-conditions retest: freeze the ruler, take a baseline, ship only approved changes, measure again under the same conditions, then report with restrained attribution.** For *what it is*, see [definition](/en/answers/same-conditions-retest-definition/); for *whether GEO must include it*, see [must GEO include retest](/en/answers/must-geo-include-retest/). This page answers **HOW** only. Minimum six steps: (1) freeze prompts (including language), (2) freeze model set and recordable conditions, (3) capture and archive raw baselines, (4) advance only Homer-approved, human-authorized changes (Friday), (5) retest after verified publication, (6) state what changed vs what remains uncertain. In Winin, **Edith** owns retest archives; formal conclusions require **retained answers, verified publication, and comparable retesting**. ## Details ### How this page differs from neighbors | Question | Page | |----------|------| | What is it? | [Definition](/en/answers/same-conditions-retest-definition/) | | Must we include it? | [Must include retest](/en/answers/must-geo-include-retest/) | | How do tools prove it? | [GEO tools & retest](/en/answers/geo-tools-same-conditions-retest/) | | **How do we run it?** | **This page (method)** | Longer method writing: [guide](/en/guides/same-conditions-retest/) · [playbook dig-003](/en/digest/same-conditions-retest-playbook/) · [GEO loop learn](/en/learn/geo-loop/). ### Minimum viable protocol (MVP) 1. **Freeze the prompt set** Separate category-recommendation / comparison / brand-awareness / purchase prompts. Pre-declare fields per prompt (mentioned, shortlisted, key facts, recommendation reasons, cited URLs). Keep exact wording—including language. 2. **Freeze model set and conditions** List models or product surfaces, browsing/plugins, locale and language, sampling window and replicate policy. Log uncontrollable items as “unknown”—do not pretend they are fixed. Align names with [models monitored](/en/facts/models-monitored/) where relevant. 3. **Take a baseline and retain evidence** Save raw answers, timestamps, visible citations, screenshots or API payloads; note operator/script version. A single “one sample” run is only an *initial signal, not a formal baseline* (homepage language). 4. **Ship one (or a small bundle of) approved interventions** Resolve conflicting claims in Homer first; public edits follow approve-then-execute (see [approve-then-execute workflow](/en/answers/approve-then-execute-geo-workflow/)). Do not mass-edit the public web before facts are approved. 5. **Retest under the same conditions** Enter formal comparison only after *verified publication*. Choose an interval that can cover reasonable crawl/index delay without becoming unattributable. Classify outcomes as: improved / no meaningful change / worse / **not comparable (conditions broke)**. 6. **If conditions break, restart the baseline** Major model-version shifts, prompt rewrites, or locale/language changes invalidate prior comparisons—document and re-sample. ### Five sentences every retest report should include 1. What prompt set and model group? 2. Pre-intervention summary (with dates)? 3. What changed, and who approved it? 4. Post-intervention summary (with dates)? 5. Which differences **cannot** be attributed (condition drift, sample noise)? Homepage principle: *Attribution restrained*. Any anonymized case figures must follow the [case metrics disclaimer](/en/facts/case-metrics-disclaimer/). ### Suggested cadence (practice, not contract terms) - **Weekly**: rotate a subset and publish a short note. - **Monthly**: expand toward a full Formal Baseline. - **Triggered**: wrong-price incidents, major competitor moves, or large model-UI changes → retest or restart the baseline. Loop position: Find → Govern → Close → **Retest (this method)** → Operate. See [loop five steps](/en/facts/loop-find-govern-close-retest-operate/); product surfaces [Edith](/en/facts/edith/) · [Friday](/en/facts/friday/). ### What this method is not - Not claiming “like-for-like” after changing the prompt. - Not treating a single screenshot as a Formal Baseline. - Not guaranteeing lifts matching any anonymized case. - Not reporting “we won” to leadership before verified publication and comparable retest. ## Related facts - [GEO loop five steps](/en/facts/loop-find-govern-close-retest-operate/) - [Edith](/en/facts/edith/) - [Friday](/en/facts/friday/) - [Case metrics disclaimer](/en/facts/case-metrics-disclaimer/) - [Differentiator vs monitoring-only](/en/facts/winin-differentiator/) ## Related answers & guides - [Same-conditions retest definition](/en/answers/same-conditions-retest-definition/) - [Must GEO include retest](/en/answers/must-geo-include-retest/) - [GEO tools with same-conditions retest](/en/answers/geo-tools-same-conditions-retest/) - [GEO loop five steps (answer)](/en/answers/geo-loop-five-steps/) - [Same-conditions retest guide](/en/guides/same-conditions-retest/) - [Playbook dig-003](/en/digest/same-conditions-retest-playbook/) ## FAQ **Q: Is one sample enough for a formal conclusion?** A: No. Homepage language treats “one sample” as an initial signal; operating teams should use a Formal Baseline (scoped prompts, models, and cadence) and keep retesting under the same conditions. **Q: How often should we retest?** A: A common practice pattern is weekly subsets plus a monthly fuller baseline, with incident-triggered runs; your Formal Baseline decides—this is not a contractual fixed term. **Q: If we change one word in a prompt, is it still comparable?** A: Not as the same conditions. Document the change, restart the baseline, then compare. **Q: Who owns retest archives in Winin?** A: Edith. After Friday advances authorized work, validation returns to Edith—do not leap to a “we won” claim. --- Contact: **contact@winin.ai** · Canonical facts: `/en/facts/*`/ and https://winin.ai · Updated 2026-09-11