What is a Beta?

In this guide, you’ll learn more about what a beta is and what it means for Moz customers to see that a product or feature is in beta.

Quick Links

• What is a beta?
• What can Moz customers expect from a beta?
• How can I be part of a beta?
• How do I know if a tool is still in beta?
• How can I provide feedback about a feature or tool in beta?

In tech, a beta is typically a phase of product development during which a feature is launched and tested, often with reduced or exclusive access. At Moz, we use betas to help us validate new features and tools prior to launching full scale. By releasing a beta of a new feature or tool, we can have real users try them out and let us know what may be missing from the workflow and identify possible bugs found in code. This allows us to launch larger updates to our toolset with more confidence that we’re providing high-quality options to our customers. It also allows us to release updates faster, so we’re able to get feedback right away to apply to future iterations of the beta and the fully-launched feature.

Changes may be made to a tool or feature frequently and rapidly while it is the beta version. This can include changes to functionality and the user interface (UI), so you may see differences in the tool from one day to the next.

Additionally you may encounter some bugs. To put it simply, bugs are errors in the code that cause incorrect behavior by the tool or feature. This is expected, to a certain extent, as we are working to uncover those code issues through everyday use and testing. If you find something you think is a bug, please let us know. That way we can be sure to get it fixed!

Keep in mind that tools and functionality in beta are not finalized and may look or feel very different if/when they are adopted into the overall toolset. There is also a chance that a new feature may be removed from beta status but not implemented in the tools. This can occur for a variety of reasons – such as the beta may not provide enough value or fit into the everyday workflows for our customers.

It’s also important to note: another purpose of a beta is to ensure overall quality of the feature or tool, including performance, functionality, data integrity, and scalability. Though the risk of service interruptions are minimal, they can happen. When using a beta, customers should proceed with care.

Functionality in beta is being tested to make sure we are able to fully launch features that are useful and seamlessly integrated with the rest of the Moz tools. As part of this process, you may be asked to provide feedback or complete surveys. So be sure to play around, test things, and try it out - any feedback is welcome!

There are a few ways you may be able to participate in a beta with Moz. In some cases we may automatically grant you access to the beta for a tool or feature. In this case, you would automatically have access to that part of the tool in your account. In other cases, you may need to sign up for access to the beta. In either situation, you will see a BETA tag on the tool or feature being tested. If sign up is required, this will be noted in-app.

If a tool or feature has a BETA tag beside it, it is still in the beta stage and we have not moved to a full release. If the tool or feature is green-lit to be moved to a full release, the BETA tag will be removed.

The process of exiting from beta and incorporating features into the main tool will be determined once the features have been validated, including reviewing feedback received by the testing cohort.

If you have feedback about a product or feature that is in beta, we want to hear it. That’s the whole point of a beta, after all! There are a couple ways you can provide feedback to our team.

The first would be via the Make a suggestion button on the top right of the beta’s page.

Another option would be to reach out to us via our contact form or to email us at help@moz.proxybugs.com. If you opt to reach out via our contact form or email, please be sure to note that you are providing feedback about the beta and provide as much information as you can.