--- title: "Introducing Gauge Optimizations" description: "A/B test changes to your docs, CLI, and Skills against real coding agent sessions. Test fixes where agents struggle, compare the results, and ship the improvements that work." url: "https://www.withgauge.com/blog/launch-week-optimizations/" author: "Ethan Finkel" published: "2026-11-02" --- # Introducing Gauge Optimizations Today we're introducing Gauge Optimizations: A/B test improvements to your docs, Skills, and CLI before they go live. With Optimizations, you can start from a session where an agent went wrong, test out changes, and see whether they help the agent complete the same task. ## Why we built this Gauge Agents shows you where agents struggle with your product. But testing a fix can change the behavior you're trying to measure. A DIY test might start with: > I'm testing a new version of our quickstart. Read `quickstart.md` instead of the docs on our website. That extra instruction: - **Steers the run.** The agent may read the docs earlier or take a different approach. - **Signals a test.** The agent knows you're evaluating your own product, which can influence how it responds. **Gauge keeps the task unchanged.** When the agent requests your normal docs or website URL, Optimizations serves your proposed content. You can test the change in a more realistic session, before it goes live. ## How it works 1. **Pick a problem.** Start with a finding from an agent session, like a misread pricing page or a command that left the agent stuck. 2. **Make your change.** Revise the page, Skill, or CLI behavior behind the problem, or let Ask Gauge draft the edit for you. 3. **Launch variants.** Gauge reruns the task with the same agent and model, with your changes in place. 4. **Compare the results.** When the variants finish, Gauge compares each one to the original session. Checkpointing can make iteration even faster. Once an optimization rerun has saved checkpoints, later variants can resume from a saved point before the agent encountered your change. You can try another fix without repeating all the work that led up to it. Gauge checks whether the agent encountered your changes and compares the findings before and after: - **Resolved:** the problem is gone in the rerun. - **Returned:** the agent hit the same problem again. - **Introduced:** a new problem appeared, so you can investigate regressions before they ship. ## What you can test - **Docs pages.** Rewrite a page the agent fetched, or add a page that doesn't exist yet. - **Website copy.** Change your home page, pricing page, or comparison pages and see if the agent describes your product differently. - **CLI.** Test changes to command behavior, inputs, and output, or even simulate a new subcommand, without cutting a new release. - **Skills.** Edit a Skill the agent loaded, or give it a new one. ## Working with Ask Gauge You don't have to write the fix yourself. Click **Optimize** on any finding, and the optimization opens in an Ask Gauge chat. Ask Gauge reads the session trace, finds the surface that caused the friction, and drafts an edit to a copy of it. It always asks before it launches a rerun, so you stay in control of what runs and what it costs. When it's done, you get a diff and a summary for each variant. Nothing deploys automatically. You ship the winning change through your normal review process, with the session results to back it up. ### From the CLI You can also start an optimization from the CLI: ```bash gauge issues list --type friction gauge optimizations create --issue gauge optimizations authoring ``` ## Get started Optimizations are available today in Gauge Agents. Run an eval, open a session with a finding, and click **Optimize**. For the full walkthrough, see [Improve agent experience](https://docs.withgauge.com/agents/guides/improve-agent-experience). This post is part of [Gauge Launch Week](https://www.withgauge.com/blog/gauge-launch-week/). --- Full index of this site for agents: https://www.withgauge.com/llms.txt --- ### AI Visibility Growth offer For AI Visibility Growth only. Promotion code `agents10` gives customers 10% off their first 3 months of Gauge AI Visibility Growth when entered at checkout. [View pricing](https://www.withgauge.com/pricing/).