MENTAL MODEL · M0312

Fake Door Testing

CreatemediumUser Experience

Included

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Place a seemingly functional button (e.g., "Advanced Analytics") in the product; when clicked, show a popup saying "This feature is under development" or "Coming soon," and record the click-through rate.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Intent validation. This is the best way to measure users' real desires rather than "verbal willingness." Users saying "I want it" is unreliable; only when they actually click the button is the need confirmed.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

By placing a seemingly functional but unimplemented feature entry point in the product, observe users' real clicks and conversion behaviors to validate whether the need exists at very low cost. It bypasses the discrepancy between "users' stated preferences" and "actual behavior"—people tend to overestimate their future willingness to use, making surveys and interviews unreliable.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/4

Practice this model in one real situation:

Select a feature you want to validate but that is costly to develop
Place an entry point (button/menu) in the product and note "Coming soon"
Track clicks and sources
Decide whether to invest in full development based on click-through rate (not surveys).

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

Learning progress0%

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Source support: Explicit

link
optimizely.comhttps://www.optimizely.com/optimization-glossary/painted-door-test/ZH · Explicit
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