This task is currently on hold while we focus on desktop hovercards (T70860)
= Summary
A user clicking on a link on the mobile web is shown a preview of the destination so that they can learn a quick definition and choose whether or not to continue on to the destination.
= Outcome
Link preview launched on mobile web beta (using code shared by desktop hovercards) [1]. On all projects. Desktop hovercards stable and scalable. Increase in link clicking is measurable and initial (maybe beta) impact available. Link preview only shows on internal wiki links (not interwiki).
== Goal Visibility
This is our external goal for the quarter
= Rationale
Launching on Android has shown an increase in engagement and web survey data shows overwhelmingly positive feedback. Launching on mobile-web first, but working on shared desktop/mobile code is a good first step towards cleaner codebases.
= Success Metrics
Overall clicks on blue links increase by 5%. The hypothesis is that there are two types of use cases for clicking a blue link:
# I want to read the article
# I want to know what this is (and a simple definition will do)
If we can lower the cost for group #2, without raising the cost too much for Group #1, users overall will see a higher reward/cost for clicking on links and will click on more links. There are secondary, descriptive metrics to ensure that Group #1 users aren't having a hard time, but this is the primary driver of whether or not this is adding user value.
= External Dependencies
Community Liaisons are instrumental for this rollout
= Unknowns
- Since the most recent in-production launch on Android has lower engagement than we expected, they will be undertaking more a/b/c testing to compare new designs and we are awaiting the winner of that test.
- A risk is also that the community of editors or readers will not like this feature
= Product Plan
== Prototyping
We will be relying on the results of the next Android test to develop a design from there.
== MVP
A user clicking on a link on the mobile web is shown a preview of the destinaton so that they can learn a quick definition and choose whether or not to continue on to the destination.
== User Stories
As a user on the mobile site
I want to be able to view previews of links before clicking on them
So that I can get context quicker
User experience should match Android experience (though the additional menu items that we see in the Android version are not necessary to the MVP)
== Metrics Implementation
We need to start tracking blue link clicks NOW
We will want to track:
- clicks on blue links
- clicks to continue to article
- clicks to dismiss
- time preview is open (when closed)
- time preview is open (when user continues to article)
== Timeline Estimate
- Begin measuring blue-link clicks
- Get design from Android team ( 11/1/15?)
- Roll out A/B test on Mobile web beta, early December
- Solidify design for rollout in January (end of December)
## Delivery Estimate
In order to avoid interference with fundraising objectives, we are now we are targeting end of December for launch on En Wikipedia mobile web.
Notes: "Bernd has worked on a definition to capture link previews as ""impressions"" in the Refinery scripts. Something similar would likely need to be planned for the web, in partnership with Analytics.
Edge cache performance needs to be dealt with.
Alternatives include: growing HoverCards to work on mobile web, using RESTbase, or some combination thereof."
See T100726 for some discussion of the alpha feature.
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Acceptance criteria:
* Code for this feature must live in the Hovercards extension
[1] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Popups