ML Experiment Evaluation
Use this skill to choose how to evaluate machine-learning product changes before they consume live experiment traffic or affect users. It focuses on offline evaluation, offline-online correlation, interleaving, model filtering, and when classic A/B testing or adaptive strategies are justified.
Source Traceability
Primary source: Next-Level A/B Testing by Leemay Nassery. Guidance is transformed and paraphrased from Chapter 4 on offline evaluation, offline-online correlation, multi-armed bandits, and interleaving for rankers.
Related skills:
experiment-sensitivity-optimizationfor reducing live variants and traffic.adaptive-experimentation-strategyfor bandits and dynamic allocation.ab-test-design-brieffor standard online A/B test planning.
Reference Routing
| Need | Read |
|---|---|
| ML evaluation concepts | references/core/knowledge.md |
| Selection and validation rules | references/core/rules.md |
| Evaluation strategy examples | references/core/examples.md |
| Step-by-step evaluation plan | workflows/choose-ml-evaluation-strategy.md |
Workflow
- State the model change and product decision.
- Identify the user harm or trust risk if a poor model reaches production.
- Choose the lowest-cost evaluation that can filter bad candidates.
- Check offline metrics and whether they correlate with online outcomes.
- Use interleaving when ranker comparison needs high sensitivity with fewer users.
- Escalate to online A/B testing or adaptive testing only when live evidence is needed and infrastructure can support it.
Output Format
# ML Evaluation Strategy
## Model Decision
[What model or ranking decision must be made.]
## Recommended Evaluation Path
[Offline only | Offline then A/B | Interleaving | A/B test | Adaptive strategy]
## Why
- Product risk:
- Offline signal available:
- Online evidence needed:
- Traffic or capacity constraint:
## Metrics
| Metric | Offline/Online | Role | Concern |
|--------|----------------|------|---------|
## Implementation Notes
- Data needed:
- Logging needed:
- Correlation check:
- Rollout guardrails:
Quality Bar
- Do not send poor offline candidates to live users just to get online evidence.
- Do not trust offline metrics until their relationship to online outcomes is understood.
- Do not use interleaving unless the product has a ranking or choice context where attribution can be logged.
- Do not recommend adaptive methods without checking data freshness, observability, and operational ownership.
Source: hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins → plugins/LVTD-LLC/skills/skills/ml-experiment-evaluation/SKILL.md