diff --git a/src/app/components/OptimizelyPageMetrics/experimentsForPageMetrics.ts b/src/app/components/OptimizelyPageMetrics/experimentsForPageMetrics.ts
index 8f7a10a83c1..83156b682d1 100644
--- a/src/app/components/OptimizelyPageMetrics/experimentsForPageMetrics.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/OptimizelyPageMetrics/experimentsForPageMetrics.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ const experimentsForPageMetrics: ExperimentsForPageTypeMetrics = [
       'newswb_ws_article_account_promo_banner',
       // enable page metrics after this experiment is activated
       'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search',
-      'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search_aa_test',
     ],
   },
   {
diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useClickTrackerHandler/index.jsx b/src/app/hooks/useClickTrackerHandler/index.jsx
index 1a06c7db7b3..db48a7db19d 100644
--- a/src/app/hooks/useClickTrackerHandler/index.jsx
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useClickTrackerHandler/index.jsx
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ const OJ_COMPONENT_NAMES = [
 const OJ_OPTIMIZELY_EXPERIMENTS = [
   'test_page_views_aa_3',
   'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search',
-  'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search_aa_test',
 ];
 
 const OJ_OPTIMIZELY_CLICK_EVENTS = ['oj_clicks'];
diff --git a/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/ArticlePage.tsx b/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/ArticlePage.tsx
index e0a5966227c..ad29fbc3171 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/ArticlePage.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/ArticlePage.tsx
@@ -116,61 +116,15 @@ import {
 import TopStoriesSection from './PagePromoSections/TopStoriesSection';
 import SearchOjExperiment from './SearchOjExperiment';
 import {
-  isSearchOjAaVariant,
   isSearchOjVariant,
   MID_ARTICLE_OJ_EXPERIMENT_TRIGGER_ID,
-  SEARCH_OJ_AA_ACTIVATION_EVENT_NAME,
-  SEARCH_OJ_AA_EXPERIMENT_NAME,
   SEARCH_OJ_ACTIVATION_EVENT_NAME,
   SEARCH_OJ_EXPERIMENT_NAME,
-  SearchOjAaVariant,
   SearchOjVariant,
 } from './SearchOjExperiment/config';
 
-// keep the flag name with the variation so tracking knows which experiment was chosen
-type SearchOjExperimentDecision = {
-  experimentName:
-    | typeof SEARCH_OJ_EXPERIMENT_NAME
-    | typeof SEARCH_OJ_AA_EXPERIMENT_NAME;
-  experimentVariant: SearchOjVariant | SearchOjAaVariant;
-  searchVariant: SearchVariant | null;
-};
-
 type ActivateSearchOjExperimentProps = {
-  onDecision: (decision: SearchOjExperimentDecision) => void;
-};
-
-const ActivateSearchOjAaExperiment = ({
-  onDecision,
-}: ActivateSearchOjExperimentProps) => {
-  const variation = useOptimizelyVariation({
-    experimentName: SEARCH_OJ_AA_EXPERIMENT_NAME,
-    experimentType: ExperimentType.CLIENT_SIDE,
-  });
-  const trackActivation = useCustomEventTracker({
-    eventName: SEARCH_OJ_AA_ACTIVATION_EVENT_NAME,
-    experimentName: SEARCH_OJ_AA_EXPERIMENT_NAME,
-    experimentVariant: variation ?? undefined,
-  });
-  const hasTrackedActivation = useRef(false);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (isSearchOjAaVariant(variation)) {
-      onDecision({
-        experimentName: SEARCH_OJ_AA_EXPERIMENT_NAME,
-        experimentVariant: variation,
-        // both aa groups keep the normal page layout
-        searchVariant: null,
-      });
-
-      if (!hasTrackedActivation.current) {
-        hasTrackedActivation.current = true;
-        trackActivation();
-      }
-    }
-  }, [onDecision, trackActivation, variation]);
-
-  return null;
+  onDecision: (variation: SearchOjVariant | null) => void;
 };
 
 const ActivateSearchOjExperiment = ({
@@ -190,26 +144,18 @@ const ActivateSearchOjExperiment = ({
   const hasTrackedActivation = useRef(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (isSearchOjVariant(variation)) {
-      onDecision({
-        experimentName: SEARCH_OJ_EXPERIMENT_NAME,
-        experimentVariant: variation,
-        searchVariant: variation === 'control' ? null : variation,
-      });
-
-      if (!hasTrackedActivation.current) {
+    if (variation !== null) {
+      const validVariation = isSearchOjVariant(variation) ? variation : null;
+
+      onDecision(validVariation);
+
+      if (validVariation && !hasTrackedActivation.current) {
         hasTrackedActivation.current = true;
         trackActivation();
       }
     }
   }, [onDecision, trackActivation, variation]);
 
-  // only check the aa flag after optimizely says the real flag is off
-  // this lets the dashboard choose which experiment runs without another deployment
-  if (variation === 'off') {
-    return <ActivateSearchOjAaExperiment onDecision={onDecision} />;
-  }
-
   return null;
 };
 
@@ -363,13 +309,13 @@ const ArticlePage = ({ pageData }: { pageData: Article }) => {
   const [isDesktopViewport, setIsDesktopViewport] = useState(false);
   const [hasExpandedContinueReading, setHasExpandedContinueReading] =
     useState(false);
-  const [experimentDecision, setExperimentDecision] =
-    useState<SearchOjExperimentDecision | null>(null);
+  const [experimentVariant, setExperimentVariant] =
+    useState<SearchOjVariant | null>(null);
   const searchOjExperimentProps: ComponentExperimentProps | undefined =
-    experimentDecision
+    experimentVariant
       ? {
-          experimentName: experimentDecision.experimentName,
-          experimentVariant: experimentDecision.experimentVariant,
+          experimentName: SEARCH_OJ_EXPERIMENT_NAME,
+          experimentVariant,
           sendOptimizelyEvents: true,
         }
       : undefined;
@@ -595,7 +541,8 @@ const ArticlePage = ({ pageData }: { pageData: Article }) => {
     promoImageRawBlock?.model as { locator?: string } | undefined
   )?.locator;
 
-  const searchVariant = experimentDecision?.searchVariant ?? null;
+  const searchVariant: SearchVariant | null =
+    experimentVariant === 'control' ? null : experimentVariant;
   const mobileOJOrder = useMobileOJComponentOrder(searchVariant);
 
   const componentsToRender = {
@@ -812,7 +759,7 @@ const ArticlePage = ({ pageData }: { pageData: Article }) => {
       <AccountPromotionalBannerExperiment />
 
       {(isNearMidArticleOj || hasExpandedContinueReading) && (
-        <ActivateSearchOjExperiment onDecision={setExperimentDecision} />
+        <ActivateSearchOjExperiment onDecision={setExperimentVariant} />
       )}
 
       <ATIAnalytics />
diff --git a/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/SearchOjExperiment/config.ts b/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/SearchOjExperiment/config.ts
index 0bb0ba0d509..5abd069b7f1 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/SearchOjExperiment/config.ts
+++ b/src/app/pages/ArticlePage/SearchOjExperiment/config.ts
@@ -4,14 +4,6 @@ export const SEARCH_OJ_EXPERIMENT_NAME = 'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search';
 export const SEARCH_OJ_ACTIVATION_EVENT_NAME =
   'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search';
 
-// this temporary flag checks bucketing and tracking before the real experiment starts
-// remove the aa setup after the production check is complete
-export const SEARCH_OJ_AA_EXPERIMENT_NAME =
-  'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search_aa_test';
-
-export const SEARCH_OJ_AA_ACTIVATION_EVENT_NAME =
-  'newswb_ws_oj_order_referrer_search_aa_test';
-
 // these values must match the variation keys in optimizely
 export const SEARCH_OJ_VARIANTS = [
   'control',
@@ -25,11 +17,6 @@ export const SEARCH_OJ_VARIANTS = [
 
 export type SearchOjVariant = (typeof SEARCH_OJ_VARIANTS)[number];
 
-// both groups use the normal page so their results can be compared like for like
-export const SEARCH_OJ_AA_VARIANTS = ['control_a', 'control_b'] as const;
-
-export type SearchOjAaVariant = (typeof SEARCH_OJ_AA_VARIANTS)[number];
-
 // unknown values keep the existing control experience
 export const isSearchOjVariant = (
   variation: string | null,
@@ -37,12 +24,6 @@ export const isSearchOjVariant = (
   variation !== null &&
   SEARCH_OJ_VARIANTS.includes(variation as SearchOjVariant);
 
-export const isSearchOjAaVariant = (
-  variation: string | null,
-): variation is SearchOjAaVariant =>
-  variation !== null &&
-  SEARCH_OJ_AA_VARIANTS.includes(variation as SearchOjAaVariant);
-
 // this id is added to the real oj that triggers the experiment
 export const MID_ARTICLE_OJ_EXPERIMENT_TRIGGER_ID =
   'search-oj-experiment-trigger';