Mimic components for deploying experimental webpage features

A technique for deploying an experimental version of a webpage includes using a mimic component to emulate functionality of a corresponding hidden UI component. The technique provides for receiving user input at the mimic component and, in response to the user input, executing a functional code block that bidirectionally communicates with an underlying platform code to update state data of the hidden UI component. The technique further provides for detecting, at the mimic component, an update to the state data of the hidden UI component, in response to the detection, updating state data of the mimic component based on the updated state data of the hidden UI component.