Getting Started with k6

k6 is an open-source, developer-centric tool designed for load testing and performance testing using JavaScript. It’s scriptable, modern, and integrates well into CI/CD pipelines.

🛠️ Installation

• Using Homebrew (Mac): brew install k6
• Using Chocolatey (Windows): choco install k6
• Using Docker: docker run -i grafana/k6 run -
• Or download from the official site.

🧪 Writing Your First Script

// script.js
import http from 'k6/http';
import { check, sleep } from 'k6';

export let options = {
  vus: 10,
  duration: '30s',
};

export default function () {
  let res = http.get('https://test.k6.io');
  check(res, {
    'status was 200': (r) => r.status === 200,
  });
  sleep(1);
}
          

🏃 Running the Test

• Save your script as script.js.
• Run with: k6 run script.js
• You’ll see live metrics like requests per second, VUs, and latency.

📈 Viewing Results

k6 outputs real-time CLI metrics including:

• ✔️ Passed checks
• ⚡ Response time percentiles (p(95), p(99))
• 📉 Throughput (requests/sec)
• 📊 Error rate and test duration

💡 Tip: For enhanced reporting, integrate with k6 Cloud or use output options like JSON, InfluxDB, and Grafana dashboards.

🔚 Conclusion

k6 makes it easy for developers and testers to collaborate on performance testing. Its code-first approach, clean output, and CI/CD integrations make it ideal for modern DevOps workflows.

Try extending your script with thresholds, custom metrics, or load profiles next!