> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/grafana/k6-docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Grafana k6 Documentation

> Open-source, developer-friendly load testing tool for testing the reliability and performance of your applications and infrastructure.

<img className="block" src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/grafana-k6-docs/images/k6-logo.svg" alt="Grafana k6" />

# Prevent performance issues with k6

Grafana k6 is an open-source, developer-friendly, and extensible load testing tool. k6 allows you to prevent performance issues and proactively improve reliability.

Using k6, you can test the reliability and performance of your application and infrastructure. k6 helps engineering teams prevent errors and SLO breaches, enabling them to build resilient and high-performing applications that scale.

## What is k6?

k6 is a CLI-based load testing tool written in Go with test scripts in JavaScript. It's designed for developers, QA engineers, SDETs, and SREs who need to:

* Simulate realistic user behavior
* Identify performance bottlenecks before production
* Validate system reliability under load
* Integrate performance testing into CI/CD pipelines

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Why k6?" icon="question" href="/why-k6">
    Learn why k6 is the right choice for your load testing needs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/get-started/installation">
    Install k6 on Linux, macOS, Windows, or Docker
  </Card>

  <Card title="Write Your First Test" icon="code" href="/get-started/first-test">
    Create your first k6 test script in minutes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understanding Results" icon="chart-line" href="/get-started/results">
    Learn how to read and analyze k6 metrics
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Key features

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="JavaScript Testing" icon="js">
    Write tests in JavaScript with a familiar syntax. No need to learn a new language.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI-Based" icon="terminal">
    Run tests from your terminal, CI/CD pipelines, or automation tools.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Developer-Friendly" icon="code">
    Built for developers with auto-completion, TypeScript support, and version control integration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="High Performance" icon="gauge-high">
    Generate massive load with minimal resources. Run thousands of virtual users on a single machine.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Extensible" icon="puzzle-piece">
    Extend k6 with custom protocols using extensions or test browser performance with the browser module.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CI/CD Integration" icon="arrows-spin">
    Seamlessly integrate with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and other automation tools.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Common use cases

Engineering teams use k6 for:

### Load and performance testing

k6 is optimized for minimal resource consumption and designed for running high-load performance tests such as spike, stress, or soak tests.

### Browser performance testing

Through the k6 browser API, you can run browser-based performance tests and collect browser metrics to identify performance issues related to browsers.

### Performance and synthetic monitoring

Schedule tests to run with minimal load very frequently, continuously validating the performance and availability of your production environment.

### Automation of performance tests

k6 integrates seamlessly with CI/CD and automation tools, enabling engineering teams to automate performance testing as part of their development and release cycle.

### Chaos and resilience testing

Use k6 to simulate traffic as part of your chaos experiments or inject different types of faults in Kubernetes with xk6-disruptor.

### Infrastructure testing

With k6 extensions, you can add support for new protocols or use a particular client to directly test individual systems within your infrastructure.

## Get started in minutes

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install k6">
    Install k6 using your package manager or Docker:

    ```sh theme={null}
    # macOS
    brew install k6

    # Linux
    sudo apt-get install k6

    # Docker
    docker pull grafana/k6
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write a test script">
    Create a simple test file `test.js`:

    ```javascript theme={null}
    import http from 'k6/http';
    import { sleep } from 'k6';

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

    export default function () {
      http.get('https://test.k6.io');
      sleep(1);
    }
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run your test">
    Execute the test from your terminal:

    ```sh theme={null}
    k6 run test.js
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Analyze results">
    View the summary statistics in your terminal, including response times, throughput, and error rates.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Get Started Guide" icon="rocket" href="/get-started/installation">
    Follow our step-by-step guide to start testing
  </Card>

  <Card title="JavaScript API Reference" icon="book" href="https://grafana.com/docs/k6/latest/javascript-api/">
    Explore the complete k6 API documentation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Testing Guides" icon="lightbulb" href="https://grafana.com/docs/k6/latest/testing-guides/">
    Learn testing strategies and best practices
  </Card>

  <Card title="Example Scripts" icon="file-code" href="https://grafana.com/docs/k6/latest/examples/">
    Browse real-world k6 test examples
  </Card>
</CardGroup>