k6 Script Generator

k6 is an open-source developer-centric load testing tool that lets you write test scripts in JavaScript. It runs from the CLI and outputs detailed metrics like request duration, error rates, virtual users, and throughput. It's widely used for performance and stress testing APIs and web services.

Virtual Users simulate concurrent users making requests. Each VU runs your test scenario in a loop for the test duration. Higher VUs mean more concurrent load. Start with low numbers (10–50) to establish a baseline before pushing to higher limits.

Constant load runs a fixed number of VUs for the entire duration. Ramping stages let you gradually increase or decrease VUs over time — useful for finding the breaking point of your service without immediately hammering it at peak load.

Test the methods your API actually uses. GET for reads (usually high volume), POST for creates, PUT/PATCH for updates, DELETE for removals. For realistic load tests, combine multiple methods to simulate actual user behavior.

Install k6 (brew install k6 on macOS, or download from k6.io), save the script to a .js file, then run: k6 run script.js. Add --out csv=results.csv to export metrics. For cloud execution, use k6 cloud run script.js.