Feature Request: Add Load Testing Capability in Lighthouse Tab (Chrome DevTools)

[firojkhan1998]

Feature Request: Add Load Testing Option in Lighthouse

Hello Chrome DevTools Team,

I'm Firoj, a QA Engineer with experience in testing the performance and reliability of web applications. First off, I truly appreciate the Lighthouse integration in Chrome DevTools — the performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO checks are incredibly useful during development.

I'd like to propose a new feature that I believe would significantly enhance its value:

Proposal: Add Basic Load Testing or Load Simulation Capability in Lighthouse

Currently, developers and QA teams must rely on external tools like JMeter, K6, BlazeMeter, or Loader.io to perform even basic load testing. If Lighthouse could simulate a small amount of concurrent traffic (10, 50, 100 virtual users) and show how the page or APIs respond, it would:

• Help developers detect bottlenecks early in the development cycle
• Allow frontend teams to test critical workflows under load (e.g., login, checkout)
• Improve performance-first development without complex setup

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✅ Real-World Load Issues Encountered (QA Perspective)

These are real examples I’ve encountered during my work:

1. Slow Page Load Under Concurrent Users

   • Page load spikes from 2s to 10s when 200 users access it.
   • Server strain and poor caching were the causes.

2. Login or Checkout API Failures

   • Login API fails with 500 errors when accessed by multiple users simultaneously.
   • Affects user access and critical journeys.

3. Database Deadlocks

   • Checkout process causes DB deadlocks with concurrent transactions.
   • Orders fail or get stuck.

4. Static Assets Fail Under Load

   • CSS, JS, and images fail to load when traffic increases.
   • Breaks layout and UI consistency.

5. Session Expiry or Token Failures

   • Under load, sessions timeout or JWTs become invalid unexpectedly.
   • Breaks user flow mid-transaction.

6. Third-Party Service Failures

   • OTP APIs or payment gateways time out when load increases.
   • Affects registration and payment flows.

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💡 Suggestion

Even a lightweight load test tool built into Lighthouse, simulating 10–100 concurrent requests or simple stress on the frontend, would go a long way in helping developers and QA professionals catch performance regressions.

I'd be happy to help with additional use cases or collaborate in testing if this is explored further.

Thank you for your consideration, and for building great developer tools.

Best regards,
Firoj
QA Engineer