---
title: "Run your first tests | Grafana Cloud documentation"
description: "Use the Grafana Cloud Test Builder to build and run a performance test."
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Run a performance test with the Test Builder

This tutorial shows how to create and run a performance test in Grafana Cloud k6 using the Test Builder.

In this tutorial you will:

- Create a performance test using the Test Builder.
- Run a performance test.
- Learn how to use Scenarios to simulate different traffic patterns.
- Learn how to view the performance test you create in the Test Builder as a script.

## Before you begin

To run a performance test, you will need:

- A [Grafana Cloud account](/auth/sign-up/create-user).
- Permission to run load tests on an endpoint.
  
  - You have permission to run load tests on the `https://quickpizza.grafana.com` website, if you don’t have a website you can test or if you’re just trying out Grafana Cloud k6.

## Create a test with the test builder

The *Test Builder* is a graphical interface that can help you create a performance test with a GUI, instead of having to write a script. It provides a quick way to prototype tests and learn the basic functionality of the k6 API.

> Note
> 
> The following test uses 10 VUH. To learn how VUH is calculated, refer to [Understand your Performance Testing invoice](/docs/grafana-cloud/cost-management-and-billing/understand-your-invoice/performance-testing-invoice/).

To learn how to make a test, follow these steps:

01. Log in to your Grafana Cloud instance.
02. Go to **Testing & synthetics** > **Performance**.
03. Click **New test**.
04. If you have more than one project, in the project drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the page, select **Default project** or the project you want to use.
05. In the **Test Builder** card, click **Start Building**.
06. In the first field, name the test as `Test demo`.
07. At the bottom of the builder, in the toolbar next to **GROUP** and **SLEEP**, click **REQUEST** to add a request.
08. Configure the request:
    
    - In the **Name** field, enter `Get homepage`.
    - For the HTTP method, select **GET** and enter the URL you want to test, or use `https://quickpizza.grafana.com`.
    
    Now you have the basics of a test set up, and you can already run it. But k6 doesn’t only make requests, it also models *load*, or traffic patterns. These load patterns are modeled in test *scenarios*.
    
    Configure your scenario to model 10 users trying to access the homepage 100 times:
09. Under **SCENARIO\_1**, click **Options** (not the top-level **OPTIONS** section above **SCENARIOS**, which is for load zones and thresholds).
10. In the main panel under **GENERAL**, open the **Executor** drop-down menu and select **Shared iterations**.
11. Enter the following load pattern:
    
    Expand table
    
    |                |       |
    |----------------|-------|
    | **VUS**        | `10`  |
    | **Iterations** | `100` |
12. Click **Create and Run**.

You just started your first load test. The app presents the results in near real time, When it finishes, you can look at granular data for all results output.

## Model ramping traffic from multiple geographies

> Note
> 
> The following test uses 20 VUH. To learn how VUH is calculated, refer to [Understand your Performance Testing invoice](/docs/grafana-cloud/cost-management-and-billing/understand-your-invoice/performance-testing-invoice/).

Grafana Cloud k6 provides many options to simulate realistic load. You can modify the same test so that the volume of traffic “ramps up”, which means it increases the number of active virtual users, and comes from multiple load zones, which are locations around the world.

To configure the test for ramping logic, follow these steps:

1. Go to **Testing & synthetics** > **Performance**, and open the project that contains the test you created in the previous section.
2. On the project page, in the upper-right corner of the test card for the test you created, click the menu icon (three dots) and select **Configure**.
3. Under **SCENARIO\_1**, click **Options**.
4. In the main panel under **GENERAL**, open the **Executor** drop-down menu and select **Ramping VUs**.
5. In the **Ramping VUs** section, you can use the default values for **Target VUs** and **Duration**, or enter the following load pattern:
   
   Expand table
   
   | Target VUs | Duration |
   |------------|----------|
   | 20         | 1m       |
   | 20         | 3m30s    |
   | 0          | 1m       |

This load configuration starts with 0 virtual users, ramps up to 20 over a minute, remains at this level for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, then ramps back down to 0.

Now, distribute the geography of the load. Load zones are not under **SCENARIO\_1**; they are in the top **OPTIONS** section in the left sidebar (above **SCENARIOS**).

1. In the top **OPTIONS** section, click **Load zones**.
2. Keep **Ashburn, US** as the first load zone.
3. Click **Add new load zone** and select **London, GB**. Repeat the process with **Sydney, AU**.
4. Click **Save and Run**.

As the test runs, a panel shows values for request rate (traffic), response time (latency), and error rate (availabilty).

## Next steps

This tutorial provides an overview of building tests using the Test Builder. For more details, refer to [Use the Test Builder](/docs/grafana-cloud/testing/k6/author-run/test-builder/).

For a next step, you can:

- Learn how to [run a cloud test from the CLI](/docs/grafana-cloud/testing/k6/get-started/run-cloud-tests-from-the-cli/).
- Learn how to [schedule a test](/docs/grafana-cloud/testing/k6/author-run/schedule-a-test/).