The complete Guide for using WebPageTest (and getting the best from its results) (r) (r)

May 20, 2023
A computer monitor hooked up to WebPageTest to make a website faster

Then, send the information to

Each website needs to be as fast as possible. Achieving a high-quality website's performance means staying on highest level throughout every entire day. That means continuously monitoring the performance of your website, and changing the site to improve it, while also ensuring each page provides an optimal user experience.

The article is an in-depth look at WebPageTest and how you can benefit from this software. In addition, we'll explain how to conduct tests and evaluate the outcomes. Then, we'll discuss the pros and cons to using software, as well as the price. Let's get going!

What exactly is WebPageTest?

WebPageTest describes itself as a powerful open-source software that is specifically developed to help webmasters and administrators of websites who wish to evaluate and improve the efficiency of their site.

WebPageTest homepage
WebPageTest

The document gives a comprehensive examination of load times and their connection to speed of rendering as well as the way the network is utilized. Additionally, it offers the most thorough analysis of every aspect of the webpage and allows you to find weak spots as well as bottlenecks.

It was introduced in 2008, and has been active since its launch. WebPageTest is one of the most widely-known performance test tools for web pages. The original goal of WebPageTest was to function as an internal tool that could be used to evaluate the efficiency of AOL (yes it's actually quite old).

Following that, WebPageTest was released under an open-source license. WebPageTest's website was developed.

The main functions of WebPageTest are:

  • Testing of simulations for diverse regions around the world
  • Analyzing the rendering process for websites and loading techniques such as filmstrips and waterfall charts

You can be tested on your abilities with the help of WebPageTest and it is absolutely free. WebPageTest offers a free program that lets you take tests on a variety of times throughout the month. You can also get outcomes in greater detail.

Another reason to utilize WebPageTest

There's a wide variety of different kindsof online performance tools which are accessible. They are generally free and the amount of data you receive depends on the instrument you select.

However, WebPageTest has a number of capabilities that make it superior to other program. These are just a few of them:

  • Check for performance issues. WebPageTest helps you identify potential bottlenecks in addition to areas for improvement, allowing clients to make improvements to your site.
  • Improve search engine rankings. Site speed is an important factor for ranking in search engines. For search engines like Google more speedy websites will be more prominent when searching results.
  • Monitor speed with time. Regular testing with WebPageTest allows you to examine the effectiveness of your site and identify any problems prior to them becoming serious issues. It's possible to track the performance of your site all year long with the no-cost plan, which is more than enough to identify the patterns.

Additionally, WebPageTest presents the results in an easy manner. It is a great tool for those who are just beginning to understand the world of optimizing performance testing and test results:

Performance summary by WebPageTest
WebPageTest Summary of Performance

Alongside these short descriptions You'll also find numbers that pertain to the performance of your website. In the following section we'll explain how to examine these numbers.

How can I find the most efficient way to Use WebPageTest?

Conducting tests using WebPageTest is easy. In the beginning it is necessary to sign up for your account for free and you won't need to fill in the information required to make a payment.

Starting a test on WebPageTest
The test is started by using WebPageTest

In order to ensure that you are getting the highest quality results, we advise testing both on desktops and mobiles. Also, we suggest that you select a testing location near the server so that the results of tests won't be affected by distance.

If there's not a designated area which can be used for testing select an Advanced Configuration option. There are other options for testing, in addition to setting advanced configurations.

Configuring the settings on WebPageTest
Pick the setting you like best.

If you're pleased with the configuration, you may click "Start Testing". It takes a few seconds for the tests to be created and, after they've been created then you'll have access to a full list of the tests.

How to Interpret WebPageTest Test Results

One of the main problems of programs such as WebPageTest is that they provide a lot of data to those who take assessments. It's not an issue if you're aware of the exact measurement you have to examine. It can, however, seem a little daunting when you're trying this for the first attempt.

To comprehend the results, it is necessary to know the following aspects you'll see in this WebPageTest report. First, there's a section which goes by the title of the"Performance Summary" section. This section gives a thorough review of the performance your website has achieved. The report will inform you of the performance of your website on the basis of effectiveness, reliability and user-friendly.

Opportunities and Experiments section on WebPageTest
Opportunities and Experiments

The icons are available in each category for more details. Each category has information on the elements that were examined and the outcomes. If there's an issue with the site, it will be traced back to the cause that caused it and offer solutions to address the problem.

Largest contentful paint
The largest and most extensive in terms of content is the paint

If you're at the top of the report page, it's possible to go to the page's performance metrics section. There's a range of indicators which indicate the duration required for loading and when it will be completely functional.

Page performance metrics on WebPageTest
Metrics of page performance

If you're uncertain about what the symbol's meaning is, mean and the significance of each we will give you some guidelines:

  • . This metric is used to measure the amount of time for the site to react to the first request of the web browser. Websites with slow speeds may require some time to reply, which may reduce the speed of loading all-around.
  • Initial rendering. This tells you the amount of time it'll take the website to display its obvious components. This may indicate that the site is working behind the scenes and, until the user is aware of something is wrong, they won't be able to determine whether the site is functioning properly.
  • First Contentful Paint (FCP): This is the duration to render the first piece of information visible on the web page. Lower FCP means a faster loading website.
  • Speed index. A composite score which measures how fast the website's contents can be perceived by the users. The lower the score, more valuable the information.
  • . This metric can inform you about the time it takes to load the first portion of the web page. This is generally an accurate indicator of the site's loading time.
  • . This score indicates how often the design of a website "shifts" or changes as it loads. The more quickly a page is moved and the more user-friendly it is. Zero is the best amount you could achieve when faced with this kind of issue.
  • Blocking duration total. With this metric it displays the time until the website is operational. The site is presented visually, however it could be loaded with scripts on the background which block users from accessing the website.

The part of the real-world usage metrics section provides an analysis of these metrics in relation to the latest results of the tests conducted by users who aren't yours (if they are available). For a complete view of your site's performance it's suggested to evaluate the metrics with those of previous website performance indicators sections.

The ideal outcome will be similar or better:

Real-world usage metrics on WebPageTest
Real-world usage metrics that can be useful

In addition, it is suggested to go through the diagram of waterfalls that illustrates the process of loading executed on each section of the web page. This will help you determine the elements that can create delays or be redesigned to get better results.

Have you tried WebPageTest for testing your Business?

If you've got a website that you'd like to check out, It's recommended to check it out on a regular basis for effectiveness of your site to ensure that your website is user-friendly. It is not necessary to utilize your preferred software to check your website's performance. Let's take a look at a handful of the reasons we would prefer to suggest WebPageTest.

To provide an outline of this process, we'll also talk about the pros and cons of these approaches.

The advantages of WebPageTest

  • A thorough investigation. WebPageTest provides detailed details about the efficiency of the website, and assists in determining areas that are that require improvement.
  • Tests that are flexible and let you change. The tool supports different web browsers across various sites, and also testing options that let users test their knowledge with a variety of tests. Testing settings can be modified depending on the preferences you have as well as you could use the default settings that this program provides if you'd like to find out more about the test.
  • Open source and free. We're big supporters of open-source software. There is a huge benefit of using WebPageTest in the beginning. Although the site does provide the most expensive tier of service, the free plans will suffice for the vast majority of websites.
  • Historical performance data. Utilizing WebPageTest you can get access to a minimum thirteen months worth of testing information on every site you utilize this service to test. This is a lot of information that can be used to monitor patterns of performance on the majority of websites.
  • Better performance of suggestions. WebPageTest provides recommendations or "opportunities" for improving your website's performance depending on the issue it discovers on your site. The report describes the reasons behind each modification.

WebPageTest Test Cons

  • It is essential to join the service. While WebPageTest offers a free trial, you have to be a member of the testing program to have the ability to avail this service. However, the service doesn't require any payment information during registration.
  • A method for understanding how to use the curvature. WebPageTest provides a range of useful information that may be a bit overwhelming for those novices to making websites more efficient. In contrast other instruments similar to the curve can be mastered by using WebPageTest.
  • controlled by an automated. While it is possible to make WebPageTest using an API, it will require more configuration and knowledge of code than some other apps which have automated functions.

WebPageTest Pricing

WebPageTest offers the Premium and Free plan. The free plans let you access a large number of tests every month. Additionally it stores test information for the duration of 13 months, for premium and non-premium users.

WebPageTest Pricing
Pricing Model

In terms of the benefits offered to customers who purchase premium plans are able to get the chance to complete many more tests. Additionally, they'll be given the first preference for testing after the service has been fully loaded (which usually isn't the case). Also, if like to get API acces to WebPageTest however, you'll need pay for an upgrade.

What is WebPageTest's performance in contrast to other Speed Test Tools

This article will explain the ways in which WebPageTest can be utilized to evaluate the two options.

Google PageSpeed Information

The tool was developed by Google this tool provides an easy-to-read evaluation of performance and specific recommendations to optimize. Test results are thorough when compared to WebPageTest.

However, WebPageTest examines each page often during each test. In addition, it permits users to create tests that are specifically designed and developed, a function which PageSpeed Insights doesn't offer.

Pingdom Tools

Pingdom is a great tool for those who want to conduct tests swiftly using the right servers. In contrast to PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest, Pingdom isn't able to give a comprehensive analysis of all areas that need enhancement or are not functioning properly in your website. Instead, it provides a general overview of the performance of your website according to the information it collects it has available at any given time.

Based on our own experience and observations, we've found it feasible to get excellent results from frequent tests using different programs. If you're looking to use just one program, WebPageTest can deliver the most effective results when you compare it to other alternatives including PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom Tools.

Summary

It is vital to check the speed of your website in order to be sure your website is operating in optimal health. This involves conducting regular test of the speed of your website along with other tasks that increase the time to load.

There's an array of instruments that evaluate the effectiveness of web pages, but we suggest WebPageTest. It's cost-free and gives accurate outcomes. You can also save the results of your tests as long as 13 months. The report gives you an extensive analysis of the site's performance throughout the time.

  • It's extremely simple to set up and manage My dashboard. My dashboard
  • Help is always available at anytime.
  • Most efficient Google Cloud Platform hardware and network are powered by Kubernetes to guarantee maximum capacity
  • Enterprise-grade Cloudflare integration, which improves security and speeds
  • The global audience is accessible through the ability to host 35 data centers well as 275 POPs all over the globe

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