Complete Guide to using WebPageTest (and getting the most from its results) (r) (r)

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

Then, send the information the information

Every website must be as speedy as is feasible. The ability to achieve a top-quality performance for your site means staying on highest level throughout every entire day. That means continuously monitoring the efficiency of your website, and changing the site in order to enhance it. It's making sure that each website provides the best user experience.

The article offers a comprehensive review of WebPageTest and how you can profit from this program. Additionally, we'll show the procedure for conducting tests and analyze the results. Then, we'll discuss the pros and cons to the use of software along with the cost. Let's get going!

What exactly does it mean to WebPageTest?

WebPageTest describes itself as an open-source, powerful software designed to help webmasters and administrators of websites who wish to evaluate and improve the performance of their website.

WebPageTest homepage
WebPageTest

This document provides a thorough examination of load times and the relationship between them and speed of rendering as in addition to the manner the internet is being used. Additionally, it offers the most comprehensive study of all aspects of the webpage and allows users to identify weak points along with the bottlenecks.

It came out in the year 2008 it has been running from the moment it launched. WebPageTest is among the most popular performance testing software for web pages. The initial goal behind WebPageTest was to be an internal tool which could be used to evaluate the efficiency of AOL (yes it's actually pretty outdated).

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

WebPageTest's primary functions WebPageTest are:

  • Test of simulations in diverse areas around the world
  • The rendering process is analysed for loading methods such as filmstrips and waterfall charts

You can be tested on your capabilities with the help of WebPageTest and it's free. WebPageTest provides a no-cost program that lets you take tests on a variety of occasions during the month. It also provides results more in-depth.

Another reason to utilize WebPageTest

There's a wide variety of typesof online instruments for performing that are available. The majority of them are free and the amount of data you receive depends upon the instrument you pick.

However, WebPageTest has a number of capabilities which make it better than other program. There are many of them:

  • Examine for any performance issues. WebPageTest helps you discover potential bottlenecks and points to areas of improvement, allowing clients to make improvements to your website.
  • Enhance search engine ranking. Site speed is an essential factor in the ranking of Google and other search engines. Search engines such as Google more speedy websites are more popular when you search for results.
  • Monitor speed with time. Regular testing with WebPageTest allows you to examine the effectiveness of your site and pinpoint any potential issues before they become major concerns. It's possible to track the efficiency of your site through the entire year using the cost-free plan that's sufficient to detect the trends.

In addition, WebPageTest presents the results in a simple manner. WebPageTest is an excellent instrument for people who are only beginning to comprehend the importance of performance testing optimization and testing results.

Performance summary by WebPageTest
WebPageTest Summary of Performance

In addition to these brief descriptions, you'll also find numbers that pertain to the efficiency of your website. The next part will describe how you can analyze these numbers.

Where can I find the most efficient method to use WebPageTest?

Testing with WebPageTest is simple. In the beginning it is necessary to sign up to your account free of charge as well as complete the required information to make a payment.

Starting a test on WebPageTest
The test can be started making use of WebPageTest

To make sure that you're getting top quality results, we advise testing both on desktops and mobiles. Additionally, we recommend that you choose a test location near the server so that the results of tests aren't affected by distance.

If there's not a specific area to be utilized for testing, select the Advanced Configuration option. Other options are available for testing, in addition to creating advanced configurations.

Configuring the settings on WebPageTest
Choose the one you enjoy the most.

If you're pleased with the configuration, you may select "Start Testing". It only takes a few minutes until the tests are built and once they're made, you'll be able to access to all of tests.

How do you interpret the WebPageTest Test Results

One of the biggest issues of software like WebPageTest is that they provide an abundance of data for those who take assessments. It's not an issue in the event that you are aware of what measurement exactly you're required to look at. It can, however, seem a little daunting when you're making this your first time.

In order to comprehend the findings, it is necessary to know the following aspects the WebPageTest test report. The first is a section that goes by the title"Performance Summary" the"Performance Overview" section. This section offers a detailed review of the performance your site has put up. The report will inform you on the efficiency of your website in terms of its effectiveness in terms of reliability and usability.

Opportunities and Experiments section on WebPageTest
Opportunities and Experiments

The icons are available within each category to provide more details. Every category contains information about the components that were studied as well as the conclusions. If there's an issue with the website, it'll 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 its content is the paint

If you're on the top of the report page, you can navigate to the page's performance metrics section. There's a number of indicators that indicate how long it takes to load and the time it'll be completely functional.

Page performance metrics on WebPageTest
Performance metrics of pages

If you're unsure of the significance of the symbol are, what they mean, and the meaning of any, we'll give you some guidelines:

  • . This metric is used to measure the amount of time for the website to respond to the first request made by the web browser. Sites that have slow speed may take some time to respond, which may reduce the speed of loading all-around.
  • Initial rendering. This tells you the time that it'll take the website to display its components that are obvious. This could mean that the site is working behind the scenes and, until a user becomes aware that something is not right and they are unable to determine whether the site functions properly.
  • Initial Contentful Paint (FCP): This is the amount of time it takes to render the first piece of information visible on the website. Lower FCP means a faster loading website.
  • Index of speed. A composite score which measures how fast the site's information is seen by users. A lower score indicates more valuable the information.
  • . This metric will inform you of the time it takes to load the initial portion of the page. It is usually an accurate indication of the page's load time.
  • . This score indicates how often the design of a web page "shifts" or alters as it load. The more quickly a page moves, the more user-friendly it appears. Zero is the most effective number you can achieve when faced with this kind of problem.
  • Blocking duration in total. With this metric it displays the time until the website can be operational. The website is displayed visually but it may be loaded with scripts on the background that block users from using the site.

The section on real-world usage metrics section gives an overview of these metrics in relation to the most current results of the tests performed by users who aren't yours (if they're available). For a complete view of your site's performance it's advised to examine the data against those from previous site metrics for performance sections.

The ideal outcome will be similar or better:

Real-world usage metrics on WebPageTest
Usage metrics from real-world use that could be helpful

Furthermore, it's advised to look over the waterfall diagram that shows the loading process that is performed on every section of the website. This will help you determine those elements that could cause delays, or to redesign the page in order to achieve better results.

Have you considered WebPageTest to evaluate your business?

If you've got a website you'd like to check out, you should examine it frequently to assess the effectiveness of your site in order to ensure your site is simple to use. You don't have to utilize your preferred tool to evaluate your site's effectiveness. Let's look over several of the factors we would prefer to suggest WebPageTest.

In order to provide a brief overview of the process and also to discuss the pros and cons of these approaches.

The advantages of WebPageTest

  • A comprehensive examination. WebPageTest provides detailed details about the efficiency of the website and helps in identifying those areas that need improvement.
  • tests that can be modified and permit you to alter. The tool supports diverse web browsers that are available on different websites. It also offers test options to allow users test their knowledge with a variety of tests. Test settings can be altered according to the preference you have as well as using the default settings provided by it provides in case you'd like to know more details about the test.
  • Open source and free. We're big fans of open source software. The benefits are immense from making use of WebPageTest initially. Although the site does provide the most costly tier of service, its free plan will suffice for the vast majority of websites.
  • Historical performance data. With WebPageTest you will have access to a minimum thirteen months of test data for every website you use the service to evaluate. This can be a significant amount of data that could be utilized to observe patterns of performance across all websites.
  • More efficient performance of suggestions. WebPageTest provides recommendations or "opportunities" for improving the efficiency of your site, based upon the issues it finds on your site. The report describes the reasons for each change.

WebPageTest Test Cons

  • It is essential to join the service. While WebPageTest gives a no-cost trial, you have to become a part of the program for testing to be eligible for the possibility of using this service. However, the service doesn't require any payment information during registration.
  • An approach to understanding how to use the curvature. WebPageTest provides a array of helpful information that can be difficult for people who are new to make websites more effective. However, other tools that are that are similar to the curve may be mastered by using WebPageTest.
  • controlled by an automated. While it is possible to make WebPageTest by using an API, it's going to require more configuration and knowledge of the code than many other programs that use automatized functions.

WebPageTest Pricing

WebPageTest offers the Premium and Free plan. Free plans allow you to access a large number of tests every month. Additionally it stores test information over a period of thirteen months, for premium and non-premium users.

WebPageTest Pricing
Pricing Model

In terms of the benefits that customers who buy premium plans are able to get the chance to complete many more tests. Additionally, they'll be given the top preference to test once the service has fully loaded (which normally isn't always the case). Also, if like to have API access to WebPageTest however, you'll have to make a payment for an upgrade.

How is WebPageTest's performance comparison to other Speed Test Tools

This article will explain the methods by which WebPageTest can be utilized to evaluate the two options.

Google PageSpeed Information

The tool was developed by Google the tool offers an easy to read evaluation of the performance as well as recommendations for improving. The test results are comprehensive and can be compared with WebPageTest.

However, WebPageTest examines each page frequently during every test. In addition, it permits users to design tests that have been specifically designed and developed in a way that PageSpeed Insights doesn't offer.

Pingdom Tools

Pingdom is a great tool for those who want to test quickly and efficiently with the correct servers. In contrast to PageSpeed Insights as well as WebPageTest, Pingdom isn't able to give a comprehensive assessment of all the areas that need enhancement or that aren't functioning correctly within your website. Instead, it gives a general analysis of the effectiveness of your website based to the data it has available at any time.

Based on our own experience and observations We've discovered it's possible to obtain excellent results through repeated tests that use various programs. If you're considering using only one application, WebPageTest can deliver the best results when compared against other programs like PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom Tools.

Summary

It is crucial to monitor how fast your site to ensure that your site is with optimum health. This involves conducting regular test of the speed of your website and other actions that increase the time to load.

There's a myriad of tools to evaluate the performance of Web pages. However, we suggest WebPageTest. It's cost-free and gives precise results. It is also possible to save the results of your tests until 13 months. The report offers an in-depth review of the website's performance all through the duration.

  • It's very easy to create and maintain My dashboard. My dashboard
  • Assistance is available any time.
  • The most efficient Google Cloud Platform hardware and network are powered by Kubernetes to guarantee maximum capacity
  • Enterprise-class Cloudflare integration that improves security and speeds
  • Global audiences are accessible by hosting 35 data centers as well as 275 POPs across the globe

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