Lighthouse testing tool — 1: Getting started with Lighthouse!
The performance and usability of a web page are major concerns in user experience. There are many aspects to consider when testing and improving performance of a website. Do you need direction on improving the performance of your site? Let Google lighthouse guide you the way.
So what is this Lighthouse? How to use it?
Lighthouse is an open-source automated testing tool created by Google to improve the performance of web pages. With Lighthouse, I could instantly test and get a detailed report on performance, search engine optimization, Progressive web app, best practices, and accessibility of my site. The report explains possible ways to optimize performance.
There are several methods you can use to test web pages.
- Chrome dev tools
- Lighthouse extension.
- From the command line.
- As a Node module.
The method you choose to use Lighthouse depends on your needs. However, we will now discuss using Lighthouse in Chrome Dev Tools and using the Lighthouse extension.
Use Lighthouse in Chrome Dev Tools
You can use Lighthouse in chrome dev tools when testing local sites and web pages that require authentication. Lighthouse extension or web UI does not allow authenticated web pages. To start testing, follow these easy steps.
- Download Google Chrome for desktop
- In Google Chrome, enter the URL you need to audit.
- Then open chrome dev tools.
- Click on the Lighthouse tab.
- Select the categories and devices you want to run the audit.
Click on Generate Report.
After a few seconds, the Lighthouse report will appear to you.
Use Lighthouse extension
First, you need to download Google Chrome for Desktop. Then go to the chrome web store and add Lighthouse Chrome Extension.
Once you have installed the Lighthouse extension, enter the web URL in chrome.
Then Click on Lighthouse icon next to the Chrome address bar. If not, go to extensions and select Lighthouse from the menu.
Once you click on the Lighthouse, you will get the Lighthouse menu.
From here, select the categories you need to audit and the device you want to check web page performance. Then click on the Generate Report button. After a few seconds, you will get the report.
By using this extension, you are not allowed to run audits for authenticated web pages.
To start a new audit, click on the + sign. Click on (new report) to generate another report or rerun the audit.
Your report will look something like this. You can save this report as a PDF, HTML, or as a JASON.
When using Lighthouse, make sure to keep the browser window in the foreground during the load.
I find this as a tool that is easy to use. It saves time and effort in performance testing. Let’s keep improving our sites with lighthouse testing!
