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StartPerformanceTransaction - Automation Command

Description​

The startPerformanceTransaction command allows you to capture performance metrics during automated test execution. This helps assess the performance of a specific user flow on a mobile device, making it easier to identify bottlenecks and optimize performance.

By default, this command captures metrics at the device level. If you need to focus on a specific application, consider using startPerformanceTransactionForApplication instead.

To learn more about performance transactions and the types of metrics captured, refer to the Record Performance Transactions documentation.

:::info Usage This command is available in Appium for iOS and Android devices and supports testing across Web, Native, and Hybrid applications. :::

:::warning Important Notes

  • Use endPerformanceTransaction to stop the transaction and generate the performance report.
  • If a transaction exceeds 5 minutes or if the test session ends, the transaction will be automatically canceled, and no performance data will be recorded. :::

Parameters​

Parameter NameValueDescription
nvProfileStringThe name of the network profile to simulate different network conditions.

- Default: "3G-average"
- Use "NONE" to disable network simulation.

View Available Network Profiles

Code Example​

The startPerformanceTransaction command can be executed using the executeScript function:

driver.executeScript("seetest:client.startPerformanceTransaction", "3G-average");

Practical Example​

Traditionally, performance testing requires separate tools and frameworks. By integrating performance tracking directly into your Appium scripts, you can streamline both functional and performance testing within a single workflow.

In the example below, we validate a simple login process with functional steps:

driver.navigate().to("https://demo-bank.ct.digital.ai/");
        
// Functional Steps to perform on the login page
wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.xpath("//*[@class='mobile-login-logo']")));
driver.findElement(By.xpath("(//*[@class='dx-texteditor-input'])[1]")).sendKeys("company");
driver.findElement(By.xpath("(//*[@class='dx-texteditor-input'])[2]")).sendKeys("company");

// Functional steps to perform for for validation of login
driver.findElement(By.xpath("//*[@class='dx-button-content' and contains(text(), 'Login')]")).click();
WebElement element = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.xpath("//*[@class='total-balance']")));
assertTrue(element.isDisplayed(), "The 'total-balance' element is not displayed or clickable.");

To enhance this test and measure the performance of the login transaction, from clicking the login button to landing on the dashboard, we can implement startPerformanceTransaction as follows:

// Navigate to the login site
driver.navigate().to("https://demo-bank.ct.digital.ai/");

// Functional Steps to perform on the login page
wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.xpath("//*[@class='mobile-login-logo']")));
driver.findElement(By.xpath("(//*[@class='dx-texteditor-input'])[1]")).sendKeys("company");
driver.findElement(By.xpath("(//*[@class='dx-texteditor-input'])[2]")).sendKeys("company");

// Start Performance Transaction capturing
driver.executeScript("seetest:client.startPerformanceTransaction", "3G-average");

// Functional step(s) to perform for which Performance Metrics will be captured on
driver.findElement(By.xpath("//*[@class='dx-button-content' and contains(text(), 'Login')]")).click();
WebElement element = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.xpath("//*[@class='total-balance']")));
assertTrue(element.isDisplayed(), "The 'total-balance' element is not displayed or clickable.");

// End the Performance Transaction capturing
driver.executeScript("seetest:client.endPerformanceTransaction", "login_transaction");

Once the test completes, a Performance Transaction Report is generated.

performancetransaction_report

tip

The Performance Transaction Report is generated separately from the Functional Test Report.

If you want to combine performance-related information into a single report, consider using the following:

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