GTmetrix Performance Tester

Test website performance using the GTmetrix API. Get PageSpeed scores, Core Web Vitals, loading times, and actionable optimization recommendations for SEO and user experience.

Features

• Performance Scores: GTmetrix Grade, Performance Score, Structure Score
• Core Web Vitals: LCP, TBT, CLS - the metrics Google uses for ranking
• Loading Metrics: First Contentful Paint, Time to Interactive, Fully Loaded Time
• Multiple Locations: Test from 7 global server locations
• BYOK Support: Bring your own free GTmetrix API key

Why Performance Matters for SEO

Google uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor. Poor performance = lower rankings:

• LCP > 2.5s: Users bounce, rankings drop
• CLS > 0.1: Layout shifts frustrate users
• TBT > 300ms: Slow interactivity hurts engagement

Input Configuration

{
  "demoMode": false,
  "urls": ["https://example.com", "https://competitor.com"],
  "apiKey": "YOUR_GTMETRIX_API_KEY",
  "apiEmail": "your@email.com",
  "location": "7",
  "browser": "3"
}

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
demoMode	boolean	No	Run with sample data (no API calls)
urls	array	Yes*	URLs to test (*not needed in demoMode)
apiKey	string	Yes*	GTmetrix API key (free at gtmetrix.com/api/)
apiEmail	string	Yes*	Email for your GTmetrix account
location	string	No	Test location (default: Vancouver)
browser	string	No	Browser: Chrome (3) or Firefox (1)
adBlock	boolean	No	Block ads during test

Output

{
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "gtmetrixGrade": "A",
  "performanceScore": 92,
  "structureScore": 88,
  "largestContentfulPaint": 1245,
  "totalBlockingTime": 150,
  "cumulativeLayoutShift": 0.05,
  "firstContentfulPaint": 890,
  "timeToInteractive": 2100,
  "fullyLoadedTime": 3500,
  "pageSize": 1524000,
  "requests": 45,
  "reportUrl": "https://gtmetrix.com/reports/...",
  "recommendations": [
    {
      "name": "Serve images in next-gen formats",
      "score": 45,
      "savings": "234 KB"
    }
  ],
  "testedAt": "2025-12-23T12:00:00Z"
}

Getting a Free GTmetrix API Key

1. Sign up at gtmetrix.com
2. Go to Account > API Key
3. Copy your API key and email
4. Use them in this actor

Free tier includes:

• 125 API credits/month
• 1 credit per test
• All Core Web Vitals data

Test Locations

ID	Location
1	Vancouver, Canada
2	London, UK
3	Sydney, Australia
4	Sao Paulo, Brazil
5	Mumbai, India
6	Hong Kong, China
7	Dallas, USA

Use Cases

SEO Performance Audit

Test your site and competitors to benchmark performance.

Core Web Vitals Monitoring

Track LCP, TBT, CLS over time to ensure Google ranking signals stay healthy.

Before/After Optimization

Test before making changes, optimize, then test again to measure improvement.

Multi-Location Testing

Test from different regions to ensure global performance.

Pricing

• $0.01 per URL tested
• Demo mode is free
• BYOK uses your own GTmetrix credits

Integrations

Zapier

Use the Apify integration in Zapier to trigger this actor and process results:

1. Add the "Apify" app in Zapier
2. Select "Run Actor" as the action
3. Enter localhowl/gtmetrix-tester as the actor ID
4. Pass your inputs as JSON
5. Use subsequent Zapier steps to process the performance data

Make (Integromat)

1. Add the Apify module to your Make scenario
2. Select "Run an Actor" action
3. Configure with actor ID and inputs
4. Map output to Google Sheets, Slack, or email notifications

n8n

1. Add the Apify node to your workflow
2. Configure with your Apify API token
3. Set actor ID to localhowl/gtmetrix-tester
4. Process results with subsequent nodes

Webhooks

Send results to your endpoint automatically:

{
  "webhooks": [{
    "eventTypes": ["ACTOR.RUN.SUCCEEDED"],
    "requestUrl": "https://your-webhook.com/gtmetrix"
  }]
}

API

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/localhowl~gtmetrix-tester/runs?token=YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"urls": ["https://example.com"], "apiKey": "YOUR_GTMETRIX_KEY"}'

Support

• LinkedIn: John Rippy
• Website: johnrippy.link

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Built by John Rippy | johnrippy.link