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k6 login

Authenticate with cloud services for k6.

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Synopsis

k6 login <service>
k6 cloud login [flags]  # Recommended

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Description

The k6 login command authenticates k6 with cloud services. Currently, it supports:
  • Grafana Cloud k6 (via k6 cloud login)
  • InfluxDB Cloud (via k6 login influxdb)
The k6 login command is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Use k6 cloud login instead.

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Grafana Cloud k6 Login

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Synopsis

k6 cloud login [flags]

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Description

Authenticates with Grafana Cloud k6 using an interactive browser flow. This is the recommended method for authentication.

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Examples

# Interactive login (opens browser)
k6 cloud login

# Login with a specific token
k6 cloud login --token YOUR_TOKEN

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Flags

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--token
string
Provide an API token directly instead of using browser authentication

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Authentication Flow

  1. Run k6 cloud login
  2. Your browser opens to the Grafana Cloud authentication page
  3. Log in or sign up for Grafana Cloud
  4. Select or create a stack
  5. Your credentials are saved locally
  6. You can now run k6 cloud run without additional authentication

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Token Storage

Authentication tokens are stored in:
  • Linux/macOS: ~/.config/k6/cloud.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\k6\cloud.json
The configuration file contains: 
{
  "token": "your-api-token",
  "stackID": 12345,
  "defaultProjectID": 67890
}

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Alternative Authentication Methods

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Environment Variable

Set the token via environment variable: 
export K6_CLOUD_TOKEN=your-token-here
k6 cloud run script.js

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Script Configuration

Embed in your test script: 
export const options = {
  cloud: {
    token: 'your-token-here',
    projectID: 12345,
  },
};
Never commit tokens to version control. Use environment variables or the secure config file instead.

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Obtaining API Tokens

To manually obtain a Grafana Cloud k6 API token:
  1. Go to Grafana Cloud
  2. Navigate to your k6 organization
  3. Go to Settings → API Tokens
  4. Create a new token with appropriate permissions
  5. Copy the token and use it with k6 cloud login --token YOUR_TOKEN

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Stack and Project Configuration

After logging in, k6 stores:
  • Stack ID: Your Grafana Cloud k6 instance
  • Default Project ID: Default project for organizing tests
You can override these per test: 
export K6_CLOUD_STACK_ID=12345
export K6_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID=67890
k6 cloud run script.js

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InfluxDB Cloud Login (Deprecated)

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Synopsis

k6 login influxdb [flags]
The k6 login influxdb command is deprecated. Configure InfluxDB output directly using the --out flag or environment variables.

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Troubleshooting

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Authentication Failed

If authentication fails:
  1. Clear stored credentials: rm ~/.config/k6/cloud.json
  2. Try logging in again: k6 cloud login
  3. Check your internet connection
  4. Verify you have access to Grafana Cloud

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Token Not Working

If your token isn’t working:
  1. Verify the token hasn’t expired
  2. Check the token has correct permissions
  3. Regenerate the token in Grafana Cloud
  4. Try logging in again: k6 cloud login --token NEW_TOKEN

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Browser Doesn’t Open

If the browser doesn’t open automatically:
  1. Copy the URL from the terminal
  2. Open it manually in your browser
  3. Complete the authentication
  4. The CLI will detect the successful authentication

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Security Best Practices

  1. Never share tokens - They provide full access to your k6 account
  2. Use environment variables - Don’t hardcode tokens in scripts
  3. Rotate tokens regularly - Create new tokens periodically
  4. Use project-specific tokens - Limit token scope when possible
  5. Store securely - Use secret management tools in CI/CD

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Environment Variables

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K6_CLOUD_TOKEN
string
Grafana Cloud k6 authentication token
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K6_CLOUD_HOST
string
default:"https://ingest.k6.io"
Grafana Cloud k6 API host
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K6_CLOUD_STACK_ID
int
Stack ID for the Grafana Cloud instance
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K6_CLOUD_PROJECT_ID
int
Default project ID for organizing tests

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See Also

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