# Run and track PageSpeed tests with Kiro

> Tracking PageSpeed scores with Kiro means asking it, in the editor, for your stored PageSpeed history and a fresh test of the live site through xSpeed Hub, with the read tools on its auto-approve list.

Page: https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/pagespeed-tests/
Last updated: October 2026

You finished a task in Kiro that touched how a theme loads its assets, and the follow-up is to check what that did to PageSpeed. Ask the agent for the site's score history. It calls get_score_history through the Hub and returns the stored runs, with score, LCP, FCP, CLS, TBT, Speed Index and TTFB for mobile and desktop. It can set those against the task you just closed, so the answer reads as a before and after rather than a bare list.

When the stored runs are too old to say anything, ask for run_speed_test, a PageSpeed Insights run from the Hub, mobile or desktop, up to about two minutes. The Hub keeps the result in its own report history, while get_score_history reads the plugin's stored runs, so the two can differ. run_benchmark gives a quicker read on the home page cached and uncached, with no Lighthouse score, and get_benchmark_history shows the earlier runs against your settings changes.

Kiro prompts for an MCP tool unless the tool is on the server's autoApprove list. That list suits this job well. Read tools such as get_score_history, get_benchmark_history and run_benchmark can go on it, so your reviews are not interrupted. A permissions rule that matches xspeedhub/get_* with the effect allow does the same for every read whose name starts with get_. The one tool that starts something, run_speed_test, can stay off, so you see each test before it runs and decide whether the answer is worth the wait. Each call tests one device, mobile or desktop, so a full check is two tests.

## Set up Kiro once

### 1. Put your sites in xSpeed Hub

Sign in at app.xspeedcache.com with Google or email; the Hub is free and has no site cap. Then connect each WordPress site from its own dashboard: click Connect Hub in the xSpeed Cache top bar, then Connect via xSpeed Hub. Each site needs the free xSpeed Cache plugin.

### 2. Add xSpeed Hub to mcp.json

Open the command palette and run Kiro: Open user MCP config (JSON), then add this entry. The user file applies in every workspace. A project can carry its own .kiro/settings/mcp.json instead, but Kiro does not load a workspace's MCP config until you trust that workspace. Kiro reconnects servers when you save the file.

File: `~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json`

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xspeedhub": {
      "url": "https://app.xspeedcache.com/xspeed/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### 3. Approve access in the browser

After you save, Kiro opens the xSpeed Hub authorization page. It registers itself through dynamic client registration, so there is no client ID to create. Sign in to the Hub, approve, and check the MCP servers tab in the Kiro panel for a connected xspeedhub. There is no token to paste; Kiro keeps the credentials it receives.

Full setup: https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/

### Before you send a prompt that changes something

Reads change nothing on your sites, though contact_support emails xSpeed support. Writes run once your connection allows them, so your client's approval prompt and a read-only connection (the token's Read-only everywhere switch, or a Viewer sign-in) are the gates that matter. Kiro prompts before it runs an MCP tool unless a rule allows it. Rules live in two places: autoApprove in the server's mcp.json entry, which lists tool names, and mcp rules in permissions.yaml, such as a match of xspeedhub/get_* with effect allow. Allow the reads and keep purge_cache, update_settings, toggle_cache and the other write tools off both lists, because the Hub itself runs a write as soon as your connection allows it. Putting "*" in autoApprove skips the prompt for every Hub tool, writes included. In a workspace you have not trusted, Kiro asks before every MCP call even when autoApprove lists the tool.

## Prompts

- Use xSpeed Hub to read the PageSpeed history for shop and tell me whether the asset change from my last task shows up.
- With xSpeed Hub, run a mobile test on blog and compare it with the last stored mobile run.
- Ask xSpeed Hub for the benchmark history on shop and mark the points where I changed settings.

## Example session

```
You: Using xSpeed Hub, did the asset loading task help blog on mobile?
  → get_score_history(site: blog) [read-only]: latest mobile 61, 9 days ago; previous 59; LCP 3.6 s
Agent: Both stored runs are from before the task. A new mobile test of the live site would answer it. It takes up to two minutes and uses shared allowance. Run it?
You: Run it.
  → run_speed_test(site: blog, strategy: mobile) [uses quota]: mobile score 64, LCP 3.3 s, TBT 260 ms, saved to the Hub report history
Agent: Mobile is 64, up three from the stored 61, with LCP 0.3 s lower. A single run, so I would repeat it before calling it a win.
```

## How it works

1. **Read before you test**: get_score_history returns the stored PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix runs for a site: the score per run, with LCP, FCP, CLS, TBT, Speed Index and TTFB, mobile and desktop. It starts nothing. The Hub tells the agent to use it whenever you ask what your score is, or whether it improved, because a new test spends a shared allowance.
2. **Run a new test when you need one**: run_speed_test runs a real PageSpeed Insights audit on the site from the Hub and returns the score, the Core Web Vitals and the top opportunities. strategy is mobile (the default) or desktop, and one call tests one of them. It can take up to about 2 minutes, so the agent should say it is running before it calls.
3. **Test the other device**: Mobile and desktop scores differ, often by a lot. For both, the agent makes two calls, one per strategy. A failure is reported with its reason: PageSpeed not configured, quota reached, a timeout, or a site the audit cannot reach.
4. **Measure the cache on its own**: run_benchmark times the home page with the cache bypassed and again served from cache, and returns the response times. It is a read tool, and it accepts site: "all" for every site. It does not return a Lighthouse score, so the agent must not use it to answer a PageSpeed question.
5. **Compare over time**: get_benchmark_history returns past benchmark runs, uncached against cached, together with the settings changes on the same timeline, which is how you answer "did that change help?". For PageSpeed scores over time, use get_score_history.

## Reference

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Read stored scores | get_score_history (read): PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix runs, starts nothing |
| Metrics per run | Score, LCP, FCP, CLS, TBT, Speed Index, TTFB, for mobile and desktop |
| Run a new test | run_speed_test (write, uses the shared allowance): one PageSpeed Insights run per call |
| strategy | mobile (default) or desktop |
| Duration | Up to about 2 minutes per run |
| Why a test is a write | It spends a shared PageSpeed allowance and stores a report; it changes nothing on the site |
| Read-only access | A connection token with Read-only everywhere on, or a Viewer member's sign-in: run_speed_test is refused; get_score_history, run_benchmark and get_benchmark_history still work. An OAuth sign-in gets the scopes the client asks for |
| Benchmark | run_benchmark (read): cached against uncached response time for the home page, no Lighthouse score |
| Benchmark history | get_benchmark_history (read): past runs plus settings changes on the same timeline |
| Scheduling | The Hub does not schedule PageSpeed tests itself; its daily pass only reads reports the plugin already stored |
| Where a new test is stored | In the Hub's own report history, the one the Hub dashboard shows |

## Rules

- Check the history first. Ask for stored scores before starting a test, and run a new one only when you want a fresh measurement or something changed.
- Never answer a PageSpeed or Lighthouse question with run_benchmark. It times your own cache and carries no score.
- run_speed_test changes nothing on your site, but the Hub classes it a write because it spends a shared allowance. A connection token with Read-only everywhere on, or a Viewer sign-in, refuses it. An OAuth sign-in gets the scopes the client asks for, so there your client's approval prompt is the gate.
- Lab scores move a few points between runs of the same page. The agent should compare like with like, same site, same strategy, and not report one run's difference as a trend.
- A new test does not run on a timer. If you want a regular test, the agent has to be started by something else, such as a scheduled job in your client, and a scheduled run that spends the allowance should be one you are comfortable leaving unattended.

## Good to know with Kiro

The autoApprove list works per tool, which is the useful part. If you put an asterisk in it, or add run_speed_test by habit, Kiro stops prompting for it and every later test spends the shared speed-test allowance without you seeing it. Keep the get_ tools and run_benchmark on the list and leave run_speed_test off. In a workspace you have not trusted, Kiro asks before every MCP call even when autoApprove lists the tool.

## More prompts for this job

They work in any client connected to xSpeed Hub.

- Using xSpeed Hub, what is the mobile PageSpeed score for shop? Check the stored history before you run anything.
- Use xSpeed Hub to run a new mobile PageSpeed test on blog and tell me the score, LCP and the top opportunities.
- With xSpeed Hub, test shop on desktop and mobile and tell me which one is worse.
- Using xSpeed Hub, has the PageSpeed score on docs improved over the last few runs?
- Use xSpeed Hub to benchmark the cache on every site and tell me which one saves the least time.
- Did turning on minification on shop help? Use xSpeed Hub to compare the benchmark history around that change.
- My PageSpeed test failed on staging. Use xSpeed Hub to tell me why.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which xSpeed tools are safe to auto-approve in Kiro?

The read tools, such as get_score_history, get_benchmark_history and run_benchmark, only read or measure and change nothing on the site. Leave run_speed_test off the list, because it spends the shared speed-test allowance and runs at once if approved.

### Can Kiro tell me if a task improved my score?

It can compare a stored run from before the task with a fresh run_speed_test taken after you deploy. It tests the live site, so a task that is not yet deployed will not show a difference. One run is a rough reading, not a firm result.

### What is the difference between run_speed_test and run_benchmark?

run_speed_test runs a real PageSpeed Insights audit and returns a Lighthouse score with Core Web Vitals. run_benchmark measures how fast your own cache answers compared with an uncached request for the home page, and returns no Lighthouse score. Use the first for "what is my PageSpeed score" and the second for "is my caching working".

### How long does a PageSpeed test take?

A single run can take up to about 2 minutes, so the agent should tell you it has started before it calls. One call tests one device, mobile or desktop, so checking both takes two calls.

### Can I ask for the last score without running a new test?

Yes. get_score_history reads the stored PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix runs for the site and starts nothing. The Hub tells the agent to read it first whenever you ask what your score is, because a new test spends a shared allowance.

### Will the Hub run PageSpeed tests on a schedule?

No. The Hub does not schedule PageSpeed tests itself. Its daily pass re-verifies sites, snapshots cache status and pulls the PageSpeed and GTmetrix reports the plugin has already stored, and it can alert on a score regression. If you want regular new tests, they have to be started by a client that can run scheduled jobs.

### Why is a speed test treated as a write tool?

It does not change your site. The Hub classes run_speed_test as a write because it spends a shared PageSpeed allowance and stores a report, and a read-only connection (the connection token with Read-only everywhere on, or a Viewer sign-in) should not be able to cost the owner anything. Such a connection can still read stored scores with get_score_history.

## Track PageSpeed scores with other agents

[Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/pagespeed-tests/) · [Claude](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude/pagespeed-tests/) · [Claude Cowork](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-cowork/pagespeed-tests/) · [ChatGPT](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/chatgpt/pagespeed-tests/) · [Codex](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/codex/pagespeed-tests/) · [Cursor](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/cursor/pagespeed-tests/) · [GitHub Copilot in VS Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/github-copilot/pagespeed-tests/) · [Windsurf](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/windsurf/pagespeed-tests/) · [Gemini CLI](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/gemini-cli/pagespeed-tests/) · [Antigravity](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/antigravity/pagespeed-tests/) · [Zed](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/zed/pagespeed-tests/) · [OpenCode](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/opencode/pagespeed-tests/) · [OpenClaw](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/openclaw/pagespeed-tests/) · [Hermes Agent](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/hermes-agent/pagespeed-tests/) · [Grok Build](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/grok-build/pagespeed-tests/) · [ChatGPT dots](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/chatgpt-dots/pagespeed-tests/) · [Grok](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/grok/pagespeed-tests/) · [Grok Bot](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/grok-bot/pagespeed-tests/) · [Muse](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/muse/pagespeed-tests/) · [Manus](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/manus/pagespeed-tests/) · [Kimi Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kimi/pagespeed-tests/) · [Paperclip](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/paperclip/pagespeed-tests/) · [NanoClaw](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/nanoclaw/pagespeed-tests/)

## More with Kiro

- [Purge the WordPress cache with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/purge-cache/)
- [Find out why WordPress pages are not cached with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/troubleshoot-cache/)
- [Scan a website for speed problems with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/speed-scan/)
- [Raise a WordPress site's PageSpeed score with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/optimize-site/)
- [Tune WordPress cache settings with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/cache-settings/)
- [Warm the WordPress cache with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/preload-cache/)
- [Set up the Redis object cache with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/object-cache/)
- [Manage Cloudflare caching with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/cloudflare/)
- [Manage every WordPress site at once with Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/fleet/)

## Documentation

- How to run a speed test: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/external-score/
- PageSpeed Insights integration: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/pagespeed-insights-integration/
- Running speed tests in xSpeed Hub: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/hub-speed-tests-and-notifications/
- How to run a PageSpeed audit: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/pagespeed/