---
title: "Troubleshoot Grafana Cloud k6 | Grafana Cloud documentation"
description: "Troubleshoot common issues when running k6 tests in Grafana Cloud k6."
---

# Troubleshoot Grafana Cloud k6

This topic describes common issues and how to resolve them when running performance tests in Grafana Cloud k6.

## `setup()` times out

If your test fails before virtual users (VUs) start and the run shows a timeout during the setup phase, the `setup()` function did not complete within the allowed time.

### What you might see

The test fails before any VUs start, and the logs contain errors similar to:

![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```none
level=error msg="Error during setup() execution/propagation" error="Error executing setup: setup() execution timed out after 60 seconds"
level=error msg="Failed to run setup()" error="Error executing setup: setup() execution timed out after 60 seconds"
```

The timeout duration in the message reflects the configured `setupTimeout` value (default `60s`).

### Common causes

- `setup()` performs slow or blocking operations (for example, many sequential HTTP calls, large data processing, or external service waits).
- `sleep()` or long delays are used in `setup()`, so it runs longer than the timeout.
- The script sets a high `setupTimeout` in options, but in Grafana Cloud k6, the maximum supported value is *10 minutes*; any higher value is limited to 10 minutes. This limit is enforced server-side, is independent of VU quotas or subscription limits, and applies to all Grafana Cloud k6 users. It can’t be changed per subscription or organization.

### How to fix it

1. **Shorten setup work:** Move non-essential work out of `setup()` (for example, do it in init or in the VU code if acceptable). Keep `setup()` limited to what must run once before the test, such as fetching shared test data or starting a test environment.
2. **Avoid or minimize `sleep()` in setup:** Use `sleep()` only when necessary in `setup()`; long sleeps can cause setup to exceed the timeout. Refer to [Test lifecycle](/docs/k6/latest/using-k6/test-lifecycle/) and [sleep()](/docs/k6/latest/javascript-api/k6/sleep/).
3. **Restructure long-running setup logic:** If `setup()` genuinely needs more than 10 minutes, move expensive work to an external process or a warm-up scenario. Pass the results to your test through a file or environment variable.
4. **Use a shorter timeout to fail fast:** If setup should complete quickly, set a lower `setupTimeout` (for example, `'30s'`) to surface problems sooner.
5. **Check project and platform limits:** The setup timeout is independent of VU or duration quotas. For other limits, refer to [Manage project limits and quotas](/docs/grafana-cloud/testing/k6/projects-and-users/limits-and-quotas/).

For more information, refer to the [`setupTimeout` option reference](/docs/k6/latest/using-k6/k6-options/reference/#setup-timeout) and the [test lifecycle](/docs/k6/latest/using-k6/test-lifecycle/#setup-and-teardown-stages) documentation.