k6 "thresholds have been crossed" (exit code 99) in CI

k6 exits with code 99 when one or more thresholds you defined were crossed during the run. This is a pass/fail gate working as designed: the load test ran, but a metric (p95 latency, error rate) missed its target.

What this error means

k6 prints a summary with a red cross next to a threshold line and the step fails with "some thresholds have been crossed" and exit code 99, distinct from an execution error.

     ✗ http_req_duration..............: avg=812ms p(95)=1.94s
       { expected: p(95)<500 }
ERRO[0031] some thresholds have been crossed
exit status 99

Common causes

A real metric missed its target

The service under test was slower or errored more than your thresholds allow, so k6 fails the run to block a regression from merging.

The threshold is stricter than the environment can meet

A CI runner or ephemeral target is slower than production, so a p(95)<500 gate calibrated for prod fails on undersized infrastructure.

How to fix it

Read which threshold failed and fix the regression

1. Find the threshold line marked with a cross in the summary.
2. Confirm whether the app regressed or the target was starved of resources.
3. Fix the code path, or right-size the target service before re-running.

export const options = {
  thresholds: {
    http_req_duration: ['p(95)<500'],
    http_req_failed: ['rate<0.01'],
  },
};

Calibrate thresholds to the CI target

Keep the gate honest by setting thresholds against the environment CI actually tests, not against production hardware.

thresholds: {
  http_req_duration: ['p(95)<1500'], // CI target is smaller than prod
},

How to prevent it

• Define thresholds so exit code 99 is the intended release gate.
• Match threshold targets to the size of the CI environment under test.
• Track the summary over time so a real regression is obvious.

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