Configuration: Global Variables
Overview
Use this page to create and manage global variables shared across all agents during test execution. A global variable is a key-value pair, for example a session limit, counter, or endpoint value, that you define once and reference from multiple test definitions instead of hardcoding the same value in each one. This keeps related tests consistent: a single edit here propagates everywhere the variable is referenced, instead of updating each definition by hand.
Global variables sit upstream of the workloads and scenarios that drive your tests: you define a variable here, then reference its name inside a workload on Configuration: Workloads, and every agent that executes that test resolves the variable to its current value at run time. No setup elsewhere is required before you add one here.
On this page you can search the current list of variables by name, add a new variable, edit an existing variable's value, delete a single variable, or clear the entire list. Each row shows the variable's name and current value so you can confirm what agents will use before a run.
Key concepts
- Global Variable - A key-value pair that is available to every agent during test execution, used to share a configuration value, counter, or dynamic data across multiple workloads instead of duplicating it in each one. (related: Configuration: Workloads)
- Agent - The process that carries out test actions against your system under test and resolves any global variable it references to that variable's current value while a test runs.
- Workload - A configured unit of test activity that an agent executes during a run. A workload can reference a global variable by name instead of embedding a fixed value in its own definition. (related: Configuration: Workloads)
When to use it
- You need the same configuration value, such as a session limit or endpoint, available to more than one workload.
- A shared value changed and you want to update it in one place instead of editing every workload that uses it.
- You're preparing a new load profile or scenario and want to confirm which shared values are already defined before you build it.
- You want to remove a variable that no workload references anymore.
- You're auditing what data agents currently have access to during test execution.
Before you begin
- Decide the exact name and value you want to share before opening the Add Variable dialog; names must be unique across the list.
- Confirm your account has permission to edit platform configuration, managed on Operations: Permissions.
- If the variable is meant to be used by a specific workload, know that workload's name so you can reference the variable from Configuration: Workloads afterward.
Common workflows
Add a new global variable
Persona: Load-test operator
- Click Add Variable.
- Expect: The Add/Edit dialog opens with empty Variable Name and Value fields.
- Enter a unique name in Variable Name and the shared value in Value, then confirm the dialog.
- Expect: The dialog closes and the new variable appears as a row in the table; the Showing X of X variables count increases by one.
Verify: The variable's name and value appear in the table. Attempting to add another variable with the same name is blocked by the "A variable named '...' already exists" message.
Update the value of an existing variable
Persona: Load-test operator
- Click the Edit icon on the variable's row.
- Expect: The Add/Edit dialog opens pre-filled with that variable's current Variable Name and Value.
- Change the Value field and confirm the dialog.
- Expect: The dialog closes and the table shows the updated value for that variable in place, without changing the row's position.
Verify: The VALUE column for that row now shows the new value, and the next test run that references this variable's name uses it.
Remove a variable you no longer need
Persona: Load-test operator
- Click the Delete icon on the variable's row.
- Expect: The row is removed from the table immediately.
Verify: The Showing X of X variables count decreases by one, and any workload still referencing that name will no longer resolve it at test execution time.
Steps
Step 1
Open Global Variables from the Configuration section.
Expected result: The page loads showing the existing variable MAX_SESSIONS with value 150, alongside the Search Variable field, Clear All, and Add Variable controls.
This is the starting view for managing the variables shared across all agents during test execution.
- The info banner explains that variables defined here are accessible by all agents during test execution.
-
Showing 1 of 1 variables reflects the current number of defined variables, not a fixed limit.
Step 2
Click Refresh in the page header.
Expected result: The list reloads from the server and still shows MAX_SESSIONS with value 150; the credentials-expiring notification is no longer shown.
Refreshing confirms you're viewing the current set of variables before you add, edit, or delete any of them.
-
Refresh re-queries the variable list; it does not open the Add/Edit dialog or change any value.
Field reference
| Field | Purpose | Format / Validation | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search Variable | Filters the table to variable names containing the typed text, letting you locate one variable without scrolling the full list. | Free text | No | Empty |
| Variable Name | The key other configuration, such as a workload, will reference to pull this variable's value; by convention written in uppercase with underscores, though that is not enforced. Choose a name that will not collide with an existing one, since names must be unique. | Free text identifier | Yes | Empty |
| Value | The data substituted wherever the variable name is referenced during a test run, for example a numeric limit, a URL, or a counter seed. Change it here to update every place the variable is used without editing those definitions individually. | Free text | - | Empty |
Column reference
| Column | What it shows | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| VARIABLE NAME | - | This is the key you reference elsewhere in the platform; it is unique across the list. |
| VALUE | - | The current value agents will use for this variable the next time a test runs; it reflects the last saved edit. |
| ACTIONS | - | Holds the icon-only Edit and Delete controls for that row; there is no text label on either icon. |
Controls reference
Add Variable
Opens the Add/Edit dialog with empty Variable Name and Value fields.
When to use: Use it when you need a new key-value pair available to all agents that isn't already in the list.
Side effects: Read-only until you confirm the dialog; the variable is only created once you save it.
Edit
Opens the Add/Edit dialog pre-filled with the selected row's current Variable Name and Value.
When to use: Use it to change the value of an existing variable, for example after an endpoint or limit changes.
Side effects: Read-only until you confirm the dialog; saving overwrites the variable's value for every agent going forward.
Delete
Removes the single variable shown in that row from the list.
When to use: Use it when a variable is no longer referenced by any workload or scenario.
Side effects: Mutating and immediate; a workload still referencing that name will no longer resolve it at test execution time.
Clear All
Removes every variable currently defined in the list.
When to use: Use it when you're resetting the entire set of global variables rather than removing them one at a time.
Side effects: Mutating and immediate for the whole list; confirm nothing in it is still referenced before using it, since there is no undo shown on this page.
Refresh
Reloads the variable list from the server.
When to use: Use it to confirm you are viewing the latest variables, especially if another user may have changed them.
Side effects: Read-only; it does not change any variable's name or value.
Verify the result
After you add or edit a variable, the table immediately shows the change: the name appears under VARIABLE NAME and its value under VALUE, and the Showing X of X variables count reflects the new total. Editing a variable updates its value in place without moving the row. Deleting a variable removes its row and decreases the count by one. If a variable you just saved does not appear, check for a validation message such as "Variable name is required" or "A variable named '...' already exists" in the Add/Edit dialog, since either one blocks the save.
Troubleshooting
- Symptom: Saving a new variable fails with "A variable named '...' already exists." Fix: Variable names must be unique; use Search Variable to find the existing one and edit it instead of creating a duplicate.
- Symptom: The dialog won't save and shows "Variable name is required." Fix: Enter a value in Variable Name before confirming the dialog; filling in only Value is not enough.
- Symptom: A workload still behaves as if it has the old value after you changed it here. Fix: Confirm the workload references the exact variable name (matching case), and re-run the test; substitution happens when a new run starts, not retroactively on one already in progress.
- Symptom: Clear All removed variables you still needed. Fix: Recreate each one with Add Variable; there is no undo for Clear All on this page.
- Symptom: Search Variable shows no rows. Fix: Clear the search text; the filter matches on variable name only, so no results means no name contains the typed text, not that the list failed to load.
Related articles
- Next step: Configuration: Workloads - workloads reference a global variable by name so agents substitute its value during a run
- See also: Configuration: Credential Profiles - the credentials-expiring notification on this page links to credential profiles, a separate shared configuration
- See also: Configuration: Testing: Scenarios - scenarios built from workloads can depend on the same shared variables
- Prerequisite: Operations: Permissions - editing shared configuration pages like this one requires the appropriate account permission