By default, LoadForge verifies SSL certificates for all requests to ensure secure communication. However, in some scenarios, disabling SSL verification is useful, particularly in non-production environments.

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When to Disable SSL Verification

Disabling SSL verification can be helpful in the following cases:
  • Staging Environments: When testing against a pre-production system with a self-signed or unverified certificate.
  • Development Environments: Local or internal services that lack a valid SSL certificate.
  • Custom Testing Needs: If your focus is on performance and load testing, rather than SSL validation.
Tip: If SSL verification is causing test failures, but your production site has a valid certificate, consider keeping verification enabled in production while disabling it for development/staging tests.

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How to Disable SSL Verification

You can disable SSL verification per request or globally for all requests.

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1. Disable SSL Verification for a Specific Request

To disable SSL verification for an individual request, pass verify=False in the request: 
from locust import HttpUser, task

class QuickstartUser(HttpUser):
    @task
    def insecure_request(self):
        self.client.get("https://your-staging-site.com", verify=False)

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2. Disable SSL Verification Globally

To disable SSL verification for all requests in a test, set self.client.verify = False in the on_start method: 
class QuickstartUser(HttpUser):
    def on_start(self):
        self.client.verify = False
This approach ensures that every request made during the test ignores SSL verification.

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Implications of Disabling SSL Verification

Disabling SSL verification does not disable encryption—your data is still transmitted over an SSL connection. However:
  • Man-in-the-middle attacks become easier, as SSL validation ensures the authenticity of the server.
  • Some security-focused applications may reject requests with disabled SSL verification.
Warning: Do not disable SSL verification in production unless absolutely necessary.

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Debugging SSL Issues

If you experience SSL-related failures in LoadForge, consider:
  • Checking the certificate chain: Run curl -v https://your-site.com to see certificate details.
  • Ensuring your certificate is valid: Use a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).
  • Verifying SSL settings in your application: Some APIs require specific TLS versions or cipher suites.
By using verify=False selectively, you can bypass SSL issues in test environments while keeping security best practices in production.