Django Test Profiling

Use this skill before changing a Django test suite for speed. Measurement decides which optimization is worth doing; otherwise it is easy to spend time on harmless settings while the real cost sits in startup, database setup, fixture construction, or a small set of slow tests.

Measurement Workflow

1. Capture a full wall-clock baseline.

   • Prefer shell timing because it includes Python startup, Django import time, test discovery, database setup, and teardown.
   • Record the exact command, environment, and repeat count.

2. Separate framework phases when possible.

   • For Django's runner, use --timing to see database setup and teardown.
   • For pytest, compare shell timing with pytest --durations.

3. Find the slowest tests.

   • For pytest-django, start with pytest --durations 20.
   • For Django's runner, use an existing slow-test plugin or a small custom runner only when the project does not already have one.