A comprehensive guide to documenting bugs with clarity, context, and actionable information for faster resolution.
At Vanitech, well-documented bug tickets accelerate resolution, minimize back-and-forth, and help maintain project momentum. The quality and completeness of bug reports directly impacts development efficiency and product quality. Follow these guidelines to create clear, actionable bug tickets in Jira.
Be concise but descriptive - Create a clear, specific title that summarizes the issue.
Good: "Login fails with 500 error when using special characters in password"
Poor: "Login broken" or "Error when logging in"
Include: affected feature + specific behavior + conditions (when relevant)
Severity - Technical impact of the bug:
Priority - Business importance:
Numbered, specific steps that always produce the bug:
Include exact test data used - usernames, inputs, file sizes, etc.
Frequency: Always occurs (100%), Intermittent (specify %)
Actual Result: Describe exactly what happens when following the steps
Example: "System displays 'HTTP 500' error message and user remains on login page"
Expected Result: Describe what should happen
Example: "User should be authenticated and redirected to dashboard"
Reference requirements or acceptance criteria where possible
Always include visual evidence:
Use Jira Cloud capture or Chrome DevTools for quality recordings
Assignee:
Labels: Add relevant labels
frontend, backend, apiauthentication, checkoutregression, security, usability# Summary
[Concise description of the issue]
## Environment
- **Environment:** [DEV/QA/UAT/PROD]
- **URL:** [Specific page URL]
- **Browser/Device:** [Browser name and version / Device model]
- **OS:** [Operating system and version]
- **App Version:** [If applicable]
- **User Account:** [User role/permissions]
## Severity & Priority
- **Severity:** [Blocker/Critical/Major/Minor/Trivial]
- **Priority:** [Highest/High/Medium/Low]
## Steps to Reproduce
1. [First step]
2. [Second step]
3. [Third step]
...
- **Test Data Used:** [Specific inputs, usernames, files, etc.]
- **Reproduction Rate:** [100% / Intermittent (specify %)]
## Results
- **Actual Result:** [What actually happens]
- **Expected Result:** [What should happen]
## Evidence
- Screenshots: [Attach with annotations]
- Video: [Link or attach screen recording]
- Logs: [Console/Network/Error logs]
## Additional Information
- **Related Issues:** [PROJ-123, PROJ-456]
- **Workaround:** [If available]
- **Business Impact:** [Effect on users or business]
- **Affected Components:** [UI/Database/API/etc.]
## For Developers
- **Suspected Root Cause:** [If known]
- **Suggested Fix:** [If applicable]Report what you observe, not what you think the cause might be.
Good: "The total price shows $0.00 when adding Product X to cart"
Poor: "There's a calculation bug in the shopping cart code"
Try different input combinations to identify patterns.
Note which conditions trigger the bug and which don't.
Mention if the bug appears in other browsers/devices.
Try to find the simplest set of steps that reproduce the bug.
Report whether the issue occurs in all environments or only specific ones.
Don't combine multiple bugs in one ticket.
Create separate tickets for each distinct issue, then link related tickets.
Add comments if you discover additional contexts or reproduction steps.
When adding a comment with new information, @mention the assignee.
Focus on the issue, not who might have caused it.
Use neutral language that encourages problem-solving.
Solution: Always include specific environment details and test data. Use screenshots or recordings to objectively demonstrate the issue.
Pro tip: When possible, provide access to a test account where the issue can be replicated.
Solution: When verifying fixes, test with the exact same conditions specified in the bug report AND try variations to ensure the fix is robust.
Pro tip: Create regression test cases from bug reports to prevent recurrence.
Solution: Follow the template strictly. Never submit a bug report without clear reproduction steps and visual evidence.
Pro tip: For intermittent issues, note frequency and any patterns observed (time of day, user load, etc.).
Solution: Focus on business impact when determining severity. A small visual glitch on the homepage is often more important than a major issue in a rarely used admin page.
Pro tip: When in doubt, discuss with the product owner to assess true business impact.
Whether you need to establish bug reporting standards for your team, optimize your QA processes, or integrate automated testing with your Jira workflow, Vanitech can help you implement best practices that improve quality and reduce development friction.
Contact us or email us at [email protected] to learn how our QA expertise can elevate your development process.
