How to write a bug report


Useful issue reports are ones that get issues fixed. A useful issue report normally has two qualities:


  • Reproducible. If an engineer can't see it or conclusively prove that it exists, the engineer will probably stamp it "Won’t Fix" or "INVALID", and move on to the next issue. Every detail you can provide helps.
  • Specific. The quicker the engineer can isolate the issue to a specific problem, the more likely it'll be expediently fixed. 


Example:

Let's say you are testing problem reported the website. When an image is uploaded to the admin there is an error.


Write a clear summary

A good summery should be less than 100 characters and allows the PM to see at a glance what the issue pertains to and what dept would need to address it.


BAD: 

Website error


GOOD: 

Error when uploading image to admin

Write a precise description with effected URL, browser environment and steps to reproduce.


A good description will allow the developer to quickly isolate and deploy a fix to the problem without any additional time spent attempting to narrow down what the issue is. Always include environmental information when reporting an issue. Environmental info is the page URL, the OS and the Browser version. Indicate whether you can reproduce the issue at will, occasionally, or not at all. Describe the steps you took in order that triggered the error.

 

BAD:

I can't upload any pictures to the admin, I keep getting an error message. Please fix this

GOOD: 

When I attempt to upload an image to the admin, I am getting an error
Here is the URL I am uploading the image at: http://demo.preview-wsd.com/foo/create
Attached is screenshot of the error I am receiving.
I am on a Mac OS Maverick and using Safari 5.0.
I have confirmed this issue is only isolated to the above URL and does not affect any other pages in the admin.

You can recreate this issue by visiting the above URL and attempting upload an image to the image upload field on the Uploads tab.