QA testing is tough.
That’s why choosing the right bug reporting process is crucial.
In this post, we offer free bug reporting templates that you can easily copy and implement with your team.
Whether your organization reports issues in a bug tracking app like Jira, GitHub, Trello, GitLab, or Asana, keeps a backlog in an Excel spreadsheet, in a Word document, or via email—we’ve got you covered.
Find what works for you in this list:
- 1) Bug report template in GitHub
- 2) Bug report template in Jira
- 3) Bug report template in Trello
- 4) Bug report template in GitLab
- 5) Bug report template in Asana
- 6) Bug report template in Teamwork
- 7) Bug report template in Shortcut
- 8) Bug report template in Monday
- 9) Bug report template in ClickUp
- 10) Bug report template in Wrike
- 11) Bug report template in Excel
- 12) Bug report template in Word
- 13) Bug report template in PDF
- 14) Bug report template in email
Of course, not all companies test the same way.
Usually, the bigger your organization, the more detailed your reports need to be.
There are many different things to include in your bug report, but we compiled a list of the essentials. Basics, even.
The indispensable elements are:
- ID/name: Keep it brief and use correct terms. A best practice is to include the name of the feature where you found an issue. A good example could be 'CART - Unable to add new item to my cart'.
- Description/summary: If you feel the name is not sufficient, explain the bug in a few words. Share it in easy-to-understand language. Keep in mind that your description might be used to search in your bug tracking application, so make sure to use the right words.
- Environment: Depending on your browser, operating system, zoom level and screen size, websites may behave differently from one environment to another. Make sure your developers know your technical environment.
- Console logs: By collecting the console logs your developers will find it a lot easier to reproduce and resolve any bug.
- Source URL: Make it easy for your developers spot the problem by including the URL of the page where you found the bug. Big time saver!
- Visual proof: A picture is worth a thousand words. Although it might not be enough, a visual element like a screenshot or a video will help your developers understand the problem better and faster.
- Steps to reproduce: A screenshot is a proof that you had a problem, but keep in mind that your developer might not be able to reproduce the bug. Make sure to describe, with as much detail as possible, the steps you took before you encountered the bug.
- Expected vs. actual results: Explain what results you expected - be as specific as possible. Just saying "the app doesn’t work as expected" is not useful. It's also helpful to describe what you actually experienced.
Optional: You can also include extra information such as the severity (critical, major, minor, trivial, enhancement), priority (high, medium, low), name of the reporter, person assigned or a due date.
Bugs can be reported in a number of ways. However, using a bug tracker is probably the best way for your organization to move bugs from reported to fixed and help your developers stay focused.
A lot of developers use GitHub to build software in teams. This makes sense since the original goal of GitHub was to help developers collaborate on code.
As the services grew, they added more features and became a project management tool for building software. GitHub has an issue tracker built-in, which makes it easy for developers to keep track of bugs.
A well-documented GitHub issue should look like this:
As you can imagine, filling out a complete bug report like this one can take a while.
If you need to report dozens of bugs during a testing session, it could take you several hours, even.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for GitHub.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new GitHub issue.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your GitHub issue—without you having to do any extra work.
You can even use the built-in bug report template before creating your issue and fill out the steps to reproduce the bug, as well as the expected and actual results.
If your team is on GitHub, consider signing up for a free Marker.io trial.
Jira is a famous issue and project tracking software designed for development teams.
It is often a bit complex for small teams, but it's also very powerful. Exactly why some of the most well-known tech companies in the world use it!
Bugs can be reported by anyone in the organization in Jira. This means it is important to define a process and a template that everyone can easily use.
A well-documented bug in Jira looks something like this:
You can see that all elements of a well-reported bug are present, including:
- Name/ID
- Summary
- Visual proof
- Environment
- Source URL
- Console logs
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected vs. actual results
As you can imagine, filling out a bug report like this one can take a while.
If you need to report dozens of bugs during a testing session, it could take you a fairly long time.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for Jira.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new Jira issue.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your Jira issue—without you having to do any extra work.
You can even use the built-in bug report template before creating your issue and fill out the steps to reproduce the bug, as well as the expected and actual results.
If your team is already using Jira, consider signing up for a free Marker.io trial.
Trello is a free and super easy-to-use project management tool. Its ease of use is what makes it perfect for both small and medium-size organizations.
For your bug tracking purposes, simply set up a board called "bug tracking".
I recommend creating the following lists:
- Reported
- Accepted
- In progress
- To be validated
- Done
You can even use labels to define the importance of your bugs (critical, major, minor, trivial, enhancement).
Next, start adding a Trello card for each bug.
A well-documented bug report in Trello should look like this:
All the elements of a well-reported issue are present, including:
- Name/ID
- Summary
- Visual proof
- Environment
- Source URL
- Console logs
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected vs. actual results
As you can imagine, filling out a bug report like this one can take a while.
If you need to report dozens of bugs during a testing session, it could take you hours, even.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for Trello.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new Trello card.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your Trello card—without you having to do any extra work.
You can even use the built-in bug report template before creating your card and fill out the steps to reproduce the bug, as well as the expected and actual results.
If your team is already using Trello, consider signing up for a free Marker.io trial.
Since the acquisition of GitHub by Microsoft, a great number of teams is switching to GitLab to manage the whole DevOps lifecycle in one place.
Conveniently, GitLab projects come with an issue tracker, making bug reporting and issue tracking a breeze.
Ideally, when a developer receives a new bug report, they would like the new GitLab issues to look like this:
While developers would love all bug reports in GitLab to be as detailed as the screenshot above, this can drive reporters crazy!
It's just too much info to collect and too many pieces of software.
For reporters like clients, users, and nontechnical colleagues, the GitLab interface can definitely be overwhelming.
Thankfully, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for GitLab.
Report visual and highly actionable bug reports into GitLab, without ever leaving your website.
Simply snap a screenshot, add annotations and click send! Marker.io will automatically capture all console logs and technical data from the reporter's environment (such as browser, operation system, screen size, etc...).
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific bug report template to help structure the issue description, simply switch on the built-in, customizable template.
If your team is running on GitLab, sign up for your free trial of Marker.io for GitLab.
Asana really has become the professional alternative to simpler project management tools these last few years.
Although Asana is great for keeping track of tasks, an increasing amount of teams are also using it as a bug tracker!
Ideally, when a developer receives a new bug report in Asana, they would like new Asana tasks to have a structure like this:
As you can see, all the elements for a great bug report are in there. However, creating such a detailed bug report in Asana can be overwhelming for clients, users, and nontechnical colleagues.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for Asana.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new Asana task.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your Asana task—without you having to do any extra work.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific bug report template to help structure the bug report into the Asana description, simply switch on the template to have the steps to reproduce the bug, as well as the expected and actual results.
If your team is running on Asana, start your free trial of Marker.io for Asana.
Teamwork is a simple to use, yet powerful project management tool. In fact, they are great to use for bug tracking too!
I can guarantee you that just about all developers want to receive bug reports that look like this in Teamwork:
As you can see, all the elements for a great bug report are in there.
However, creating such a detailed bug report in Teamwork can be overwhelming for clients, users, and nontechnical colleagues. It will take them a long time to create these reports.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for Teamwork.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new Teamwork task.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your Teamwork task—without you having to do any extra work.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific bug report template to help structure the bug report into the Teamwork description, simply switch on the template to have the steps to reproduce the bug, as well as the expected and actual results.
If your team is running on Teamwork, start your free trial of Marker.io for Teamwork.
The collaborative project management software Shortcut streamlines and refines your existing workflow. It is extensive, fast, and powerful, which makes it suitable for bug reporting.
Ideally, when a developer receives a new bug report in Shortcut, they would like new Shortcut tasks to have a structure like this:
As you can see, all the elements for a great bug report are in there.
However, creating such a detailed bug report in Shortcut can be overwhelming for clients, users, and nontechnical colleagues.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for Shortcut.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new Shortcut task.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your Shortcut task—without you having to do any extra work.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific bug report template to help structure the bug report into the Shortcut description, simply switch on the template to have the steps to reproduce the bug, as well as the expected and actual results.
If your team is running on Shortcut, start your free trial of Marker.io for Shortcut.
Monday.com has a mission to bring teams together.
The shared platform breaks communication barriers, move projects forward, and aligns everyone involved.
Thanks to their collaborative and visual workspaces, it is easier than ever to work on bugs together.
Ideally, when a developer receives a new bug report in Monday.com, they would like new Monday.com tasks to have a structure like this:
As you can see, everything your developers could ever need is in there.
However, creating such a detailed bug report in Monday.com can be overwhelming for clients, users, and nontechnical colleagues.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for Monday.com!
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new Monday.com task.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your Monday.com task—without you having to do any extra work.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific bug report template to help structure the bug report into the Monday.com description, simply switch on the template to have the steps to reproduce the bug, as well as the expected and actual results.
If your team is running on Monday.com, start your free trial of Marker.io for Monday.com.
ClickUp is the new kid on the block, and they are making waves!
Their growth can be attributed to their functionalities, ease of use, and extensive internal tools. Yet, bug tracking is not quite up there. This is why a good bug template is still essential.
Ideally, when a developer receives a new bug report in ClickUp, they would like new ClickUp tasks to have a structure like this:
As you can see, all the elements for a great bug report are in there. However, creating such a detailed bug report in ClickUp can be overwhelming for clients, users, and nontechnical colleagues.
But we got you. You can make the process dramatically easier by using Marker.io for ClickUp.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new ClickUp task.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your ClickUp task—without you having to do any extra work.
If your team is running on ClickUp, start your free trial of Marker.io for ClickUp.
Wrike’s mission is to help customers do the best work of their life by transforming the way they plan, manage, and complete work.
As the only enterprise-ready, cloud-based collaborative work management platform that is fully configurable for any department, team, or workflow, Wrike drives standardization and ensures cross-functional collaboration in a secure environment.
Ideally, when a developer receives a new bug report in Wrike, they would like new Wrike tasks to have a structure like this:
As you can see, all the elements for a great bug report are in there. However, creating such a detailed bug report in Wrike can be overwhelming for clients, users, and nontechnical colleagues.
Fortunately, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for Wrike.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool converts it into a new Wrike task.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your Wrike task—without you having to do any extra work.
If your team is running on Wrike, start your free trial of Marker.io for Wrike.
Reporting bugs in a spreadsheet can be a cumbersome process.
However, smaller teams can still benefit from this method. If your team decided to report and track bugs in Excel, it’s important to define a template that everyone in the organization agrees to.
In this template, you'll find all the elements you need to report bugs in a structured way:
Download the templates here:
While these templates might do their job well, using Excel for bug reporting remains a MASSIVE time sink.
Open screenshot tool, capture bug, paste screenshot in Excel, fill environment information, copy-paste URL...
... and when you’re finally done, you have to email the report to your devs—that’s a lot of back-and-forth.
Thankfully, it’s 2022, and you can speed up this process dramatically by using Marker.io.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool will send an e-mail to your developer (or create a new task in your project management tool of choice).
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your report—without you having to do any extra work.
Boom: now, you can stay on your website for the entire duration of your bug reporting session.
Imagine how much faster you could report bugs.
Start automatically sending complete bug reports to your developers—try Marker.io for free today.
Although not optimal, reporting bugs in a .doc file can be a fast and structured way to report bugs to technical members of your team.
As always, make sure that all necessary information is there. You don’t want your developers to have to come back to you and ask for more information.
Here is what your bug report template should look like:
Click here to view it in Google docs or here to download the .doc file for MS Word.
While these templates might do their job well, using Word for bug reporting remains a MASSIVE time sink.
Open screenshot tool, capture bug, paste screenshot in Word, fill environment information, copy-paste URL...
... and when you’re finally done, you have to email the report to your devs—that’s a lot of back-and-forth.
We’ve got your back. You can speed up this process dramatically by using Marker.io.
Whenever you spot a problem on your website, take a screenshot with Marker.io, add annotations to get your point across, and in just one click, the tool will send an e-mail to your developer (or create a new task in your project management tool of choice).
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically embedded into your screenshot and included in your report—without you having to do any extra work.
Boom: now, you can stay on your website for the entire duration of your bug reporting session.
It’s time to get rid of the slow and tedious Microsoft Word, and just report feedback!
Start automatically sending complete bug reports to your developers—try Marker.io for free today.
Reporting bugs in a PDF file is similar to the previous MS Word document option.
PDFs are not very flexible, however, it might be a requirement to use them inside your organization. If that’s your case, feel free to copy our template.
I’ve prepared the document from above in a PDF file for you to download here.
Most communication is still done through email.
For example, if you’re a web agency client but the team didn't give you a structured process to report bugs, you can always send them via email.
To ensure your emails always follow the same structure, we recommend saving the email template below for your bug reporting.
Copy paste the content in this text file or download the .txt file.
Web and software testing is tough. A lot of people from different backgrounds and expertise need to give their feedback.
Miscommunication can lead to huge delays and growing frustration.
By establishing a process for reporting bugs based on a fixed template, you can greatly reduce these problems.
