In this post, we offer 14 free bug report templates that you can easily copy and implement with your team.
QA testing is tough.
That’s why choosing the right bug reporting process is crucial.
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:
- Bug report template in GitHub
- Bug report template in Jira
- Bug report template in Trello
- Bug report template in GitLab
- Bug report template in Asana
- Bug report template in Teamwork
- Bug report template in Shortcut
- Bug report template in Monday
- Bug report template in ClickUp
- Bug report template in Wrike
- Bug report template in Excel
- Bug report template in Word
- Bug report template in PDF
- Bug report template in email
What should I include in a bug report?
There are many different things to include in your bug report, but we compiled a list of the essentials.
- ID/name: Keep it brief and use clear terms. Include the name of the feature or element where you found the issue. A good example would 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. Make it easy to understand. Remember to use specific keywords in your description, as those might be searched for in your bug tracking application.
- 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: Those contain all JavaScript errors and warnings, making it much easier for developers to reproduce and resolve any bug. On most browsers, you can access your console logs by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows or Cmd+Opt+I on a Mac.
- Source URL: Make it easy for your developers to spot the problem by including the URL of the page where you found the bug.
- Visual proof: A visual element, like an annotated screenshot or a video recording, will help your developers understand the problem better and faster.
- Steps to reproduce: With just a screenshot, your developer might not be able to reproduce the bug. Make sure to describe, in as much detail as possible, the steps you took before you encountered the bug.
- Expected result vs. actual result: Explain what results you expected. Be specific. Just saying "the app doesn’t work as expected" is not useful. Try and guide the developer by describing 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 the best way for your organization to reduce time to resolution and help your developers stay focused.
Bug report templates
Check out our list of bug report templates for major issue tracking tools like Jira, GitHub, Trello, ClickUp, Asana, and more.
Choose a bug report form that works for your QA team—and implement it within your tracking system.
A lot of developers use GitHub to build software in teams. After all, the original goal of GitHub was to help developers collaborate on code.
As the service grew, they added more features and became a project management tool for building software. GitHub has a built-in issue tracker, 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 all this information 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 included in your GitHub issue.
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. That's 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 all this information 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 included in your Jira issue.
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 easy-to-use project management tool. Its simplicity is what makes it perfect for both small and medium-sized 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, add 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 all this information 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 included in your Trello card.
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 Trello, consider signing up for a free Marker.io trial.
Since the acquisition of GitHub by Microsoft, many teams are 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:
Developers would love all bug reports in GitLab to be as detailed as the screenshot above.
But for the reporter... it's just too much info to collect, and too many pieces of software.
The advanced GitLab interface will overwhelm non-technical colleagues, clients, or users.
Thankfully, you can speed up that process dramatically by using Marker.io for GitLab—allowing you to report visual and highly actionable bug reports into GitLab without ever leaving your website.
Simply:
- Snap a screenshot with Marker.io
- Add annotations to get your point across
- ...and click send—all information is converted into a GitLab issue.
All the important technical information (e.g. browser version, operating system, screen size, zoom level) and console logs are automatically included in your GitLab issue.
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.
While 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 non-technical 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 all this information 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 included in your Asana task.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific structure, 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 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 non-technical colleagues. It will take them a long time.
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 all this information 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 included in your Teamwork task.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific structure, 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.
Shortcut is a collaborative project management software that 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 non-technical 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 all this information 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 included in your Shortcut task.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific structure, 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 one mission: bring teams together.
The shared platform breaks communication barriers, moves 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 non-technical 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 all this information 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 included in your Monday.com task.
Finally, if you want your reporters to follow a specific structure, 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 non-technical colleagues.
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 all this information 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 included in your ClickUp task.
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.
Wrike is enterprise-ready and drives standardization, as well as ensuring 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 all this information 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 included in your Wrike task.
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.
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 converts 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 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 converts 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 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bug report?
A bug report is an essential part of the software development process.
They are typically written by testers, or your end users, and help identify and resolve issues efficiently.
Bug reports are crucial, because simply stating that something doesn't work is not enough for developers to debug effectively.
Strong and detailed bug reports are the most effective way to ensure the development team can address and eliminate bugs fast.
How do you write a good bug report?
In order to write a good bug report, always include a title, issue summary, visual proof, expected vs. actual results, steps to reproduce the bug, environment details, source URL, severity, and priority.
Also keep those best practices in mind:
- One bug per report. Avoid combining multiple bugs into a single report to maintain clarity.
- Check for duplicates. Don't log a bug that already exists, or it'll drive your software development team crazy.
- Reproduce the bug. Try to replicate the issue and provide detailed steps for your developers.
- Keep it simple. Make your bug report concise and straightforward. Use custom fields for more advanced details.
Wrapping up...
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.
