Bug Report Template
Fill in the form and copy a bug report for GitHub, Jira or email, or take the blank template below. It has every section developers ask for when a report is missing one.
Describe the bug
Every field is optional. Anything you leave blank keeps its hint in the report, so the gap is easy to spot.
Paste into GitHub, GitLab, Linear or any tracker that reads Markdown.
The blank bug report template
Copy it into your tracker's issue template, or keep it next to you while you test. Replace each bracketed hint with what you saw.
## [Short summary of the bug] [One or two sentences: what is broken and who it affects] **Severity:** [Critical / High / Medium / Low] **Frequency:** [Every time / Sometimes / Once] ### Steps to reproduce 1. [First step] 2. [Next step] 3. [The step where the bug appears] ### Expected result [What should happen] ### Actual result [What happens instead] ### Environment - **URL:** [Page where it happens] - **Browser / OS / device:** [e.g. Chrome 130 on Windows 11] - **App version / build:** [Release, build number or commit] ### Attachments [Screenshots, a screen recording, console errors or network logs]
What each section is for
- Title
- What is wrong and where, in one line. "Discount code accepted after it expires" beats "Checkout bug": the developer knows the area before opening the report.
- Summary
- One or two sentences on the impact: who is affected and what it costs them. This is what decides how fast the report gets picked up.
- Severity and frequency
- How bad it is when it happens, and how often it happens. A crash that happens once in a hundred tries needs different handling from one that happens every time.
- Steps to reproduce
- Numbered steps from a known starting point (signed in or not, which account, which page) to the moment the bug appears. Include the exact values you typed.
- Expected and actual result
- What should have happened, and what happened instead. Quote error messages word for word rather than paraphrasing them.
- Environment
- The URL, browser, operating system or device, and the app version or build. Many bugs only appear in one browser or one release.
- Attachments
- A screenshot or, better, a short screen recording, plus console errors or failed network requests if you can get them.
Bug report example
The same template, filled in for a checkout bug.
## Discount code is accepted after it expires Expired codes still reduce the order total, so customers get discounts that ended. **Severity:** High **Frequency:** Every time ### Steps to reproduce 1. Sign in as any customer 2. Add any product to the cart 3. Open the cart and enter the code SUMMER24 (expired 31 August) 4. Click Apply ### Expected result The code is rejected with "This code has expired" and the total is unchanged. ### Actual result The code is accepted and 20% is taken off the total. ### Environment - **URL:** https://shop.example.com/cart - **Browser / OS / device:** Chrome 130 on Windows 11, Safari 18 on iOS 18 - **App version / build:** web 2.4.1 ### Attachments Screen recording: expired-code.mp4
Tips for a report developers can act on
- Reproduce the bug at least twice before filing it, and note whether it happens every time.
- File one bug per report, even when you find several on the same page.
- Start the steps from a state anyone can reach, not from "after playing around for a while".
- Say what you already tried, such as another browser or a fresh account.
- Describe the behaviour, not the person who built it.
Common questions
What should a bug report include?
A clear title, a short summary of the impact, severity, how often it happens, numbered steps to reproduce, the expected and actual result, the environment (URL, browser, device, version) and attachments such as a screenshot or recording. The template above has a section for each.
What is the difference between severity and priority?
Severity is how much damage the bug does when it happens, and the reporter can usually judge it. Priority is how soon the team will fix it, which depends on severity plus things like how many users are affected and what else is planned. That's why this template asks for severity and leaves priority to the team.
How do I write good steps to reproduce?
Start from a state anyone can reach, write one action per step, include the exact data you entered, and stop at the step where the bug appears. If someone else can follow the steps and see the bug on the first try, they're good.
Can I use this template in Jira or GitHub?
Yes. Choose Markdown for GitHub, GitLab, Linear and other Markdown trackers, Jira for Jira's wiki markup, or plain text for email and chat, then copy the result.
Is what I type sent anywhere?
No. The builder runs in your browser and makes no requests while you type, and the form is hidden from our session recordings.
Get bug reports written for you
TestOptim AI explores your web app, finds bugs, and files each one with a severity, steps to reproduce, the expected and actual result, the page URL and a screenshot.