PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

Writing Effective Bug Tickets

Laura Lebbon, Product Owner at Acro Commerce, gives us her tips for ensuring that you get the fix you need when creating a bug ticket in your development project.

Having clear, understandable bug tickets is critical in a website development project. This is not only to ensure that the problem gets fixed but also to make sure that all team members, from developers to clients, know what the problem is, how it will be handled, and when the expected fix will occur.

Bug (noun)
> Any of an order of insects that have sucking mouthparts, forewings thickened at the base, and incomplete metamorphosis and are often economic pests.

Yes! Bugs are pesky, but they are a normal part of the development process. They can arise for many different reasons, but once identified, the process of reporting bugs can impact how efficiently and effectively issues are resolved.

Tips for Writing an Effective Bug Ticket 

Clear, detailed and complete bug tickets are critical to expediting fixes in a web development project. Here is how to get the most out of your ticket writing.

Clear Title

This should be concise yet descriptive, summarizing the issue in a few words. Avoid generic titles like "Problem with login" or "Bug on homepage" and instead use specifics like "Login Button Not Functional on Mobile Devices."

Write a Detailed Description

Provide a detailed description of the bug, including

• Summary — A quick summary of the bug
• Steps to reproduce — A bulleted list, starting from the initial state to the point where the problem occurred. Be as specific as possible, mentioning the exact actions and conditions required to trigger the bug. This step-by-step breakdown helps developers recreate the bug easily
• Environment Information — Specify the environment where the bug was encountered. Include details such as the device (desktop, mobile, tablet), operating system and browser.
  A common mistake is reporting a bug on production when it is actually on the staging (or testing) environment. Understanding where the bug is helps the development team to determine the urgency of the issue. 
• Visuals — Screenshots or screencasts: the most effective way to communicate with your development team is to let them see what you see, too! Remember to include relevant annotations.
  Hot tip: always make sure your whole screen is in the shot so the URL can be seen
• Acceptance Criteria — Yes, sometimes it is obvious, but it’s always helpful to know what you think the expected functionality should be
• And if you’re still not sure you nailed it — Get someone else to read it. If another person can follow your ticket and recreate the bug quickly, you have a well-written ticket

Stay on Topic

• Be clear and concise with your communication, and try not to stray from the scope of the ticket with unnecessary information that might distract from the core issue. 
• New tickets should be created for any related bugs unless they specifically impact the resolution. It’s better to have a few small, focused bug tickets than one “catch ‘em all”

Stay Engaged 

Engaging in open, prompt communication will facilitate a smooth resolution process.

• Provide updates — If there are any developments or new observations related to the bug, update the ticket promptly. 
• Provide clarification if needed — Developers may seek additional information or require clarification to address the bug effectively. 
• Verify — Once the bug is resolved, test to ensure it has been successfully addressed and provide verification in the ticket

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