What Makes a Good Bug Report for a QA Analyst

For every device you own that has kept working years past the end of the warranty, and every app that never shuts down at random, you can thank a Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst. Their job is a never-ending fight to not be noticed by the end-user. 

In software, QA does this by identifying bugs. This is similar to testing for manufacturer defects when you produce physical goods. The QA analyst identifies when an application does not perform as expected, then reports that bug to the development team. A QA hangs their hat at the end of the day knowing they have successfully prevented a bug, or quickly fixed one before it affects more end-users. 

Successful and quick bug fixes depend on the quality of the bug report that is submitted. That’s why it is important that everyone on the team knows what makes a good bug report, and helps enforce the quality standard for bug reports coming from QA.

While you might not expect it, what makes a good bug report lies in the art of communication. The bug ticket is a message from a sender to a receiver – the QA to the development team member. 

Miscommunications can start wars, end careers, and in our industry, waste valuable time and money. Messages are easily misunderstood, especially in the technical landscape of software development. QA has a very difficult job of ensuring the issue they are describing will be easily understood by the development team. Being unclear in a bug ticket could result in a costly project delay or bugs remaining unresolved.

When should bug reporting happen and who’s involved?

Bugs may be found at any stage during the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). They should be reported immediately because the earlier they are found the cheaper it is to fix them. The time it takes to fix an issue usually increases exponentially as the software moves forward in the SDLC. 

QA & Development Team

Once a bug is reported, the QA informs the development team that the bug ticket has been submitted.  Ideally, an automated Jira command would message the team members instantly when a new ticket is created. 

Project Manager & Client

If the bug is highly complex, a Project Manager will get involved to ensure proper steps and assignments are being taken. Additionally, the client is usually involved with any bugs that are found after the software is released.

How can this happen? Usually, the report has incomplete information, insufficient details, poor wording, or even the wrong version number listed. 

The result is confusion, delays, and redundancy. The bug ticket still must be dealt with though so it gets pushed back to the QA. This process will continue until the ticket is clear enough to the developer. Errors and redundancy are kryptonite in the eyes of the QA and developer.

Bad bug tickets delay project releases, especially if you are running on a tight deadline. This impacts the entire team and the client – no one likes unnecessary delays.

It doesn’t have to be a scary process. When handled with care and tact, bug reporting can be one of the greatest assets to a project team. Clear information, accurate details, concise and complete communication – that’s what makes a good bug report. 

A well-written bug ticket brings the developer up to speed as quickly as possible, which means they can quickly fix the issue. The pursuit of excellence in bug reporting will not only save time and money but also create a good relationship between QA and the developers. Through proper documentation, the fixes can be implemented and re-tested in time to meet release deadlines and keep the client happy. 

When writing bug tickets, remember that the sole audience is the developer who will be implementing the fix. Reports must be concise and exceptionally clear about what is going wrong, and what the expected end result is. All important details should be put on the table to ensure the developer can diagnose and fix, allowing the QA to re-test and close the ticket in the right time frame.  

In practice, the bug ticket looks like a recipe. Miss one ingredient and the dish won’t turn out as expected.

So here is our recipe for the perfect Bug Ticket:

Throughout the SDLC, QAs have a big impact on the excellence and quality of software that gets produced. Not everyone knows what makes a good bug report and how to write an effective one – but now you do! 

You should always review your bug report before hitting send. Read all the sentences and steps that are used in the bug report. See if there is any ambiguity in the language you used that could be misunderstood. The problem should be reported immediately and reproduced at least three times before a ticket is created.

Bug reports can often be the single line of communication between the QA and developer for a particular issue. When QA is accountable for knowing what makes a good bug report, it not only saves the resources of the company but also creates greater team productivity and the ability to deliver higher quality products to the end client.

Measuring success in your bug reporting

Knowing what makes a good bug report is a science, writing one is an art.  Following a template structure such as our above recipe for the perfect bug ticket will ensure your reports hit the mark every time. You’ll see results that you can measure in several ways.

Faster Bug Fixes – Your team will notice effective bug reporting as issues get fixed, re-tested, and closed in less time and with increased velocity. 

Fewer Bugs Overall – This will also reduce the number of bugs found in future releases as a consequence of the team working on a more stable codebase. 

Less Development Time Overall – It will also minimize the time spent on refactoring and architecture improvements. Additionally, the risk of a particular bug resurfacing will be dramatically reduced.  

The end result will be continuous, successful releases and the creation of a remarkable experience for every single end-user.  This is the ultimate measure of success.