What are the best practices for communicating bugs and issues to developers?

As a quality assurance tester, you have a crucial role in ensuring the quality and functionality of web applications. However, finding and reporting bugs and issues is only half of the job. You also need to communicate them effectively to the developers who will fix them. In this article, you will learn some best practices for communicating bugs and issues to developers, such as:

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1 Use a bug tracking system

A bug tracking system is a software tool that helps you manage and document the bugs and issues you find during testing. It allows you to create, assign, prioritize, update, and track the status of bug reports. It also provides a centralized and organized way of communicating with developers and other stakeholders. Some examples of bug tracking systems are Jira, Bugzilla, Mantis, and Trello.

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Hamza Ali

Manual & Automation Testing Expert | Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium | Helping 500+ Professionals Optimize Their Testing Processes
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Effective communication of bugs to developers is essential for efficient issue resolution. Provide clear and concise descriptions of the problem, including steps to reproduce, expected behavior, and observed outcomes. Use screenshots or screen recordings to illustrate the issue visually. Prioritize bugs based on severity and impact on functionality. Maintain open channels of communication with developers. This streamlined approach fosters teamwork, accelerates bug resolution, and enhances overall product quality.

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Muhammad Umer

Software Quality Assurance Engineer | Manual | Automation | Selenium | Java | JMeter | Postman
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Certainly! When reporting bugs to developers, follow these essential practices: Be Concise: Summarize the issue briefly. Provide Reproduction Steps: Clearly describe how to reproduce the bug. Include Context: Mention the environment (browser, OS, etc.). Attach Screenshots: Visual evidence helps. Stay Respectful: Avoid blame; focus on the problem. Remember, effective communication leads to faster bug resolution! 🐞👩💻👨💻

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2 Write clear and concise bug reports

A bug report is a document that describes a bug or issue in detail and provides relevant information for the developers to reproduce and fix it. To create an effective bug report, it should include a descriptive and specific title that summarizes the bug or issue, as well as a clear and concise summary that explains what the bug or issue is, how it affects the user, and what the expected and actual results are. Additionally, there should be a detailed and accurate description of the steps to reproduce the bug or issue, including the test environment, the test data, the actions performed, and any screenshots or videos if possible. Furthermore, it should be classified with relevant terms such as severity, priority, type, category, and status. Lastly, constructive and polite feedback should be included that suggests possible causes, solutions, or improvements for the bug or issue.

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Ana María Hernández Villavicencio

Scrum Master & Agile IT Project Manager | Senior QA Tester | Co-Founder & CPO de SoftProjectFB
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Un buen informe de errores siempre debe tener evidencias del error, no pueden faltar las capturas de pantalla o videos que muestren las condiciones bajo las cuales se genera el error. Hay errores de díficil descripción, en estos casos me ha funcionado sentarme con el desarrollador y mostrarle el paso a paso del error, de esta forma ambos ahorramos tiempo de desarrollo y llegamos a un entendimiento del problema en conjunto.

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3 Follow a standard format and style

To make your bug reports easy to read and understand, you should follow a standard format and style. You can use a template or a checklist to ensure that you include all the necessary information and follow the same structure for each bug report. You should also use clear and consistent language, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and terminology. Avoid using jargon, slang, abbreviations, or emoticons that might confuse or offend the developers.

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4 Communicate with respect and empathy

Communicating bugs and issues to developers can be challenging, especially if you have different perspectives, expectations, or preferences. However, you should always communicate with respect and empathy, and avoid blaming, criticizing, or arguing with the developers. You should also acknowledge their efforts, appreciate their feedback, and collaborate with them to resolve the bugs and issues. Remember that you are both working towards the same goal: delivering a high-quality web application.

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Ana María Hernández Villavicencio

Scrum Master & Agile IT Project Manager | Senior QA Tester | Co-Founder & CPO de SoftProjectFB
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La empatía y el respeto es fundamental en los equipos de desarrollo, ayuda mucho una buena comunicación a la hora de comunicar los defectos encontrados en el software, usar un tono adecuado a la hora de escribir y hablar con el desarrollador. Nunca se debe considerar que es problema del desarrollador, porque son muchos los factores que pueden generar el defecto. Ejemplo de alguno de ellos son: - Requisitos ambiguos o mal redactados. - Cambios frecuentes en las necesidades del cliente y no actualización adecuada de los requisitos. - Entornos de pruebas desactualizados. Lo más importante es tener presente que tanto desarrolladores como probadores son parte del mismo equipo y tienen el objetivo de entregar un software de calidad.

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5 Follow up and update regularly

After you submit a bug report, you should follow up and update regularly. You should monitor the progress and status of the bug report, and check if the developers need any additional information or clarification from you. You should also test and verify if the bug or issue has been fixed or resolved, and provide feedback or confirmation to the developers. If the bug or issue persists or reappears, you should report it again and explain what has changed or remained the same.

By following these best practices, you can communicate bugs and issues to developers more effectively and efficiently, and improve the quality and functionality of web applications.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Paulo Oliveira

Quality Assurance Engineer Specialist with 18+ years of experience | Mentor | Instructor | Writer | LinkedIn Top Quality Assurance Voice | Community Leader at The Test Tribe Porto | Member of PSTQB | AI Enthusiast
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Everytime a bug is opened, it is important to inform the developer responsible for that feature, product, etc, that the bug was opened, give a quick summary, send the link of the ticket in the bug track tool, and finally, tell that you are available to clarify any doubt that can exist yet.

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What are the best practices for communicating bugs and issues to developers?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use a bug tracking system

2 Write clear and concise bug reports

3 Follow a standard format and style

4 Communicate with respect and empathy

5 Follow up and update regularly

6 Here’s what else to consider

Quality Assurance

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What are the best practices for communicating bugs and issues to developers?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use a bug tracking system

2 Write clear and concise bug reports

3 Follow a standard format and style

4 Communicate with respect and empathy

5 Follow up and update regularly

6 Here’s what else to consider

Quality Assurance

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