Bug Reports
A guide to reporting issues so we can fix them quickly and effectively.
What is a Bug?
Understanding when something is a bug versus a change request.
A bug is when something doesn't work as intended. It's broken, crashes, shows wrong information, or behaves unexpectedly.
The key distinction: a bug is not about preference or wanting something different - it's about something being genuinely broken or incorrect.
Examples of bugs:
- Clicking "Save" does nothing - the form just sits there
- The total shows $150 but the items add up to $175
- The page shows a blank white screen instead of loading
- Error message appears when trying to upload an image
- Email notifications are going to the wrong person
How to Report a Bug
Good bug reports help us fix issues faster.
Describe what happened
What did you see? What error message appeared? Be specific about the symptoms.
Good example:
"When I click 'Save', I get a red error message that says 'An unexpected error occurred' and my changes aren't saved."
What you expected to happen
This helps us understand if the bug is a complete failure or just unexpected behaviour.
Example:
"I expected my changes to be saved and to see a success message."
Steps to reproduce (if possible)
Can you make it happen again? Walk us through the exact steps.
- Go to the Customer page
- Click "Edit" on any customer
- Change the phone number
- Click "Save"
- Error appears
Include screenshots
A picture is worth a thousand words. Screenshots of error messages, broken layouts, or unexpected behaviour are incredibly helpful.
Tip: After submitting your bug report, click on it to upload screenshots and additional files.
Is it a Bug?
Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
| Situation | Type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "The form won't submit at all" | Bug | Something is broken |
| "The form submits but I want a confirmation popup" | Feature | New functionality |
| "The button is too small" | Change | Preference adjustment |
| "The button doesn't appear at all" | Bug | Missing element |
| "Dates show as American format (MM/DD)" | Change | Works, just needs adjustment |
Not sure? Just submit it as a bug. We'll recategorise if needed - it won't slow anything down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about bug reports.
Bugs that are caused by my code are fixed at no charge. If the bug is caused by external factors (hosting issues, third-party services, or changes you made) standard rates apply. I'll always let you know before charging.
Critical bugs that prevent core functionality get top priority. Less severe issues are addressed in the normal sprint flow. If something is urgent, mention it in your report.
Report it anyway! Include as much detail as you can remember. Some bugs are intermittent or depend on specific conditions. Even partial information helps us investigate.
Yes, if you can. Knowing you're on Safari on iPhone vs Chrome on Windows can be crucial for debugging. But don't worry if you're not sure - we can figure it out.
I'll investigate the issue and update the task status. You might see it move through stages like "Investigating", "In Progress", and "Ready for Review". You'll be able to test the fix on staging before it goes live.
Found a bug?
Head back to your project and click the "Bug Report" button to let us know.
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