One of the QA team’s crucial tasks is to clearly communicate the issues they encounter to the development team. A bug report template can make this job much simpler.
A good bug report template steers the information in the right direction, making the bug reporting process easier and improving the software development process as a whole.
In this blog post, you’ll find an overview of the templates I tried from popular project management tools, such as Jira, Trello, ClickUp, Asana, as well as GitHub, and others.
You’ll also find several software QA bug report templates for Google Sheets, Google Docs, Word, Excel, or PDF that you can download for free.
Table of Contents
#1: GitHub bug report template
GitHub’s greatest advantage is that it lets you submit bug reports directly to the software development team (provided that they use GitHub, of course).
When creating a bug report (issue) in GitHub, you need to add a bug title and description and assign people, labels, projects, and/or attach a project milestone to it. GitHub uses Markdown for issue descriptions, but you don’t have to be familiar with the language to create a bug report.
The software lets you create a bug report directly from a comment, a piece of code, a discussion, or a project, or you can make one from scratch.
GitHub doesn’t offer a pre-made bug report template that I could find, but once you’ve created one from scratch, you can make it into a template for later.
While it may be convenient to use GitHub for reporting bugs directly to developers, I found the format of the bug report to be somewhat disorganized. Moreover, the process of reporting a bug, especially a more complex one can be rather lengthy.
Due to the feature that allows referencing comments, code, and discussions in an issue, GitHub may best be used by developers for creating bug reports for other developers.
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GitHub is one of the most widely used software in development teams around the world, but it’s not the only one. Check out our list of some of the most useful tools you could use for software and game development:
#2: Jira bug report template
Jira’s bug tracking template is easy to use and great for not just reporting bugs, but managing the issues on a higher level.
Once you open the template, all you need to do is click create to add a new issue. In the new window, you can add everything from assignees and reviewers to the status, date, description, environment, labels, priority, and more.
The template is somewhat customizable, as you can remove fields or add new ones from a pool of existing fields within the software.
Once you’ve created a bug report, you can add comments, link it to other issues, create subtasks, see the issue activity log, etc.
Your issues page shows all bug reports related to your project, or you can filter them to show only the ones you want to see.
Jira is essentially a task management tool that allows you to manage bugs and issues in a meticulous and organized way. It allows developers, QA testers, managers, and project stakeholders to have a clear insight into the project and the issues it’s facing.
The downside is that using Jira for its bug report template means adding yet another separate software to a probably already long list of software your project team is using.
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#3: Plaky bug report template
Plaky’s bug tracking template is simple and easy to use for both the trained QA team and any other project team member looking to report software bugs.
As a project management tool, Plaky’s greatest advantage is that it’s highly customizable and allows you to add unlimited users, boards, items, and views in the free plan.
This means that you can easily get all your project teams on board and manage both your project tasks and bug reports in one space, without having to juggle several different tools.
Both the software and the template are free to use. Simply import the template from Plaky’s project template center and use it as is or customize it to fit your team’s workflow.
You can create groups for different types of issues (bugs, improvements, suggestions, and more), set status, priority, tags, descriptions, files, etc. You can also customize and add new fields to the template or remove the ones you don’t need.
And if you belong to an Agile team and prefer managing your bug reports in Kanban view, that’s also possible.
Furthermore, Plaky’s activity log provides you with a clear record of everything going on on your boards — from the time a bug ticket was created to who’s worked on it and the stages it’s gone through.
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#4: ClickUp bug report template
ClickUp offers several different bug tracking templates, all of which are customizable and available in at least 2 different views.
The templates contain fields for the name, assignee, bug ID, bug source, environment, due date, description, status, link, attachment, and much more. The fields are customizable, and you can add or remove them to fit your workflow.
Where ClickUp really shines, though, is when it comes to creating bug submission forms.
ClickUp lets you create your own bug report form with custom fields. You can then copy the link to the form and send it to users or team members who’ve encountered an issue with your software. Once they submit the form, ClickUp will automatically create a task on your project page. Unfortunately, this feature is not available on the free plan.
Despite its useful features and templates, I found ClickUp’s interface rather cumbersome, and I had some trouble navigating it to get to the templates.
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If you’d like a full, in-depth review of Clickup and how it compares to some other popular PM tools, such as Asana and monday.com, definitely check out these hands-on reviews:
Free ClickUp alternative
If you’re looking for a simpler bug tracking app that’s better suited for small teams, go for a more user-friendly ClickUp alternative.
#5: Asana bug report template
Like Plaky and Jira, Asana is primarily a project management tool. It doesn’t have dedicated bug-tracking functions, but it’s fairly simple to use and makes it easy to keep track of project issues.
Asana’s bug report template is very simple and doesn’t offer much more to work with than if you were to start a bug report project from scratch.
You can view the template in List, Kanban, or Calendar views, add a due date, assignee, status, priority, attachments for visual proof, comments, subtasks, and more.
The description field is meant for a detailed explanation of the bug, including information such as the environment in which the bug manifested, expected and actual behavior of the software, steps to reproduce the bug, etc.
Asana’s paid plans provide you with more customization options, such as additional fields, views, and most importantly, rules (automations), that make the issue management process smoother.
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If you’d like to compare how Asana fares overall against some of the other bug tracking tools on this list, such as Jira and Trello, check out some of our detailed, hands-on comparisons:
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#6: Zoho BugTracker bug report template
Zoho doesn’t offer a pre-made bug report template as far as I could tell. But, seeing as it’s a tool specifically designed for managing and tracking bugs, most of its functions are designed with this in mind.
In Zoho BugTracker, you can create your projects and then associate issues with them, which lets you track bugs for multiple projects at once.
To create a new issue, click on “Submit issue” in the top right corner and a form will pop up. The form lets you input standard information, such as which project the issue is related to, the issue title, assignee, description, folders, severity, due date, tags, reminders, and more. If the existing bug report form doesn’t fit your workflow, you can change the fields in the Settings.
Once created, the issue details card will also show comments, activity log, status timeline, logged hours, and more.
When the issue is resolved, you can leave a description of how you’ve solved it, along with files to further explain the process in case a similar issue appears in the future.
#7: Trello bug tracking template
Similar to Asana, Trello’s bug report template leaves much to be desired if you’re on the free plan. It contains the expected fields, such as assignee, date, description, tags, and attachments, but anything more than that requires an upgrade.
That said, Trello’s signature Kanban-style task management and user-friendly interface make it fairly easy to track bugs in Agile settings.
The free plan also lets you connect Power-Ups to your Trello workspace. In this case, the Blue Cat Reports Power-Up will let you create reports for your issues, and the Trello Forms will let you create up to 25 custom forms a month that people can fill out to report a bug.
Once you upgrade to a more expensive plan, you’ll also be able to add custom fields to your Trello cards and make tracking bugs more formulaic.
Free Trello alternative
if you don’t see yourself using a Kanban board for bug tracking, try a Trello alternative with multiple free board views.
#8: Software bug report template: Google Sheets, Excel, Google Docs
Using templates for bug reporting is supposed to make your life easier, not harder. This is why I took some time to create simple bug tracking templates for Excel, Google Sheets, and Google Docs that don’t require introducing yet another software to your team’s project workflow.
The templates for Google Sheets and Google Docs allow you to add people, dates, statuses, and files and collaborate with your team members and other teams, just like you would if you were using dedicated bug tracking tools.
The bug report template for Excel is not as collaborative, but it’s definitely useful for anyone who prefers to keep their information offline.
The templates are entirely customizable, so feel free to add or remove fields as you see fit.
Download: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Excel
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If Google Sheets and Excel seem too similar to one another, and you’re not sure which to choose, you can find a detailed comparison of the 2 in the link below:
#9: QA bug report form template: Google Docs, Microsoft Word, PDF
If what you need isn’t a template for issue tracking, but a bug report form that other people can fill out and return to you, this is the template for you!
This bug report form template contains fields for your bug ID, title, environment in which the bug manifested, expected and actual results, steps to reproduce the bug, links, files, and resolution notes, as well as drop-down fields to mark the bug status, priority, severity, classification, and more.
The Google Docs and Word forms are easily customizable in case there are fields you’d like to add, remove, or rearrange, while the PDF form is suitable for printing.
Download: Google Docs, Word, PDF
#10: Smartsheet bug report template
Smartsheet is a project management tool in the form of a spreadsheet — it looks like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, but it has all the functionality of project management software.
Smartsheet has several templates that can be used for tracking project issues, but the one I’d recommend is called IT Requests and Ticketing Template.
The template has a simple layout reminiscent of an Excel table where you can enter the project name, description, steps to reproduce the issue, assigner, assignee, dates, etc. But, it also offers a graphic dashboard and the ability to create automations, workflows, and more. You can also add or remove fields and functions in the template, just like you would in an Excel spreadsheet.
The one thing I’m not particularly fond of in Smartsheet is the amount of formatting needed to create a layout you’re satisfied with, but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue if you’re using a pre-made template.
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If you’re looking for a simple and affordable software to replace your Excel spreadsheets, moving to a spreadsheet-based software might not be the answer—try Plaky!
How to write a bug report
Even if you have a great bug report template, documenting the bug isn’t always simple. You have to consider what information you should provide and how detailed it should be.
So, let’s make it simple!
A software QA tester at CAKE.com, Dragana Tadic, shared useful insights and tips on what makes a great bug report and how to write one. Luckily, as Dragana tells us, a bug report is supposed to be neither long nor complicated.
“Every great bug report should be clear, concise, intelligible, and informative so the developers can easily reproduce the bug and fix it as soon as possible.”
These are some of the components she highlighted as essential for writing a bug report:
“The basic elements of a good bug report are:
- A short and precise title or ID,
- Description,
- Information about the environment in which the bug appeared,
- Steps to reproduce the bug,
- Expected and actual result of the steps taken,
- Visual proof, such as screenshots, videos, files, etc., and
- Severity and priority of the bug.”
I’ve prepared a sample bug report template that contains only these basic bug report elements. Feel free to download it and follow along with the explanations below to fill it out.
You can find this sample bug tracking template in Excel and Google Sheets, while a simple bug report form containing the same basic elements is available in Word, Google Docs, and PDF.
Download bug report template: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Excel
Download bug report form: Google Docs, Word, PDF
Bug title or ID
You should have a unique bug ID for every reported bug within your project. The bug ID will let you easily find the exact bug you’re looking for within your bug tracking template.
Alternatively (or additionally), your bug report should contain a short and precise title that describes the nature of the bug at a glance. This lets developers know what the bug is about without having to read the entire description.
Bug report description
The most important elements of a bug report description are:
- Bug environment (the device you were using when the bug appeared, the version of the software, the OS and the version of the OS you were using, browser, etc.),
- The exact steps you took before the bug manifested, and
- The expected and actual results of the steps you took.
The description is the meat of the bug report. This is where you should be as precise as possible when relating when, where, and how the bug manifested.
But don’t go into too much detail either! Bullet points and checklists are your friends.
Depending on what kind of bug report software or template you’re using, you could have a dedicated field for each of the elements mentioned above, or you could be expected to list them all as part of the bug description.
For example, Plaky lets you choose the option you prefer — you can write everything as part of the description in the Rich Text field, or you can create a new field for each element and status. Dragana highlights this as one of her favorite features in Plaky.
“Plaky is part of our daily work routines since we use it internally, for bug reporting and management. One of Plaky’s perks that allows us to effectively report bugs and track them as they move through different stages includes creating custom fields. This allows us to write concise and relevant information related to the bugs.
The most important fields for us are Rich Text, as it lets us format the text and create checklists, Person because we immediately know who’s working on the bug report, and Status and Tag fields as they let us easily track the status of the bug report throughout its life cycle.”
Visual proof of the bug
Even if the issue seems simple, it’s always better to have some sort of visual proof of the bug than not — it saves developers and/or QA testers a lot of time.
The more complex the issue, the more detailed the images, videos, gifs, or files should be.
The lack of necessary visual proof will duplicate the work the QA testers need to do and delay the bug fixes, potentially causing much bigger problems, depending on the severity of the bug.
Severity and priority of the bug
Bug severity describes how much of an impact the bug has on the functionality of the software. Bug priority determines how quickly it should be fixed. The 2 may or may not always correspond to one another, which is why it’s good to have both statuses listed on your bug report.
In case you’re not sure about the correct status, don’t hesitate to consult with your colleagues.
“Depending on the complexity of the bug, I consult my team members, developers, or the Product Owner regarding the bug’s severity/priority status.”
Communication is one of the most important aspects of a healthy project team, and even the most experienced QA testers may need to ask for help occasionally, as Dragana explains.
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Curious about the various roles and responsibilities within the Scrum team and how they differ from a traditional project structure? These blog posts will give you a better understanding of the topic:
In all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity
An effective bug report is simple but detailed. It enables developers to pinpoint the exact cause of the bug and remove it with surgical precision.
Bug report templates come in many forms — tables, lists, spreadsheets, software, etc. But only one of these options combines simplicity and functionality in a way that dramatically boosts the effectiveness of development teams and improves the software development process. No one does this better than Plaky.
“Plaky is very simple to use for reporting bugs. All I need to do is check if a bug has already been reported using the search or filter option. If the answer is no, I create a new item, list the relevant information about the bug, upload the necessary files, and set the bug’s severity and priority status. This is when the developers can start working on removing the bug.”
And it’s as simple as that — try it out!
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