How do I report a bug effectively?

Updated on Reading Time: 3 minutes

Our day-to-day work involves the maintenance and evolution of sites using WordPress. Whether we like it or not, evolution brings its own set of challenges, and one of those is fixing bugs.

We all want your WordPress site to work perfectly for you and your visitors. But when a problem arises, there’s a process we follow to ensure quality and speed.

And to make it happen, we need your help!

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What is a bug on a WordPress site?

In its broadest sense, a bug on a WordPress site is simply a behavior that occurs that isn’t what you intended.

For example, it could be :

  • Left-aligned title displayed instead of centered;
  • A confirmation email that is not sent following an order placed by one of your customers;
  • A page that doesn’t display at all.

As you can see, a bug can be as minor as it is critical.

What is the bug-fixing process?

To fix a bug, the developer must first understand the problem and then be able to reproduce the problem at will. Otherwise, it will be impossible to correct the bug.

Once the bug has been reproduced, the developer will be able to analyze why such behavior occurs and what needs to be done to correct it.

It is therefore very important to provide the relevant details that will allow us to :

  1. To understand the problem you are reporting;
  2. To be able to reproduce it every time.

What to do when a bug occurs

In the world of programming, there’s an approach to understanding and documenting how a bug occurs. Here are the different stages of this approach.

  • Can you reproduce the problem?
    If the problem has occurred only once and seems to have disappeared, it will probably be impossible for us to fix it. If it can’t be reproduced, how will we know it’s really been fixed?

  • What are the steps involved in reproducing the problem?
    As you reproduce the problem, note all the steps that enable another person to achieve the problematic result. Assume that the person receiving the bug report has no knowledge of your site. Every detail counts, and it’s rare that we receive “too much information”!

  • Describe the environment.
    Generally speaking, several environments can be used (development, test, production, etc.). Don’t forget to mention the environment in which the problem was discovered. Depending on the problem, it may also help to know which operating system (and version) and browser you’re using.

  • Be precise.
    Avoid phrases like “it crashes” or “it doesn’t work”. Use phrases such as “when the report is launched, the generated file is empty” or “the language selection is empty on the home page”.

  • Include screenshots.
    Screenshots provide a visual link to the written instructions you will provide. Feel free to include as many as you need.

  • Identify severity.
    Each bug is different and has varying consequences. Is the problem minor, major or critical? Severity is used to prioritize the problems reported if there are several.

  • What inputs are needed?
    If the problem is related to a form, don’t forget to mention which values have been inserted in the fields, to help us pinpoint the problem.

Conclusion

When reporting a bug, the more precise your description, the faster the resolution. If the level of detail enables us to understand and reproduce the problem right the first time, exchanges will be minimized and your problem will be a thing of the past in no time!

Maxime Jobin is the co-founder of SatelliteWP. Automation and performance are his professional passions. He likes to share his expertise and experiences in order to pass on his knowledge to prevent others from making the same mistakes. Focused on efficiency and return on investment, he is an expert in the analysis and development of software solutions.

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