How to write a good Defect Report?

As part of app testing or any software testing strategy, developers always prefer to check a defect report because it presents a detailed summary of the shortcomings, sources, solutions, and predicted output that enables developers to identify and resolve their project’s issues. It also increases productivity and accuracy. 

But creating a defect report requires detailed research, analysis, and proper planning so that it will be helpful for developers working on these problems. 

In this article, we’ve covered everything about defect reports, their elements, their importance, and the step-by-step process of writing one.

What is a Defect Report?

A defect report is a document that includes complete details about the application/software defects, sources, what are the actions needed to resolve them, and the expected result.

• Developers can check this defect report, understand the problem & its solution and make improvements accordingly.
• QA testers create a defect report to test & analyze each functionality and note it in the report.
• It requires lots of effort and information to write a detailed defect report and deliver it to developers.

So the primary purpose of a good defect report is to identify the anomalies in the project and inform developers with a well-organized structure.

How to write an Effective Defect Report?

While creating a defect report, the QA team covers all the document areas, allowing developers to know the answers and next action plan.

These are the primary elements which include:

1. Defect ID

A unique identification number is used to identify the number of defects in the report.

2. Defect Description

A detailed description is written about the defect with its module and the source where it was found. 

3. Version

Show the current version of the application where the defect was found. 

4. Action Steps

It shows the step-by-step action taken by an end user or QA testers that shows results as the defect.    

5. Expected Result

Also, QA testers need to identify & show the expected result if everything goes accordingly without any defects, which allows developers to know the end goals to achieve. It’s a detailed step-by-step explanation of the expected result. 

6. Environment

Sometimes the test environment plays a significant role in defects like running applications on different smartphones.

For Example – when an application runs on Samsung Note 10, it might show a defect but runs smoothly on Google Pixel 5. So it’s another critical area that the QA team needs to test on different environments and find out each & every defect. To test the application, QAs must pick one or two specific devices to test compatibility on different environments.

While creating a defect report, this template can be used: 

• Device Type: Hardware & device model
• OS: Name & version
• Tester: Name the tester who finds defects
• Software Version: The software version which will be tested
• Connection Strength: (3G, 4G, 5G, WiFi)
• Rate of Reproduction: Number of times the defect has been reproduced

When testing the application on different devices, the easiest and hassle-free way to test the compatibility is on the BrowserStack Real Device Cloud.  It is constantly updated with the latest and best Android and iOS devices, like iPhone 14, Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy.

Test on Real Devices

7. Actual Result

It covers the results of performing the steps that developers want to achieve. Also, add “Additional details” like defects, sources, and specific steps so developers can navigate and resolve more effectively.

8. Severity

It describes the impact of the defect on the application. Each defect has a different severity level, and it’s important to note it in detail.

Levels of Severity:

• Low: These bugs can be resolved once and don’t affect the performance again.  
• Medium: Some minor defects that are easy to resolve and affect less. 
• High: These bugs can affect the result of the application and need to be resolved. 
• Critical: In the critical stage, bugs heavily affect the performance and end goal. Like crashing, system freezing, and restarting repeatedly.

Creating a defect report requires detailed defect management to find each & every bug mentioned in the report. But it’s not easier for QA testers to find every defect in the application without testing on real devices and see how end users are getting the results. 

• BrowserStack App Live offers access to thousands of real cloud devices and browsers to test the application securely.
• So testers can test the application in detail and find each & every defect for the defect report.
• Just Sign-up, upload the application, and choose OS & devices for app testing.
• You can find multiple solutions in the Browserstack infrastructure to suit all your testing needs, irrespective of whether you are working alone or have a team to collaborate with. 

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Data visualization involves creating a defect report that requires detailed research, testing, and insights that help developers easily understand and fix the defects without raising queries to QAs. One of the essential parts of creating a defect report is finding each & every defect, and it’s only possible by testing on real cloud devices & browsers.