How to report a website bug, with a template

A good bug report lets someone see the problem for themselves on the first try. Here is what to include, a template you can copy, and how to get the technical parts without being technical.

Updated 26 October 2026

Why most bug reports don't get fixed quickly

"The checkout is broken" is a real problem, reported in good faith, and nearly impossible to act on. The person fixing it opens the checkout, it works for them, and the questions start: which page, which browser, what did you click, what did you see? Each answer takes a day. A report that answers them up front gets fixed first.

What to include

• The page address. Copy it from the address bar. "The pricing page" can mean three pages.
• The steps. What you clicked or typed, in order, starting from somewhere anyone can reach.
• What you expected, and what happened instead. Both, because "it didn't work" doesn't say what working looks like.
• A screenshot, with the problem marked. Many bugs only appear on some screens.
• Browser, device and screen size. "Chrome on a Windows laptop" or "Safari on an iPhone" is enough to start with.
• How often it happens, whether every time, sometimes or once.

A template to copy

Page: https://example.com/checkout
What I did:
1. Added a product to the basket
2. Clicked Checkout
What I expected: the payment form
What happened: the page stayed blank
How often: every time
Browser and device: Safari on iPhone 15, iOS 18
Screen: 393 × 852
Screenshot: attached

One problem per report. Two bugs in one message tend to get one fix.

The technical details, without being technical

Developers often ask for two more things:

• Console errors. Browsers keep a log of errors a page hits. In Chrome or Edge, press F12 (Option-Command-J on a Mac) and look at the Console tab; red lines are errors. A screenshot of them helps.
• The element. Right-click the broken thing and choose Inspect to see its code. Most reporters can skip this, but it saves the developer a search.

Let a feedback widget fill in the details

Most people who find bugs on a website aren't developers: clients, colleagues, testers. Asking them for console errors is asking a lot. A feedback widget collects the technical parts for them.

With Pinnote on the site, a reviewer clicks Feedback, clicks the broken thing and describes it. The note arrives with:

• a screenshot of what they saw, with the spot marked
• the page address, browser and screen size
• the element they clicked, with its text and HTML
• the last errors the page logged before they wrote the note

They can mark it as a bug in one click, and you can reply on the note, send it to GitHub as an issue, or let a coding agent pick it up. Start with the getting started guide.