Bug severity guide

What is Severity?

Severity in a bug report shows how much an issue impacts the application and the user’s ability to use it.

Ask yourself: “How significantly does this issue affect the app and my ability to use it?”

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Severity Levels

🚨 Critical

• Definition: A defect that completely blocks testing of a product or feature.

• Examples:

  • The app crashes during normal user flows.

  • A core feature is missing or unusable (e.g., cannot log in, app freezes on confirmation).

• Notes:

  • Only classify as Critical if the issue is easily reproducible through normal user behavior.

  • If it requires very specific/unusual steps, it is not Critical.

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🔴 High

• Definition: A major feature fails to meet requirements, preventing effective usage.

• Examples:

  • Email app does not allow adding multiple CC recipients.

  • A checkout flow works only sometimes (less than 100% reproducible).

• Also includes:

  • Critical-like issues that need specific/rare actions to reproduce.

  • Bugs with significant impact but requiring unusual steps (e.g., double-tapping, rapidly opening/closing menus).

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🟠 Medium

• Definition: A feature behaves unexpectedly, but the overall app still works.

• Examples:

  • A link in the “Terms and Conditions” page doesn’t redirect.

  • A less important feature works inconsistently.

• Also includes:

  • Some High-level issues with low reproduction rate.

  • Issues in less critical features.

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🟡 Low

• Definition: Cosmetic or minor issues with minimal impact.

• Examples:

  • Spelling/grammar mistakes.

  • Alignment or font inconsistencies.

  • Small UI defects on non-critical screens.

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🔵 Usability

• Definition: The app works, but the user experience could be smoother.

• Examples:

  • Error messages are unclear.

  • Menu options are poorly organized.

  • Selecting multiple items takes too many steps.

• Note: Most Tester Work projects do not support usability testing. This category is mainly for clarity between UX and functional bugs.

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Useful Tips

1. Always ask: “How much does this affect usage?”

2. Consider reproducibility:

   • If it happens often in normal use → higher severity.

   • If it requires rare/complex steps → lower severity.

3. Context matters:

   • A spelling error in a product’s name = higher severity than a typo in documentation.

   • A crash that occurs only after many unusual actions = Medium or High, not Critical.

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Use this guide whenever you classify bugs in Tester Work to ensure consistent and accurate reporting.