Bug Reporting Tool: What It Should Capture for You
A bug reporting tool is a button inside your app that lets a user tell you something is broken. It also attaches the facts you need to fix it: the page, the browser, the screen size, a screenshot or a short recording, and the errors in the console. The user writes one sentence. The tool fills in the rest. For a solo founder, that context can be the difference between “it doesn’t work” and a bug you can reproduce.
This guide covers what a bug report should contain, how a reporting tool differs from a bug tracker, and how to set one up without asking users to create an account anywhere. A note on bias: we make Indiehacker Studio, a tool that does this for small apps; the method below works with any tool or a spreadsheet.
What does a bug reporting tool do?
It turns a vague complaint into a report you can act on. Without one, users email you, if they bother, and you spend the first three replies asking which browser they use and what they clicked. A reporting tool collects that context automatically at the moment the user hits the problem.
Many tools for small products work in a similar way: a widget on the page, a short form, optional captures, and an inbox where the reports land. Some also let you reply to the user, so they know the bug got fixed.
What should a good bug report capture?
Two kinds of data: what the user tells you, and what the browser can tell you without asking.
| Field | Who provides it | Why you need it |
|---|---|---|
| What happened | The user | The one thing only they know |
| Page URL | Captured | Where to start looking |
| Browser and OS | Captured | Some bugs only show up in one browser |
| Viewport size | Captured | Layout bugs depend on screen width |
| Console errors | Captured, if you turn it on | Can point at the failing script |
| Screenshot | The user, one click | Shows what they saw |
| Screen recording | The user, one click | Shows the steps that led there |
| The user, optional | So you can tell them it is fixed |
Ask the user for one sentence and an optional email. Everything else can be captured automatically. Each extra required field is one more reason to give up, and some users will give up before sending.
How is a bug reporting tool different from a bug tracker?
A reporting tool is the front door: it collects problems from people who do not know or care how you organize work. A bug tracker is the back office: it holds issues, priorities, assignees and status for the people fixing them.
A small team may need the first before the second. A solo founder can keep a list of open bugs in a text file and still miss the reports that never got sent. If you are choosing a tracker as well, read bug tracker for small teams. If you already use Jira or MantisBT, the reporting tool sits in front of them: see the guides on a Jira bug tracking alternative and a Mantis bug tracker alternative.
Should users need an account to report a bug?
No. Each login screen between a user and the report form is a step where some users give up. A widget on your own site already knows which page the user is on and, if they are signed in to your app, who they are. Let them report in place, and make the email optional for anonymous visitors.
Are screenshots and screen recordings worth it?
Yes, when the user chooses to send them. A screenshot answers “what did you see”. A recording of the last few steps answers “what did you do”, which is often the harder question to answer by text. Both should start only on the user’s click, never automatically, and the user should see exactly what they are sharing before it is sent.
Recordings are heavier than screenshots, so cap their length: a long video takes longer to upload and longer for you to watch. For many interface bugs, a minute is enough to show the steps.
Should a bug report include console errors?
When you can, turn it on, because the browser console may hold the error that explains the bug, and most users would not know where to find it. Capture only the recent errors, keep them short, and only on the projects where you have checked that your console does not log personal data.
How do you handle bug reports when you work alone?
Treat them like a short queue, not a backlog:
- Reply the same day. Even “thanks, I can reproduce it” tells the user someone is on it.
- Reproduce from the report. If you cannot, ask one specific question in the same thread.
- Fix or file. Small fixes ship now. Bigger ones go to your tracker with the report linked.
- Close the loop. Tell the user when it ships, because they did the hard part of finding it.
Keep bug reports, feedback and support chats in one inbox so nothing waits in a tool you forgot to open. In-app feedback covers the feedback side of the same widget.
Bug reporting with Indiehacker Studio
Indiehacker Studio adds a bubble to your site from one script tag, with a “Report a bug” tab next to support chat and feedback. Each report includes the page URL, browser, OS and viewport, plus recent console errors on projects where you turn that on. On Pro, users can attach up to three files per message, take a screenshot, or record their screen for up to 60 seconds. Reports land in the same real-time inbox as your chats, and you reply from there. It is not an issue tracker: there is no Jira or MantisBT sync, so bigger fixes go to your tracker by hand.
The same script also gives you cookieless analytics and, on Pro, MRR from Stripe for each project.
FAQ
What is the difference between bug reporting and bug tracking?
Bug reporting collects problems from users. Bug tracking organizes the work of fixing them. You can use a reporting tool on its own or in front of a tracker.
Do users need to install anything to report a bug?
No. The widget runs on your page. Screenshots and recordings use the browser’s built-in screen capture.
Does screen recording work on phones?
Most mobile browsers do not support screen capture, so the record button is hidden there. Users can still describe the bug and, on plans with attachments, upload a file.
Is a bug reporting tool free?
Many have free plans. Indiehacker Studio’s free plan includes bug reports for one project, and screenshots, recordings and files come with Pro.
What should I do with a bug report I cannot reproduce?
Ask one precise question in the same thread, such as the exact steps or the account they used. Do not close it silently.
Start getting better bug reports
Create a free account and paste the script tag. Because the report starts on the page where the bug happened, you get the context with the complaint instead of three emails later.