The Jira bug life cycle consists of a definite number of steps from identifying the bugs to resolving the bugs.
You may be familiar with various issue resolution tools, we are not talking about that here, the Jira bug tracking tool is the tool used for identifying, capturing, assigning, and resolving the bugs. There is a separate blog written on how to work on the Jira bug tracking tool.
Jira is an Atlassian product that has got enormous popularity for bug addressing. It is one of the widely used tools in the industry for any software life cycle management and in DevOps culture. The Jira also addresses the Kanban system way of software management and the Scrum way as well.
One of the most promising features of the Jira tool is its dashboard full of features that show how the bugs are found, captured, assigned to specific individuals, and finally tracked for closure. It can be applied to any software language and any type of software management approach as discussed above. The defect life cycle in Jira is the most comprehensive approach in the resolution of the bugs with the help of the Jira tool. Let us, deep-dive, into the Jira bug life cycle.
What is the Jira Bug Life Cycle?
The Jira bug life cycle consists of a definite number of steps such as New, Assigned, Opened, Duplicate, Differed, Not a Bug, Rejected, Reopened, Fixed, Retest, Verified, and Closed.
Also Read: How to use Jira for Project Management
The following are stages in detail
1. New – The Bugs are new and are found by the tester during the testing phase and the bugs are not repetitive ones they are assigned as new bugs. The new bugs go through the entire bug life cycle in Jira.
2. Assigned – The bugs identified by the testers are now assigned to the development team to specific individuals for correction or resolution. This assignment is done in the Jira bug tracking tool with defect ID and defect details.
3. Opened – The bugs after assigning to the specific individuals of the development team are created with Opened status. This status of the bugs will be there till it is changed to the processing stage or closed stage.
4. Duplicate – In case the developers find that this bug is duplicate or not the new ones but already have been captured in some other functions or a different part of the programming then it is termed as duplicate. However, the action is still taken on the duplicate ones. Enroll in Jira training at StarAgile institute to learn the Jira tool and hands-on with Jira bug life cycle management.
5. Differed – If the bugs found are not required to be addressed in the current sprint cycle but may be addressed in the future, then they are called different bugs. However, in the future, they might require an action on them to get it closed maybe in subsequent sprints.
6. Not a Bug – If the bugs do not cause any changes in the functionality or security of the code or the application the bugs can be termed as “not a bug”. That is no action is taken on these bugs. They are not addressed by the developers and informed to the testers.
7. Rejected – If the bugs found out by the testers are not the authentic ones then the bugs are rejected by the developers. Meaning there may be a bug but it may be just a way the programming constructs are made. So they are rejected.
8. Reopened – If there are bugs that are closed in specific parts but due to reprogramming by the developers to fix certain issues or bugs but these bugs may resurface due to the errors in the programming itself. When this happens is when the same bugs resurface themselves in the coding, it is made to the reopened state. These bugs may need to be carefully resolved so that it does not appear again.
9. Fixed – If for example the bugs have been addressed or there is a programming fix to the bugs then the bugs are termed as fixed. That means that the program wise either in the functionality or security-wise these bugs are fixed by the developers. You can get the Jira learning at the StarAgile institute which has conducted nearly 1 Lac sessions on various topics.
10. Retest – When the bugs are fixed meaning the resolution of the bugs is done and there is no further action, these programs are taken to retest by the tester to test various features of the programming. This step is important to make sure that there are further no bugs resurfacing or new bugs in the coding.
11. Verified – When the bugs are treated and retested they are verified further by the testers and there are no more bugs in the programming then the status changes to verified.
12. Closed – When the bugs are fixed and resolution is done also confirmed by retest by the testers then the bugs are changed to the status of closed.
Read More: Asana vs Jira
Actual Stages of Bugs in Jira
There are three stages in Jira issue tracking are as follows,
1. Open/Creation/To be done
2. Work in Progress
3. Work done/ Closed/ Resolved
The open stage is the stage when the bugs are identified during the testing phase by the testers and are assigned to developers for resolution.
The work in progress stage is the stage when the bugs are opened and are assigned to specific individuals and then the bugs are in the process of making changes in the programming by the developers. This stage also includes the retest and the resolution confirmation by the testers again after the bugs are corrected.
The work done stage is the final stage in Jira where the bugs are resolved, retested, and confirmed for closure.
Related Blog: How to Use Jira
Bug Reporting Best Practices & Severity vs Priority
Effective bug reporting is the foundation of a smooth Jira bug life cycle. A well-documented bug report not only helps developers understand and fix issues faster but also ensures that nothing gets lost in translation between testing and development teams. The quality of your bug report directly impacts the speed and accuracy of bug resolution, making it a critical skill for testers and quality assurance professionals.
Essential Elements of an Effective Bug Report
When creating a bug report in Jira, certain elements are non-negotiable. A comprehensive bug report should always include the following components:
Clear and Descriptive Title: The bug title should be concise yet descriptive enough to understand the issue at a glance. Instead of writing "Login not working," write "Login button unresponsive when special characters used in password field." A good title helps team members quickly identify and prioritize bugs without opening the full report.
Detailed Description: Provide a comprehensive description of what went wrong. Explain what you were trying to do, what happened instead, and how it differs from the expected behavior. The more context you provide, the easier it becomes for developers to understand the scope and nature of the problem.
Steps to Reproduce: This is arguably the most critical part of any bug report. List the exact steps, in sequence, that will reliably reproduce the bug. Number each step clearly (Step 1, Step 2, etc.) and be specific about what actions need to be taken. If a developer cannot reproduce the bug, they cannot fix it.
Expected vs Actual Results: Clearly state what should have happened (expected result) versus what actually happened (actual result). This comparison helps developers understand the gap between intended functionality and current behavior, making it easier to identify where the code is failing.
Environment Details: Include information about the testing environment such as operating system, browser type and version, device type (mobile/desktop/tablet), screen resolution, and application version. Many bugs are environment-specific, and this information is crucial for reproduction.
Screenshots and Attachments: Visual evidence is invaluable. Attach screenshots, screen recordings, log files, or any other relevant documentation that can help illustrate the problem. A picture truly is worth a thousand words when it comes to bug reporting.
Frequency and Consistency: Mention whether the bug occurs every time (100% reproducible) or intermittently. If it's intermittent, note how often it appears. This helps developers understand if it's a consistent logic error or a timing/race condition issue.
Understanding Severity Levels
Severity indicates the technical impact of a bug on the system's functionality, stability, and performance. It answers the question: "How much damage does this bug cause to the application?" Severity is typically assessed from a technical perspective and focuses on the extent of the malfunction. Understanding severity levels is crucial for managing the defect life cycle in Jira effectively.
Critical Severity: These are show-stopper bugs that completely break core functionality or cause system crashes, data loss, or security breaches. Examples include application crashes on launch, complete inability to login, payment processing failures, or data corruption issues. Critical severity bugs make the application unusable or pose serious risks to users or data integrity.
Major Severity: Major severity bugs significantly impact important features but don't completely break the system. Users can still access the application, but key functionality is severely impaired. Examples include a search feature returning incorrect results, reports not generating properly, or important integrations failing. These bugs affect business-critical operations but workarounds might exist.
Minor Severity: These bugs affect non-critical features or cause small functional issues that don't significantly impact the user experience. Examples include incorrect data formatting in secondary fields, minor calculation errors in non-critical reports, or features working incorrectly under very specific conditions. The application remains functional and usable despite these issues.
Trivial Severity: Trivial bugs are cosmetic issues or very minor problems that have virtually no impact on functionality. Examples include spelling mistakes, UI alignment issues, incorrect color schemes, or missing tooltips. These issues don't affect how the software works but may impact professional appearance or user perception.
Understanding Priority Levels
Priority determines the urgency with which a bug needs to be fixed, based on business impact and user needs. It answers the question: "How quickly must this be fixed?" Priority is typically set from a business or project management perspective and considers factors like user impact, deadlines, and business goals. Proper priority assignment ensures smooth progression through the bug life cycle in Jira.
High Priority: These bugs must be fixed immediately, often in the current sprint or even through a hotfix. High priority is assigned when the bug affects a large number of users, impacts critical business operations, or occurs during important events like product launches or peak business periods. Even a minor severity bug can be high priority if it affects a high-profile client or critical demonstration.
Medium Priority: Medium priority bugs should be addressed in the current or next sprint but don't require immediate attention. These bugs affect functionality but don't block critical operations. Most bugs fall into this category as they represent issues that need resolution but can wait for the normal development cycle.
Low Priority: Low priority bugs can be deferred to future releases or addressed when time permits. These are typically nice-to-have fixes that don't significantly impact users or business operations. They might be scheduled for major version updates or addressed during maintenance cycles.
Severity vs Priority: Understanding the Difference
While severity and priority are often confused, they represent different aspects of bug assessment within the Jira bug life cycle. Severity is technical and describes the impact on functionality, while priority is business-driven and describes the urgency of the fix. A bug can have high severity but low priority, or low severity but high priority, depending on the context.
Example 1 - High Severity, High Priority: The payment gateway fails during checkout, preventing all customers from completing purchases. This is both technically severe (breaks critical functionality) and business-critical (directly impacts revenue), requiring immediate attention.
Example 2 - High Severity, Low Priority: A rare bug crashes the admin panel when generating a specific report that's only used once a year during annual audits. While technically severe, it can wait for the next sprint since it doesn't affect daily operations and has a simple workaround.
Example 3 - Low Severity, High Priority: A spelling error appears in the company CEO's name on the homepage. While technically trivial, it's embarrassing and highly visible, requiring immediate correction despite its minor technical impact.
Example 4 - Low Severity, Low Priority: A tooltip displays slightly misaligned text on a rarely-used settings page. This cosmetic issue has minimal impact and can be addressed whenever convenient, perhaps bundled with other minor UI fixes.
Common Bug Reporting Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced testers sometimes fall into common traps when reporting bugs. Avoid vague descriptions like "it doesn't work" or "there's a problem." Instead, be specific about what doesn't work and how. Don't combine multiple bugs into a single report; each issue should have its own ticket for better tracking and resolution. Never assume developers know the context; always provide complete information even if you think it's obvious.
Resist the temptation to over-escalate everything as "critical" or "high priority." This dilutes the meaning of these classifications and makes it harder to identify truly urgent issues. Don't skip reproduction steps thinking the bug is obvious; what's clear to you might not be clear to someone unfamiliar with the specific test scenario. Finally, avoid emotional language or blame. Keep your bug reports professional, factual, and focused on the technical aspects of the issue.
By following these bug reporting best practices and understanding the distinction between severity and priority, you create a more efficient Jira bug life cycle, enabling faster resolution times and better collaboration between testing and development teams. Quality bug reports are the cornerstone of quality software, making this skill invaluable for anyone involved in the software development process.
Final Takeaway
As you have seen in this blog how the bug's life cycle is addressed and what the bug's life cycle is. To know more about the Jira bug tracking tool and to get hands-on in the bugs life cycle, register now for the Jira training online. What are you waiting for? Get real-world experience in the Jira bugs life cycle management, and become certified in Jira with the Jira course.
