How to Set Up Bug Tracking for New Projects (A Step-by-Step Guide)

You're starting a new project. Code is flowing, features are taking shape, and then: the first bug. Then the second. Then a dozen. Without a system, you'll lose track—and your users will suffer.

Here's how to set up bug tracking that grows with your project.

Phase 1: Just Starting (Week 1)

Keep It Simple

You don't need Jira on day one. Start with the basics:

Option A: GitHub Issues If you're using GitHub for code, use Issues for bugs:

<h1>Bug: Login button unresponsive</h1>
<h2>Environment</h2>
Browser: Chrome 120
OS: macOS 14
<h2>Steps to Reproduce</h2>
Go to login page
Enter credentials
Click "Login"
Nothing happens
<h2>Expected</h2>
Redirect to dashboard
<h2>Actual</h2>
Button does nothing

Option B: Linear If you want something nicer than GitHub Issues:

Free for small teams

Fast and beautiful

Good defaults

Option C: Notion Database If you're already using Notion:

Create a bugs database

Add status, priority, assignee

Simple and free

Create Your Bug Template

Whatever tool you choose, standardize how bugs are reported:

Title: [Brief description of the bug]
<strong>Environment</strong>
Browser/Platform:
Version:
User account (if relevant):
<strong>Steps to Reproduce</strong>
1.
2.
3.
<strong>Expected Behavior</strong>
[What should happen]
<strong>Actual Behavior</strong>
[What actually happens]
<strong>Screenshots/Logs</strong>
[Attach if helpful]

Define Basic Statuses

Start with three:

Open: Needs attention

In Progress: Being worked on

Done: Fixed

That's it. You can add more later.

Phase 2: Growing (Month 1-3)

Add Priority Levels

As bugs accumulate, you need to know what to fix first:

Priority	Definition	Response

Critical	App unusable, data loss	Fix immediately

High	Major feature broken	Fix this sprint

Medium	Annoying but workable	Fix when possible

Low	Minor issues	Nice to have

Introduce Categories

Group bugs by area:

Frontend: UI issues

Backend: API, data issues

Infrastructure: Deploy, performance

Documentation: Docs bugs

Set Up Labels

Labels help filter and search:

bug vs feature vs question

frontend vs backend

critical vs high vs medium vs low

needs-info for unclear reports

Create a Triage Process

Don't let bugs sit unlabeled:

New bug comes in

Within 24 hours: assign priority and category

Critical: immediate assignment

Others: add to backlog for sprint planning

Phase 3: Users Involved (Month 3+)

Set Up External Bug Reporting

Users need a way to report bugs:

Option A: Email

support@yourapp.com

Manually create issues from emails

Works but doesn't scale

Option B: Feedback Widget

Embedded in your app

Captures context automatically

Scales better

Option C: BugBrain

Widget + AI triage

Auto-classifies incoming reports

Routes appropriately

Create User-Facing Status

Users want to know what happened to their report:

Received: We got it

Investigating: Looking into it

In Progress: Being fixed

Resolved: Fixed (with version)

Won't Fix: Not a bug or by design

Establish SLAs (Service Level Agreements)

Set expectations:

Critical bugs: Acknowledged within 1 hour

High priority: Triaged within 24 hours

All bugs: Status update within 1 week

Phase 4: Team Scaling

Define Ownership

When you have multiple engineers:

Assign areas to people (frontend person, backend person)

Route bugs to owners automatically

Clear escalation path for unowned bugs

Integrate with Development Workflow

Connect bugs to code:

Link bugs to PRs

Auto-close bugs when PR merges

Reference bug IDs in commits

git commit -m "Fix login button - closes #123"

Add Release Tracking

Know which bugs are fixed in which version:

Tag bugs with target version

Generate release notes from closed bugs

Track regression (bugs returning)

The Complete Setup Checklist

Week 1

[ ] Choose a tool (GitHub Issues, Linear, etc.)

[ ] Create bug report template

[ ] Define basic statuses (Open, In Progress, Done)

[ ] File your first bug properly

Month 1

[ ] Add priority levels

[ ] Create categories/labels

[ ] Establish triage cadence

[ ] Document bug workflow for team

Month 3

[ ] Set up user feedback channel

[ ] Create user-facing status communication

[ ] Define SLAs

[ ] Consider AI triage (BugBrain)

Month 6+

[ ] Integrate with CI/CD

[ ] Set up release tracking

[ ] Implement bug metrics

[ ] Review and refine process

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Over-Engineering from Day One

You don't need Jira's 50 fields on day one. Start simple, add complexity when pain emerges.

No Bug Template

"it's broken" isn't a bug report. Enforce structure from the start.

Ignoring Triage

Bugs without priority are bugs that don't get fixed. Triage religiously.

No User Feedback Path

If users can't report bugs easily, they'll just leave. Give them a channel.

Separate Systems for Bugs and Features

One backlog, not two. Bugs and features compete for the same resources.

BugBrain for New Projects

BugBrain provides an accelerated path:

Instant Setup:

Create project

Add widget to your app

Bugs flow in, auto-classified

What You Get:

Feedback widget (no code beyond snippet)

AI classification (bug vs. feature vs. question)

Priority auto-assignment

Documentation auto-resolution

Alerts for critical issues

Start with intelligent bug tracking from day one.

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Setting up a new project? Start with BugBrain and skip the painful setup phase.