1.6When to File a Bug vs When to Have a Conversation First

Not every issue belongs in the bug tracker immediately. Sometimes a quick conversation prevents unnecessary tickets and preserves the relationship.

File a Bug When

• The behavior clearly contradicts the acceptance criteria
• The issue is reproducible and well-understood
• Multiple people might encounter the same problem
• You need a permanent record for tracking and metrics
• The fix is not urgent enough to interrupt someone right now

Have a Conversation First When

• You are not sure if it is a bug or intended behavior
• The issue is in a feature the developer is actively working on
• The fix is trivial and the developer is sitting next to you (or on Slack)
• You suspect the bug is a symptom of a larger design issue worth discussing
• The area is sensitive -- a public bug report might embarrass someone

The Conversation-First Pattern

"Hey Alex, I was testing the checkout flow and noticed something on the order summary page. The discount shows correctly in the cart but disappears at checkout. Is this a known issue, or should I file a ticket?"

This approach gives the developer a chance to say "Oh, I'm working on that right now" or "That's a known limitation, we have a ticket" -- saving everyone time.

Decision Flowchart

Is the behavior clearly a bug based on acceptance criteria?
├── YES → Is the developer actively working on this code right now?
│         ├── YES → Quick message first, then file if they want a ticket
│         └── NO → File the bug
└── NO / UNSURE → Have a conversation first
                  ├── Bug confirmed → File with the shared context
                  └── Intended behavior → Document it, update test case