Learn the steps to fix and prevent a critical bug in your web application, a serious error that can cause data loss, security breaches, or system crashes.

✒Identify and isolate the bug's source through logs and error messages. ✒Prioritize fixing the bug based on its severity and impact on the user experience. ✒Mitigate risks by disabling affected features or rolling back if necessary. ✒Document the bug with detailed information on its symptoms, triggers, and potential impact. ✒Develop and test a solution in a development environment. ✒Communicate the issue and resolution to stakeholders transparently. ✒Implement the fix in the production environment promptly. ✒Monitor closely after deploying the fix to production. ✒Monitor the application post-fix to ensure the bug is fully resolved.

What do you do if your web application encounters a critical bug?

A critical bug is a serious error or defect in your web application that can cause major problems for your users, such as data loss, security breaches, or system crashes. When you encounter a critical bug, you need to act quickly and effectively to fix it and prevent further damage. Here are some steps you can follow to handle a critical bug in your web application.

1 Identify the bug

The first step is to identify the bug and its root cause. You can use various tools and methods to do this, such as error logs, debugging tools, user feedback, or testing scenarios. You should try to reproduce the bug and isolate the factors that trigger it. You should also document the bug and its symptoms, such as the error messages, the steps to reproduce it, and the expected and actual outcomes.

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Yogesh Harke

Software Engineer | LinkedIn Top Voice | Skilled Back-End Developer | Focused on web applications | Proficient in PHP, Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript & Rest API | Passionate about clean code and user-centric solutions.
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✒Identify and isolate the bug's source through logs and error messages. ✒Prioritize fixing the bug based on its severity and impact on the user experience. ✒Mitigate risks by disabling affected features or rolling back if necessary. ✒Document the bug with detailed information on its symptoms, triggers, and potential impact. ✒Develop and test a solution in a development environment. ✒Communicate the issue and resolution to stakeholders transparently. ✒Implement the fix in the production environment promptly. ✒Monitor closely after deploying the fix to production. ✒Monitor the application post-fix to ensure the bug is fully resolved.

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Muhammad Zeeshan

Expert in Software Quality Assurance & Efficient Project Management | Adept in Test Planning & Execution
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When a critical bug encounter in a web application, determine the exact nature and scope of bug. Identify the specific functionality or component affected and its impact on the application's performance or customer experience ( CX ).

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Rajat Malik

Lead@Siemens - Angular | React | Redux | JavaScript | AWS | Frontend Architect | Node | UI/UX | Architecture | Agile | REST| Micro-Services | Micro-Frontend | Ex-HCL
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Hunting down a bug? Start by identifying the culprit! Error logs, debuggers, user reports, and test cases are your weapons. Aim to replicate the bug, pinpoint triggers, and document everything. Note error messages, reproduction steps, and expected vs. actual behavior.

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Kamandar Abdullayev

Founder & CEO [Botlab]
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Identify and Replicate: First, verify that the issue is indeed critical and can be replicated consistently. Reproduce the bug in a controlled environment to understand its triggers and behavior.

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2 Prioritize the bug

The next step is to prioritize the bug and decide how urgent and important it is to fix it. You can use a bug tracking system or a priority matrix to classify the bug according to its severity, impact, frequency, and complexity. You should also consider the business value, the user satisfaction, and the technical feasibility of fixing the bug. You should assign the bug to the most appropriate team member or group and communicate the priority and the deadline.

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Nahrin Oda

Software Engineer & Visionary | Frontend Team Lead Driving UI Innovation
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Assessing bug severity involves evaluating its financial impact and resolution time. High-priority bugs, especially those risking financial losses, demand immediate attention from our top engineer, selected based on the bug's nature (frontend, backend, or system). The resolution process includes a quick cycle of fixing, reviewing, testing, and deploying the code. After deployment, the team vigilantly monitors the system for at least two hours to ensure the fix hasn't caused additional issues. This method ensures critical bugs are resolved swiftly while maintaining system stability.

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Ansha Batra
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Assess the severity and impact of the bug to prioritize its resolution. Critical bugs that impact core functionality or user experience should be addressed with the highest priority, while minor bugs may be addressed later. Consider factors such as the number of users affected, the frequency of occurrence, and the potential business impact.

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3 Fix the bug

The third step is to fix the bug and test the solution. You should follow the best practices and standards of your web development process, such as coding conventions, version control, code reviews, and testing frameworks. You should also document the changes you make and the rationale behind them. You should test the solution thoroughly and verify that it works as expected and does not introduce new bugs or regressions.

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Alessandro Ghizzardi

CTO @ Softec S.p.A. - I talk about being a good manager and let tech and non-tech departments work togheter
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Take your time to understand the impact of bug resolution: if it will take for instance a week, in a mission critical environment it could be a real problem. Try to understand if there's the possibility to apply a workaround first, to let the application / customer go on, and finally fix the bug right after.

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4 Deploy the solution

The fourth step is to deploy the solution and monitor the results. You should follow the deployment procedures and protocols of your web application, such as staging, backup, rollback, and security. You should also notify the users and the stakeholders about the bug fix and the deployment status. You should monitor the performance, the functionality, and the feedback of your web application after the deployment and check if the bug is resolved or not.

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5 Analyze the bug

The fifth step is to analyze the bug and learn from it. You should conduct a root cause analysis and a post-mortem review to understand how and why the bug occurred, what impact it had, what actions you took, and what outcomes you achieved. You should also identify the strengths and weaknesses of your bug handling process and the lessons learned. You should document the findings and the recommendations and share them with your team and your organization.

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6 Prevent the bug

The final step is to prevent the bug and improve your web application quality. You should implement the recommendations and the action items from your analysis and review. You should also update your web application requirements, design, code, and tests to reflect the changes and the improvements. You should also adopt preventive measures and best practices, such as code quality checks, automated testing, continuous integration, and user feedback loops.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What do you do if your web application encounters a critical bug?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify the bug

2 Prioritize the bug

3 Fix the bug

4 Deploy the solution

5 Analyze the bug

6 Prevent the bug

7 Here’s what else to consider

Web Applications

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What do you do if your web application encounters a critical bug?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify the bug

2 Prioritize the bug

3 Fix the bug

4 Deploy the solution

5 Analyze the bug

6 Prevent the bug

7 Here’s what else to consider

Web Applications

Rate this article

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