Bug reproductions

Issue-reporting workflow

A well-described issue is immensely helpful when developing a software product, and a minimal reproduction is one of the most useful parts of the conversation.

How can we encourage users to provide bug reproductions in a smart way?

You can use GitHub's issue templates for that, but what's even more engaging is their new issue forms feature. For instance, this is how Vite team is using it:

You can also configure a GitHub workflow where assigning a specific label to the issue automatically adds a relevant comment asking for a reproduction. Here's an example from the Vite repository:

name: Issue Labeled

on:
  issues:
    types: [labeled]

jobs:
  reply-labeled:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: need reproduction
        if: github.event.label.name == 'need reproduction'
        uses: actions-cool/issues-helper@v2
        with:
          actions: 'create-comment, remove-labels'
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          issue-number: ${{ github.event.issue.number }}
          body: |
            Hello @${{ github.event.issue.user.login }}. 
            Please provide a [minimal reproduction](https://stackoverflow.com/help/minimal-reproducible-example) 
            using a GitHub repository or [StackBlitz](https://vite.new).
            Issues marked with `need reproduction` will be closed if they have no activity within 3 days.
          labels: 'pending triage'

How to help users in creating a reproduction?

In order to reduce the friction when creating a bug reproduction, you can create a starter project that your users will be able to instantly launch, edit, and add to the issue.

💡 Read all about running projects from GitHub in the GitHub Importer Guide.

How can we improve this guide?

Haven't found an answer to your question? Let us know!