Not every bug is critical – how to prioritize issues (A practical guide to severity, priority, and smarter QA triage)

You’ve logged 42 bugs during your latest round of testing.
Now what?

Do they all go to the top of the dev queue?
Do they all block release?

Of course not.

But without a clear system, bug triage becomes a guessing game—and that’s where product quality suffers.

In this article, we’ll explain how to approach QA triage with confidence, walk through the difference between bug severity levels and priority, and share actionable strategies for prioritizing bugs the right way.

Why prioritization matters in QA

Not every bug is created equal.

Some are show-stoppers. Others are edge-case annoyances.
Some impact every user. Others only appear once in a blue moon.

The job of QA and product teams is not just to find bugs—it’s to help the organization understand which bugs matter most right now.

Proper triage ensures:

• The most important issues are fixed first
• Developers don’t waste time on low-impact bugs
• Product managers can make informed release decisions
• QA and devs stay aligned on expectations

Severity vs. Priority – What’s the difference?

They sound similar, but they’re not the same.

Severity = How bad is the bug from a technical or user impact perspective?

Think: scope of damage.

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Priority = How soon should it be fixed?

Think: business urgency.

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A bug can be high severity, low priority—or vice versa.
Understanding both dimensions helps the whole team make better decisions.

 🔧 Prioritizing bugs the smart way

Here are some practical QA triage tips to help your team:

1. Use a matrix

Plot bugs by severity and priority to decide what rises to the top.
Visual tools help reduce bias and emotion in decision-making.

2. Ask the right questions

• How many users are affected?
• Can users still complete their task?
• Is there a workaround?
• Will this impact trust or conversion?

3. Align across teams

QA, PMs, and devs should agree on what counts as “critical” or “P1.”
Create a shared reference table and revisit it periodically.

4. Track patterns

If a bug type keeps coming back, even if it's low impact—track it.
It could point to technical debt or usability friction.

How re:bug helps you prioritize and triage with confidence

Triage starts with great reporting—and that’s where re:bug shines.

With re:bug, QA and product teams can:

• Tag bugs by severity level and business priority
• Use structured forms with steps, screenshots, and environment data
• Push reports directly into Jira or email, pre-categorized
• See all issues in one place for effective triage and decision-making

Instead of messy spreadsheets or unclear Slack messages, you get consistency, clarity, and better release readiness.

Final thoughts

Bugs will always be part of software development—but chaos doesn’t have to be.

With a clear understanding of bug severity levels, solid systems for prioritizing bugs, and smart QA triage practices, your team can move fast and stay in control.

And with re:bug supporting your process, bug triage becomes less of a battle—and more of a breeze.