{"id":4937,"date":"2023-09-14T06:35:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T10:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/?p=4937"},"modified":"2024-11-04T18:34:24","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T23:34:24","slug":"bug-vs-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/bug-vs-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"Bug vs feature: what\u2019s the difference? (guide + examples)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding the difference between a bug and a feature can be tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But sometimes what starts as a bug report can turn into a great new feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Identifying these feature opportunities can help product development and lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/why-resource-optimization-is-critical-for-product-teams-in-2023\/\">smarter use of resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not to mention they make your customers feel heard!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this post, we will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Explain the difference between a bug report and a feature request (it\u2019s not as obvious as you might think!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Show how to sort bugs to identify feature requests<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share how we at Marker.io use Canny to organize and prioritize these requests<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bug vs feature: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A bug is an unintended software error. A feature is an intended functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bugs disrupt the user experience and appear under specific conditions. Features should enhance the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"609\" height=\"304\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/bug-vs-feature-1.png\" alt=\"Bug vs feature\" class=\"wp-image-8238\" style=\"width:650px;height:undefinedpx\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/marker.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And at first glance, it\u2019s that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in real-world scenarios, the lines start to blur:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Design decisions<\/strong>. What your users consider a bug (\u201cWhy can\u2019t I do X?\u201d) might actually be a conscious design decision from the product team.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Undocumented features<\/strong>. Developers sometimes add minor product features that new users might perceive as bugs or glitches. This highlights the <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/release-notes\/\">need for a solid changelog<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>User expectation ambiguity<\/strong>. Different users might interpret features differently. This leads to a gap between expectation and actual functionality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unintended benefits<\/strong>. What starts as a bug can become a feature if users find value in the unintended behavior.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People who aren&#8217;t tech-savvy often label any undesired behavior as a \u201cbug\u201d \u2013 even if it&#8217;s just a feature they don\u2019t understand. <a href=\"https:\/\/marker.io\/blog\/user-acceptance-testing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Testing the product with users first<\/a> can help avoid this confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, while the terms \u201cbug\u201d and \u201cfeature\u201d may sound simple, they can get confusing in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, let&#8217;s look at how you can clear up these confusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to turn a bug report into a feature request<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s look at a real-world example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/marker.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marker.io<\/a>, our tool, helps development teams collect website feedback from clients and colleagues. This includes bug reports with screenshots, annotations, technical metadata, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few months back, a customer contacted support. They said: \u201cHey, my client can\u2019t see bugs that were already logged by our internal QA team. This leads to duplicate reports. What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But our tool is made this way on purpose. We wanted to keep it simple for guest reporters who aren&#8217;t tech experts, so they don&#8217;t get overwhelmed by lots of complicated bug reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Again \u2014 a <em>conscious<\/em> design decision, <em>perceived<\/em> as a bug!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, we turned that bug report into a new feature request, in Canny, on behalf of the client.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1097\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/report-bug-feature-request.avif\" alt=\"Report bug becomes a feature request\" class=\"wp-image-8239\" style=\"width:650px;height:undefinedpx\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/report-bug-feature-request.avif 1030w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/report-bug-feature-request-768x818.avif 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/feedback.canny.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This turned out to be something other customers wanted, and it gave us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Insight into our customers&#8217; pain points, which we can use when designing the new feature<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ideas for other use cases, explanations, and expectations from our end users<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This kind of information is invaluable to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there are a few challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Figuring out the problem and rephrasing it as a feature request<\/strong>. \u201cMy client can\u2019t see feedback from internal QA\u201d \u2013 presented as a bug \u2013 really means \u201cAllow guest reporters to see feedback from members\u201d. In some cases, we need to discuss this further with the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Grouping similar feature requests<\/strong>. Users describe your platform in various ways. This means customer support has to work hard to figure out what features are being asked for. They have to avoid duplicate requests and combine them into existing ones.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1068\" height=\"1235\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/group-similar-feature-requests.avif\" alt=\"Grouping similar feature requests\" class=\"wp-image-8241\" style=\"width:650px;height:undefinedpx\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/group-similar-feature-requests.avif 1068w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/group-similar-feature-requests-768x888.avif 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1068px) 100vw, 1068px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/feedback.canny.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to easily manage feature requests? Try <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/use-cases\/feature-request-management\">Canny&#8217;s feature request software<\/a> for free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Case study: transforming bugs into features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, features and enhancements can be perceived as bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create performance issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cause unwanted behavior (e.g., autoplaying videos\u2026)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Introduce security flaws<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make the product more complicated from a user experience perspective<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But with smart product design, you can also flip the script, and turn limitations into advantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s exactly what happened with Gmail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They had a built-in delay of about five seconds when processing an email message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some might have viewed this as a performance issue or minor bug. But the Gmail team turned it into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/gmail-labs-rolls-out-undo-send\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cundo send\u201d feature<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"714\" height=\"124\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/undo-send-Gmail.avif\" alt=\"Undo send Gmail\" class=\"wp-image-8242\" style=\"width:650px;height:undefinedpx\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/mail\/u\/0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now you can even customize how long you have to cancel an email, from five to thirty seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your product makes users wait for a bit, consider implementing a similar hack. You can get an easy win that elevates your product\u2019s user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This proves once again that sometimes the line between a bug and a feature is more about perspective and creativity than anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bug vs feature: how to prioritize<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Managing a backlog full of customer issues while juggling a <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/feedback-board-use-cases\/\">feedback board<\/a> loaded with feature requests can be tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some teams choose to \u201cfix all bugs before working on new features\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, developers often find working on new features more exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a novice project manager, <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/prioritization-feature-development-canny\/\">deciding what to prioritize<\/a> can be tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there&#8217;s a simple solution to this issue. Despite their differences, bugs and features share one thing: <strong>missing functionality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simply put, \u201cbug\u201d or \u201cfeature\u201d, as shown above, is just a label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, understanding the nature of each issue aids in task prioritization, but:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can you confidently say that all your bug fixes are more crucial than new features?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8230;and are these new features truly going to affect your bottom-line more than this app-breaking bug?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(Extreme examples, but the point stands)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What brings the biggest value for the customer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether it&#8217;s a bug or feature request \u2014 rearrange your <a href=\"https:\/\/marker.io\/blog\/bug-tracking-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bug tracker<\/a>\u2019s labels. For instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Paying (this bug\/lack of feature is impacting paying customers)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Breaking\/deal-breaker (we will lose customers due to this missing feature\/bug)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and so on<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"974\" height=\"1054\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/bug-tracker-labels.avif\" alt=\"Bug tracker's labels\" class=\"wp-image-8243\" style=\"width:650px;height:undefinedpx\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/bug-tracker-labels.avif 974w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/bug-tracker-labels-768x831.avif 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 974px) 100vw, 974px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/linear.app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With proper organization, the item with the highest customer value tops the list, whether it&#8217;s a bug or a feature request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another good way to gauge feature request value is with Canny\u2019s upvote feature (and you can even sort by MRR impact!).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1078\" height=\"802\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Canny-roadmap.avif\" alt=\"Bug tracker's labels\" class=\"wp-image-8244\" style=\"width:650px;height:undefinedpx\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Canny-roadmap.avif 1078w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Canny-roadmap-768x571.avif 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1078px) 100vw, 1078px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/feedback.canny.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember these two points during this process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don&#8217;t assume that creating a new feature is quick. It often ends up introducing more bugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your developers are likely to advocate for new features over bug fixes. Yes \u2014 working on a new feature is more fun than fixing bugs. No surprise there!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maximizing product development: the bug vs. feature equation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turns out that the difference between a &#8220;bug&#8221; and a &#8220;feature&#8221; is pretty nuanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Design choices and how customers see things can make a bug become a feature, or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the main principle stays the same: <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/customer-focused-business\/\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"76\">focus on customer<\/a> value. Evaluate the impact of the bug or feature on the user experience, improve your product, and prioritize tasks effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the difference between a bug and a feature can be tricky. Sometimes what starts as a bug report can turn into a great new feature. Here&#8217;s how to spot the difference and get organized.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":4943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7],"tags":[33,302,305,304,307,74,303,190,71,15,123,124,32],"class_list":["post-4937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-building-saas","category-product-management","tag-advice","tag-bug","tag-bug-versus-feature","tag-bug-vs-feature","tag-case-study","tag-changelog","tag-feature","tag-feature-request","tag-feature-requests","tag-product-management","tag-resource-optimization","tag-resources","tag-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"modified_by":"Eric Hoppe","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4937"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8245,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4937\/revisions\/8245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}