Report a problem clearly

When something stops working, a clear description helps the right person respond. “It is broken” often leaves them guessing what happened.

Describe the observation

“When I select ‘Download’, the page shows an error message.” This explains the action and the result. Include the exact message if it is relevant and safe to share.

Separate what you observed from what you suspect. “The page is not loading” is an observation. “The server may be unavailable” is a possible explanation.

Explain the impact

“I can’t download the attendance list, so I can’t print the badges.” This tells the reader why the problem matters.

Ask for a next step

“Could you check this or tell me who can help?” Mention a real deadline if there is one. Share relevant screenshots only after checking that they do not expose passwords or private information.

Useful words include issue (a problem), affected (impacted), and resolved (fixed). “The issue is resolved” should mean the problem has actually been checked and fixed.

Your turn

Improve: “The website is bad. Fix it.” Describe a problem with a form.

See a possible answer

“When I submit the registration form, it returns to the first page without confirming my registration. Could you check whether the submission was received?”