The Top 5 Types of Software Bugs (and How to Fix Them For Good)
If you feel like you’re fixing the same bugs in software over and over again, you can’t imagine it… They really keep coming back.
Broken integrations. Security breaches. Slow applications. Misconfigured environments. User interfaces that shrink at the slightest click.
These recurring bugs aren’t just frustrating either; They slow down your releases, waste developer time, and damage your reputation.
So, what can you do about them?
As software developers, customers often come to us with the same problems – problems that are often preventable – which is why we break down the five most common types of software bugs we see and, more importantly, how to build processes that consistently detect them.
If your goal is to ship faster, protect your users, and stop fighting bugs in production, this simple breakdown will save you hours (and headaches) with every sprint.
Top 5 Most Common Bugs & How to Fix Them
1. Integration Errors
When different parts of your system can’t talk to each other, the results can be ugly. Integration errors are what lead to broken features, lost data, and angry users.
Causes:
- Unversioned or mismatched API contracts
- Unsynchronized microservice deployments
- Lack of integration or contract testing
- Poor async handling (e.g. timeouts, partial responses, unprocessed queues)
- Inadequate error handling between services (e.g. no fallback, no retry logic etc)
Solutions:
- Implement automated integration tests
- Use contract testing to ensure service compatibility
- Document APIs and versioning protocols clearly
2. Security Issues
A single security gap can put your entire product and every user who relies on it at risk, which is why prevention has to be a priority from day one. Nothing erodes trust faster than security bugs in software, and once it’s gone, it’s nearly impossible to win back.
Causes:
- Missing server-side validation (e.g., XSS vulnerabilities)
- Tokens stored or transmitted in plain text
- Poor access control (e.g. lack of RBAC)
- Use of outdated dependencies with known CVEs
- Unprotected or overly permissive endpoints
Solutions:
- Integrate automated security scanning into your CI/CD pipeline
- Follow OWASP best practices
- Train teams regularly on security risks
3. Inconsistent Performance
Few things drive users away faster than an app that feels fast one minute and painfully slow the next. If you’re experiencing a drop in conversions and high churn, it could be due to inconsistent performance.
Causes:
- Unoptimized code (e.g., unindexed SQL queries, heavy loops)
- Missing caching layers (e.g. CDN or application-level)
- Poorly configured or missing autoscaling
- Unbalanced load distribution
- No real-world performance testing
Solutions:
- Set up real-time monitoring (e.g. APM, logs, tracing)
- Run regular load and stress tests
- Optimize database queries and external dependencies
4. Configuration Errors
When configuration isn’t managed correctly, even the most well-built software can behave unpredictably or fail completely. Not to mention, nothing is more frustrating than losing hours troubleshooting, only to find the problem was just a misconfigured setting.
Causes:
- Inconsistent configuration files
- Poor secrets management
- Unsafe default settings
- No validation or versioning of configuration files
Solutions:
- Use centralized configuration management tools (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Parameter Store)
- Version and validate all configuration files
- Automate environment testing
5. UI (User Interface) Bugs
Your UI is the face of your product, and when it breaks, so does your users’ confidence in everything behind it. It might sound dramatic, but UI bugs such as a single glitchy button or misaligned layout can be all it takes for a user to close your app and never come back.
Causes:
- Limited testing or visual validation
- Non-responsive components
- CSS conflicts
- Outdated UI libraries or frameworks
- Poor handling of edge cases
Solutions:
- Write end-to-end tests for critical user journeys
- Test on multiple browsers and devices (e.g., with BrowserStack)
- Involve UX and QA early in the design process
Turn recurring bugs into rare events
These five types of software bugs – integration failures, security gaps, inconsistent performance, configuration errors, and UI glitches – aren’t just random bad luck. They’re the result of preventable weak spots in your process.
And if you’re seeing the same bugs sprint after sprint, it’s not just costing you time, it’s costing you trust, revenue, and momentum. All of which will impact your bottom line.
With the right QA strategy, you can stop fixing the same issues, release faster, and give your developers the freedom to focus on building features instead of patching problems.
And that’s exactly what we help our clients do.
Tired of fixing the same bugs, sprint after sprint?
Need a quick, effective QA plan to clean up your releases?
Contact us for a free diagnosis or a focused QA intervention.
We’ll help you catch vulnerabilities before they become critical and ship with confidence.
Find out more about how our external QA services can help solve your recurring bug issues
