How to record a web form bug safely

A form behaves incorrectly, and support needs to see what happened. But a recording can also expose names, email addresses, account details, or private information in other tabs and notifications.

Prepare a safe reproduction before recording. The Screen Recorder can capture a browser tab, window, or screen, with optional sound, microphone, and camera. This guide shows how to capture the bug while keeping personal data out of the video.

Record the bug safely

1. Open the Screen Recorder and use the browser's screen-sharing picker to choose the specific tab or window with the form. Avoid sharing your entire screen unless the bug requires it.
2. Reproduce the issue with fictional information, such as Alex Example and alex@example.com. Use a test account or non-production form, and do not submit anything that could send a real message, charge a card, or change a real account.
3. Leave the microphone and camera off if narration or your face is not needed. Include sound only if it helps explain the issue, and check that no private conversation or notification could be captured.
4. Record the shortest sequence that shows the problem: the starting state, the action that triggers it, and the incorrect result. Stop the recording once the behavior is clear.

Before recording, check the visible page from top to bottom. Look for names, profile pictures, saved addresses, browser tabs, bookmarks, and text in the address bar. A URL can contain private values after a question mark, such as a session token or search term.

Choose what to include

Capture one tab when the bug is in a web page

Sharing one tab usually keeps other open pages and desktop items out of view. It is a good choice when the issue can be reproduced entirely within the form. The browser may still show permission prompts or sharing indicators, so review the recording before sending it.

Capture a window when the issue crosses pages

Choose a browser window if you need to show a transition between pages or a popup that does not appear in the original tab. Close unrelated tabs first and make sure the window does not reveal saved personal information or another account.

Capture the full screen only when necessary

A full-screen recording can show desktop notifications, open apps, and private files. Use it only if the bug depends on something outside the browser. Close unrelated windows and silence notifications before you start.

Use narration only if it adds useful context

A brief spoken explanation can clarify what you expected and what happened. It can also capture people nearby or sensitive details you did not intend to share. If a few words on the page explain the problem, record without microphone audio instead.

How to keep personal data out

1. Use a test account. Create or ask for an approved account with fictional details. If the form needs a realistic-looking value, use a safe example rather than a real customer's information.
2. Use a separate browser profile. A clean profile helps keep personal bookmarks, account names, and autofill suggestions away from the form. Do not sign in to a personal account in the profile you use for a work bug recording.
3. Silence notifications. Turn on Do Not Disturb before you record. In Windows 11, open Settings › System › Notifications. On a Mac, open System Settings › Focus. Check that notifications are silenced for the recording period.
4. Keep the capture area small. Select the tab or window that contains the issue instead of the full screen. Move the pointer away from any information you do not need to show.
5. Do not capture real secrets to prove a bug. If the issue only appears with private or regulated data, do not record that data. Describe the steps and the type of value used, without including the value itself, and ask your organization for an approved way to share evidence.
6. Review the video before sharing it. Watch the whole recording, including the first and last moments. If private information appears, do not send that copy. Delete it and make a new recording with safer test data.

For a useful bug report, explain what you expected to happen and what happened instead. Include the steps to reproduce it, the browser and device if relevant, and whether the issue happens every time. Keep the description factual and leave out personal data.

What to do if the bug needs real data

The form works with fictional information

Use the fictional version in the recording, even if the real form contains customer or employee details. Show the same actions and error message, then state in your report that you reproduced the issue with test data.

The error only appears with a particular kind of value

Describe the value by type rather than copying it. For example, say that the issue occurs with a long postal code or a date in a particular format. If the exact value matters, ask the service owner how to share it securely without putting it in a general recording.

You accidentally recorded personal information

Keep the file private and do not attach or upload it. Delete the recording and create a new one with the sensitive information removed from the page before capture. If the recording was already shared, follow your organization's process for reporting an accidental disclosure.

The Screen Recorder runs in your browser, and recordings stay on your device. Share only the finished recording you have reviewed.