What Feedback Should Testers Give? A Guide for Indie Developers
How to get useful feedback from your closed test: what to ask testers, a simple bug report template, and how to turn it into strong production access answers.
Why feedback matters for production access
Google's production access form asks you to summarize the feedback you received and what you changed because of it. If testers only opted in and said "looks good", you have nothing to write, and that's a common reason applications get turned down.
Good feedback isn't just nice to have. It's the evidence that your closed test was real.
Ask for something specific
"Let me know what you think" gets silence. A specific ask gets answers.
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| "Try the app." | "Sign up, add three expenses and export a report. Tell me where you got stuck." |
| "Any bugs?" | "Does anything crash or look broken on your phone? Please send a screenshot." |
| "Thoughts?" | "What's the one thing you'd change about the home screen?" |
A simple bug report template
Share this with testers, or turn it into a short form:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| What did you do? | Tapped Export on the Reports screen |
| What did you expect? | A PDF to download |
| What happened instead? | The app closed |
| Phone and Android version | Pixel 6, Android 14 |
| Screenshot or recording | (attached) |
Five fields is enough. Longer forms get fewer replies.
Sort what comes in
| Type | What it is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bug | Something broken: crashes, errors, wrong results | Fix before you apply |
| UX note | Works, but confusing or slow | Fix the biggest ones |
| Suggestion | An idea for something new | Note it for later releases |
Keep everything in one place: a form's results sheet, a board, or a tagged list, with the date and the version it was found in.
Turn feedback into changes
- 1Step 1
Collect
Feedback lands in one place, tagged as bug, UX note or suggestion.
- 2Step 2
Prioritize
Crashes first, then whatever blocks the main flow.
- 3Step 3
Ship an update
Release a fix to the closed track during the test.
- Step 4
Write it down
Bug → fix → version. That's your production access answer.
When you apply, you can then write something like: "Testers reported a crash when exporting on Android 11; fixed in 1.0.3. Several couldn't find the export button; moved it to the home screen in 1.0.4." See how to answer the production access questions for more examples.
FAQ
How much feedback do I need for production access?
There's no set number. What matters is that it's genuine and that you acted on it. A handful of specific bugs you fixed is more convincing than a long list of vague comments.
What's the best way for testers to send feedback?
A short form is usually best: it asks the right questions and keeps everything in one place. Play Console also lets you add a feedback email or URL that testers see on the opt-in page.
Should I fix every suggestion?
No. Fix bugs and the biggest usability problems before you apply. Note suggestions for later. You can mention them as planned improvements.
My testers aren't giving any feedback. What can I do?
Give them a specific task to try and a simple way to report. Short, concrete asks like 'try exporting a report and tell me if it worked' get far more replies than open-ended ones.
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Keep reading
- Closed vs Internal vs Open Testing on Google Play: What's the Difference?Google Play has three testing tracks. Here's who each one is for, how testers join, and which one counts for the 12-tester requirement on new personal accounts.
- Free vs Paid Google Play Testers: An Honest ComparisonFriends, tester exchanges, freelancers or a managed service? What each way of getting 12 Google Play testers really costs in money, time and risk.