What does the severity level of defects in testing depend on?

The severity level of a defect depends on its impact on the functionality, performance, security, or usability of the product.

Main factors:

• Impact on functionality: How seriously the defect disrupts the operation of critical functions.
• Data loss: Whether the defect leads to loss or corruption of user data.
• Blocking operation: Whether the defect prevents further use of the product or its key functions.
• Security threat: Whether the defect creates a vulnerability that can be exploited.
• Impact on performance: Whether the defect causes a significant decrease in speed or resource consumption.
• Frequency of occurrence: How often users may encounter this defect.
• Impact on reputation/business: Whether the defect can damage the company's image or lead to financial losses.

Severity is usually divided into levels:

Level	Description	Examples
Blocker	Completely blocks the execution of main functions or usage.	The application does not start. The user cannot log in. A critical function (e.g., placing an order) does not work.
Critical	Seriously disrupts important functionality but does not block entirely.	Incorrect data saving. Calculation errors. Missing key interface elements.
Major	Affects an important function but has workarounds or is not critical.	Validation errors that can be bypassed. Display issues on certain devices (if not critical). Slow loading of non-critical data.
Minor	Slight impact on functionality, mostly cosmetic.	Typos in text. Slight UI element shifts. Display issues that do not affect usability.
Trivial/Enhancement	Very low impact, usually related to improvements or minor flaws.	Incorrect element color. Minor padding. UX/UI improvement suggestions that are not errors.