You're managing 15 WordPress client sites. Each client emails you when something breaks. "The contact form isn't working." "Images aren't loading." "I can't update my page."
Your inbox is a mess of WordPress bug reports mixed with every other email. You're searching through threads trying to remember which client reported which issue. You've missed urgent bugs because they got buried. You're spending more time managing bug reports than actually fixing bugs.
This is the reality for most WordPress agencies. Email becomes your accidental bug tracker. It's terrible at the job, but you don't have time to set up something better because you're too busy dealing with email bug reports.
Here's how to fix it.
Why WordPress agencies struggle more with bug tracking
If you were building custom software, your clients might be technical enough to understand GitHub Issues or Jira. But WordPress clients chose WordPress specifically because they're not technical. They want to update their blog, not learn developer tools.
This creates a problem: you need a bug tracking system, but it has to be simple enough that a small business owner who barely understands WordPress can use it without training.
Most bug trackers fail this test. Linear is too complex. Jira requires tutorials. GitHub Issues scares non-technical people. Even Trello confuses clients who aren't used to kanban boards.
So WordPress agencies default to email. Client knows how to send email. You know how to receive email. It works, barely, until you have 10+ clients and everything falls apart.
The specific pain points WordPress agencies face
You're not just tracking bugs for one application. You're tracking bugs across 15-20 completely different WordPress sites. Each site has different plugins, different themes, different hosting. A bug on one site tells you nothing about bugs on other sites.
Your clients don't understand WordPress terminology. They don't know what a plugin is. They can't tell you if it's a theme issue or a plugin conflict or a hosting problem. They just know "the website is broken" and they need you to fix it.
You're managing different types of issues: actual bugs, content update requests, "how do I do this?" questions, hosting issues, plugin compatibility problems. All mixed together in email threads.
And you're doing this while also handling maintenance, updates, backups, security, performance optimization. Bug tracking is just one piece of managing 15+ WordPress sites, but it takes up way too much time.
What actually works for WordPress agencies
The system needs to be dead simple for clients. One click to report a bug. No accounts to create, or if accounts are required, the signup process takes 30 seconds. No training needed. No "here's how you report bugs" documentation that they won't read.
Video bug reports solve the WordPress-specific problem. Client records 30-second Loom video showing what's broken. You see which page, which element, what they clicked, what error appeared. You can see if it's a front-end visual bug or a functionality bug. You can see their browser. You can see if there are JavaScript errors in the console if they have dev tools open.
For WordPress sites, this is crucial because so many issues are visual or interaction-based. "The slider isn't working" could mean anything. Video shows you exactly what "isn't working" means.
Clear organization by client. Each client gets their own portal or their own view. You don't see bugs for all 15 clients mixed together. Client only sees their bugs, not everyone else's. Clean separation.
Simple status system. Client doesn't need to know your internal workflow. They need three states: Reported (we see it), In Progress (we're fixing it), Fixed (it's done). That's it.
Email notifications that actually work. Client gets notified when you start working on their bug. Client gets notified when it's fixed. You get notified when a new bug comes in. No one needs to check a dashboard constantly.
This is why we built Lantern specifically for agencies. WordPress agencies were telling us the existing tools didn't work for their non-technical clients. So we built something that does: client pastes Loom video, you see it immediately, fix it, mark it done, client gets notified. Simple enough that WordPress clients actually use it.
The actual workflow that works
Client finds something broken on their WordPress site. Instead of emailing you a vague description, they open their bug tracking portal (bookmark it or you sent them the link). They paste a Loom video link showing what's broken. Optionally add text description. Submit.
You get notification. Open the bug. Watch 30-second video. Immediately see: which page, which element, what's broken, what browser they're using. You know if it's a plugin conflict, theme issue, caching problem, or something else.
You log into their WordPress site, reproduce the bug, fix it. Could be updating a plugin, disabling a conflicting plugin, fixing CSS, editing theme code, whatever. Fix it, test it, confirm it works.
Update bug status to "Fixed." Client gets notification. They check their site. It works. They mark it verified. Done.
No email thread. No "can you send me more details?" back-and-forth. No digging through inbox trying to find which client reported this issue. Clean workflow from report to resolution.
Handling different types of WordPress issues
Not everything is a bug. WordPress agencies deal with: actual bugs (something broke), enhancement requests (can we add this feature?), content questions (how do I update this page?), maintenance issues (site is slow, security warning), and urgent problems (site is completely down).
Use tags or categories to separate these. "Bug" tag for actual broken functionality. "Content" tag for how-to questions. "Urgent" tag for site-down emergencies. Client doesn't need to choose the right category—you can recategorize after they submit.
Priority gets tricky with multiple clients. Site completely down is always urgent regardless of client. Visual bugs can wait. Security issues are urgent. Use a simple priority system: Urgent (site down, security issue), High (breaks key functionality), Normal (everything else).
Some bugs are plugin-specific. Tag them with the plugin name. If you see multiple clients reporting bugs with the same plugin, you know to update or replace that plugin across all sites.
Integration with WordPress maintenance workflow
Bug tracking shouldn't be separate from your maintenance workflow. When you're doing monthly maintenance (updates, backups, security scans), check that client's open bugs. Fix bugs during scheduled maintenance when you're already logged into their site.
Before major updates (WordPress core, theme, plugins), create a bug to track it. "Scheduled: Update WordPress to 6.4" as a task. Client can see you're planning it. After the update, mark it complete, note any issues encountered.
When you launch a new WordPress site, create a client portal immediately. Even before official launch, client can report issues during testing. Much better than getting 50 launch-week emails.
The plugin conflict problem
WordPress bugs are often plugin conflicts. Client reports "the contact form is broken." You test it, works fine on your end. Turns out they have a caching plugin that's breaking AJAX requests.
Video bug reports help here. You see the error message. You see which plugins they have active (if they show you their plugins page). You can see if disabling a plugin fixes it.
Keep notes on bugs by plugin. "Contact Form 7 conflicts with WP Rocket caching" becomes a known issue. Next time a client reports contact form problems and you see they have WP Rocket, you know the fix immediately.
Common objections WordPress agencies have
"My clients won't use another tool." Your clients already use WordPress admin, email, and probably their phone. A bug tracking portal is simpler than WordPress admin. If they can log into WordPress, they can use a simple bug tracker.
"I don't want to pay per client." Most bug trackers charge per user. Add 15 clients, suddenly you're paying $120/month. This is why tools like Lantern use flat pricing ($15.50/month regardless of client count). You're not punished for having more clients.
"Email works fine." Does it though? Are you spending 5+ hours per week managing email bug reports? Missing urgent issues? Searching through threads? That's not "working fine," that's expensive chaos.
"My clients won't record videos." They will. Recording a Loom video is easier than typing a detailed description of a visual WordPress issue. After they do it once and see how much faster you fix the bug, they prefer it.
WordPress-specific bug tracking tips
Always ask for admin credentials upfront. Store them securely (LastPass, 1Password). When bug comes in, you can log in immediately without waiting for client to send credentials.
Create a staging site for each client if possible. When you get a bug report, try to reproduce on staging first. Fix on staging, test, then push to production. Reduces risk of breaking live site while debugging.
Use WordPress debug log. When bug comes in, enable WP_DEBUG, reproduce the issue, check debug.log for errors. This catches PHP errors, deprecated functions, plugin conflicts that aren't visible on the front end.
Take your own screen recording when you fix a bug. Show client what was wrong and what you fixed. Educational for client, and creates a record of what you did in case the issue returns.
Setting this up this week
Day 1: Choose your bug tracking tool. If you want simple and purpose-built for agencies, try Lantern free for 14 days. If you want to use something you already have, set up a dedicated board/project for bug tracking.
Day 2: Add your top 3 clients. Don't migrate all 15 clients at once. Start with 3. Get the workflow smooth. Then add more.
Day 3: Send clients their portal link or instructions. Keep the email simple: "I've set up a better system for bug reports. When you find an issue, go to [this link] and paste a quick Loom video showing what's broken. This will help me fix things faster."
Day 4-7: First bugs come in via new system. Some clients will still email you. Reply: "Can you submit this through the bug tracker so I don't lose track of it? [link]" They'll adapt.
Week 2: New system is the default. Email bug reports are rare. You're spending less time managing bug reports and more time fixing them.
The transition period
You'll have old bugs in email and new bugs in the proper system. Don't try to migrate everything. Old bugs that are still open can stay in email—you'll fix them eventually. New bugs go in the new system. After a month, email bugs are mostly resolved and everything's in one place.
Clients will forget and email you bugs occasionally. That's fine. Copy the bug into your tracker, reply to email: "Got it, I've added this to the tracker and will update you when it's fixed." Over time they'll go directly to the tracker because it's easier than being redirected.
Some clients will resist change. One or two clients might refuse to use anything except email. For those clients, you manually add their email bugs to your tracker. Still better than having ALL bugs scattered in email.
The time savings are real
Before proper bug tracking: 8-10 hours per week managing WordPress bug reports across 15 clients. Searching email, asking clarifying questions, tracking which bugs are fixed, updating clients on status.
After proper bug tracking: 2-3 hours per week. Bugs come in with video showing exactly what's broken. Status is tracked automatically. Clients can check status themselves. You spend time fixing bugs, not managing bug reports.
That's 5-7 hours per week saved. 20-30 hours per month. At $50/hour, that's $1,000-1,500 per month in recovered time. For a tool that costs $15.50/month.
What successful WordPress agencies do
The successful WordPress agencies—the ones managing 30+ client sites without drowning—all have the same thing in common: they don't use email for bug tracking.
They use a proper system. Doesn't matter if it's Lantern or something else. What matters is: bugs are organized, clients can report issues easily, status is tracked, nothing falls through cracks.
They make video bug reports the default. WordPress issues are visual. Video shows the issue better than text. Clients adopt it quickly because it's easier for them too.
They keep WordPress maintenance and bug tracking connected. Fix bugs during scheduled maintenance. Track updates as tasks. Everything organized in one system instead of scattered across email, sticky notes, and memory.
Try this week
Set up a proper bug tracking system for your WordPress agency. Add 3 clients. Send them the link. See if it reduces the email chaos.
Try Lantern free for 14 days and see if purpose-built agency bug tracking works better than email. Or use whatever tool you prefer. Either way, stop using email as your accidental bug tracker.
Your WordPress clients aren't technical. Your bug tracking system shouldn't require them to be. Simple portal, paste video link, submit bug, get notified when fixed. That's all they need.
Stop spending 10 hours per week managing email bug reports. Start spending that time fixing bugs or taking on more clients. Your choice.
Simple bug tracking for agencies. No credit card required.