Get client feedback on your Joomla site

Q: How is this different from Joomla Version History?

Version History stores saved versions for supported CMS items when versioning is enabled. BugSmash records visual comments and approval against the complete browser page.

Q: Can a client review an unpublished article?

Only if that client has a Joomla account and access level that can view it. Otherwise expose the article on an appropriate staging environment before sharing the review.

Q: Can I review a site while Joomla is Offline?

Users without the relevant access see Joomla's offline message. Use an authorized account or an accessible staging site for the review.

Q: Do reviewers need a Joomla account?

Not for a public page or an accessible staging page. Restricted items, registered pages and offline access still require the permissions configured in Joomla.

Q: Will comments cover modules and template output?

Yes. Reviewers comment on the rendered browser page, so the feedback can point to content produced by articles, modules, menus, templates or extensions.

Q: Can reviewers check mobile layouts?

Yes. Desktop, tablet and mobile views can be reviewed from the same link, and the viewport stays with each comment.

Q: Where is final approval recorded?

It stays in the BugSmash project rather than depending on a particular item version or CMS publishing state.

Paste the public site or an accessible staging URL, send one review link, and collect comments on the pages your visitors will use. Each note stays attached to the page, browser, device and screenshot.

See how it works

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Joomla manages publishing. Visual approval still needs the finished page.

Joomla's Publishing Workflow moves articles through stages and transitions, while Version History stores saved versions for supported content types.

Those are CMS controls. Four client-review boundaries still matter:

Publishing Workflow is an editorial process.
Stages, transitions and access control manage how articles move toward publication. They do not place client annotations on the rendered site.
Version History tracks supported CMS items.
Joomla can save versions of articles and several other item types when versioning is enabled. It is not a visual comparison or approval record for an entire rendered page.
Frontend editing still requires permission.
Authorized users can edit content from the frontend, but external reviewers still need a Joomla account and the correct access level.
A Joomla page can include more than one article.
Templates, modules, menus and extensions shape the visitor experience. Review the complete browser page rather than only the item open in the editor.

BugSmash complements the Joomla workflow:

review the rendered frontend, collect visual comments without rewriting them, and keep sign-off tied to the page the client actually saw.

How it works

Three steps to a reviewed Joomla site

Prepare the browser version

Publish the relevant items to an accessible staging site or use the public frontend once the release is ready for review.

Share one review link

Paste the Joomla page URL into BugSmash and send the generated link. The client comments directly on the rendered page.

Turn feedback into tracked work

Each comment includes the page, element, screenshot, browser and device. Assign it, set status, or route it to the team's delivery tools.

Review the complete Joomla page, not only the CMS item

Pin comments to rendered elements

Connect the feedback to the heading, module, menu or component the reviewer is looking at.

Review responsive breakpoints

Check desktop, tablet and mobile layouts from one link with viewport context attached.

Capture browser and device details

Every report includes the environment needed to reproduce a display issue.

Keep approval beyond Version History

Preserve the review record even after another item version is saved or restored in Joomla.

Cover templates and extensions

Review the final composition created by the template, modules and installed extensions.

Send work to the delivery stack

Route actionable comments to the project tools used by implementers, editors and developers.

Will it work on my Joomla setup?

BugSmash reviews any Joomla frontend that can be opened in the browser. Joomla's configured access levels still apply to unpublished, registered or offline content.

Your URL	Review by URL	What to do
Public Joomla website	Works	Paste the public page URL and start the review.
Accessible Joomla staging site	Works	Use the staging URL after confirming the reviewer can reach it.
Staging protected with shared Basic Auth	Works	Authenticate through the shared gate in the review window, then continue.
Unpublished item or restricted access level	Access-dependent	The reviewer needs a Joomla account with permission to view it, or the item must be exposed on an appropriate staging site.
Site set to Offline	Access-dependent	Ordinary visitors see the offline message. Use an authorized account or a separate accessible staging environment.
Registered-only page	Access-dependent	Sign in with a test Joomla account in the review window, or use the BugSmash Feedback Widget for a persistent authenticated flow.

Using the BugSmash Feedback Widget on a Joomla site

Add the BugSmash script to the rendered Joomla template when reviewers must remain inside a restricted or stateful session. Confirm that the active template outputs the script on every page that needs review.