How to Report a Bug or Send Feedback About Tad

Send bug reports and feedback about Tad by email to [email protected], or use Help → Send Feedback inside the app. Before reporting, check the release notes for your version — the issue may already be fixed in a newer build. Tad is described by its developer as a perpetual work-in-progress hobby project, so bugs, UI annoyances, and corner cases are expected; reports are explicitly invited.

Reporting a Bug

The site gives two channels, and both reach the same place:

What to include

The site doesn't publish a formal bug template, so the following is general practice for desktop data tools rather than a Tad-specific requirement. A useful report typically covers:

• Tad version — e.g., 0.14.0 (June 21, 2024). Version matters because fixes ship per release; 0.14.0 alone updated DuckDB to 1.0 and fixed scientific-notation number formatting.
• Platform and build — macOS (x86 or Apple Silicon), Linux (x86), or Windows (x86). Apple Silicon has had a native build since 0.12.0.
• What you did, what you expected, what happened — including the file type involved (CSV, Parquet, SQLite, or DuckDB) and roughly how large it is, since Tad is built for large files.
• Whether it reproduces after reloading the file.

Check the release notes first

Each release lists new features and bug fixes. Scanning the notes for your version and anything newer can save a round trip:

• 0.14.0 (June 21, 2024) — DuckDB 1.0; export filtered tables as Parquet as well as CSV; fixed scientific-notation number formatting.
• 0.13.0 (Oct. 17, 2023) — DuckDB 0.9.1; better error handling when DuckDB extensions can't be downloaded (relevant behind corporate firewalls); interactive column histograms for numeric columns; improved date/time rendering; direct copy/paste to Excel and Google Sheets; string filters made case-insensitive.
• 0.12.0 (Mar. 6, 2023) — DuckDB 0.7.1; native Apple Silicon build; reloading an updated CSV/Parquet file re-imports it based on file modification time.
• 0.11.0 (Dec. 19, 2022) — DuckDB 0.6.1, Electron 22, React 18; automatic tooltips for long text columns; Enter-to-submit filters; content zoom modifiers.

If your problem matches a listed fix, installing the current build from the releases page on GitHub is the fastest resolution.

A Specific Case: Extension Download Failures

One documented failure mode is worth knowing before you write in. Tad uses DuckDB internally, and some features depend on DuckDB extensions downloaded at runtime. Version 0.13.0 specifically improved error handling for when those extensions can't be downloaded — a situation the notes tie to corporate firewalls. If you see extension-related errors on a managed network, mention your network environment in the report; that context is exactly what the 0.13.0 change was aimed at.

Staying Informed Without Reporting Anything

If you only want to hear about new versions, the site offers a mailing list for Tad release announcements. It is described as low-bandwidth and purely Tad-related, with the stated commitment that the address won't be used for third-party advertising or sold, shared, or disclosed. Sign-up is on the Tad website. This is separate from the feedback address — don't send bug reports to the announcement list.

When Email Is the Right Choice

Use the in-app option when you can trigger the problem immediately and want to capture it in context. Use email when you need to attach files, describe a multi-step reproduction, or report something that crashes the app before you can reach the menu. Either way, the report lands with the developer, and the release notes are the record of what gets fixed — so it's worth checking them again after your next update.