| name | azure-devops-work-items |
| description | Creates, queries, updates, and links Azure Boards work items via az boards CLI. Use when filing ADO work items, running WIQL queries, or setting area path, iteration, tags, and assignee. |
Azure DevOps Work Items
Manages Azure Boards work items with the same discipline as the agnostic issue workflow.
When to use
- Creating a new Epic, Feature, PBI/User Story, Task, or Bug
- Searching for duplicates before starting work
- Updating metadata (area path, iteration, tags, assignee)
- Linking parent/child or related work items
Create a work item
az boards work-item create \
--title "[FEAT]: Add hybrid retrieval" \
--type "Product Backlog Item" \
--description "## Goal\n...\n\n## Acceptance Criteria\n- [ ] ..." \
--fields "System.AssignedTo=user@example.com"
Common types vary by process template: Epic, Feature, Product Backlog Item, User Story, Task, Bug.
View and update
az boards work-item show --id 12345
az boards work-item update --id 12345 --title "Updated title"
az boards work-item update --id 12345 --fields "System.Tags=ready-for-agent"
Duplicate check (WIQL)
az boards query --wiql "SELECT [System.Id], [System.Title] FROM WorkItems \
WHERE [System.TeamProject] = @project \
AND [System.Title] CONTAINS 'hybrid retrieval' \
AND [System.State] <> 'Removed' \
ORDER BY [System.ChangedDate] DESC"
Link work items
az boards work-item relation add --id 12345 \
--relation-type parent \
--target-id 12340
Relation types include parent, child, related, and duplicate.
Commit linking
Include AB#12345 in commit messages so Azure DevOps links commits to the work item automatically.
Required sections
Every work item should include:
- Goal — one sentence outcome and why
- Tasks — numbered actionable steps
- Acceptance Criteria — testable checkboxes with validation steps
- Out of Scope — explicit exclusions
- Estimate — T-shirt size or hours
Integration
