Manage Azure DevOps resources via CLI including projects, repos, pipelines, builds, pull requests, work items, artifacts, and service endpoints. Use when working with Azure DevOps, az commands, devops automation, CI/CD, or when user mentions Azure DevOps CLI.
Manage Azure DevOps resources via CLI including projects, repos, pipelines, builds, pull requests, work items, artifacts, and service endpoints. Use when working with Azure DevOps, az commands, devops automation, CI/CD, or when user mentions Azure DevOps CLI.
Azure DevOps CLI
This Skill helps manage Azure DevOps resources using the Azure CLI with Azure DevOps extension.
CLI Version: 2.81.0 (current as of 2025)
Prerequisites
Install Azure CLI and Azure DevOps extension:
# Install Azure CLI
brew install azure-cli # macOS
curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash # Linux
pip install azure-cli # via pip# Verify installation
az --version
# Install Azure DevOps extension
az extension add --name azure-devops
az extension show --name azure-devops
CLI Structure
az devops # Main DevOps commands
├── admin # Administration (banner)
├── extension # Extension management
├── project # Team projects
├── security # Security operations
│ ├── group # Security groups
│ └── permission # Security permissions
├── service-endpoint # Service connections
├── team # Teams
├── user # Users
├── wiki # Wikis
├── configure # Set defaults
├── invoke # Invoke REST API
├── login # Authenticate
└── logout # Clear credentials
az pipelines # Azure Pipelines
├── agent # Agents
├── build # Builds
├── folder # Pipeline folders
├── pool # Agent pools
├── queue # Agent queues
├── release # Releases
├── runs # Pipeline runs
├── variable # Pipeline variables
└── variable-group # Variable groups
az boards # Azure Boards
├── area # Area paths
├── iteration # Iterations
└── work-item # Work items
az repos # Azure Repos
├── import # Git imports
├── policy # Branch policies
├── pr # Pull requests
└── ref # Git references
az artifacts # Azure Artifacts
└── universal # Universal Packages
├── download # Download packages
└── publish # Publish packages
Authentication
Login to Azure DevOps
# Interactive login (prompts for PAT)
az devops login --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org}
# Login with PAT token
az devops login --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org} --token YOUR_PAT_TOKEN
# Logout
az devops logout --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org}
Configure Defaults
# Set default organization and project
az devops configure --defaults organization=https://dev.azure.com/{org} project={project}
# List current configuration
az devops configure --list
# Enable Git aliases
az devops configure --use-git-aliases true
Extension Management
List Extensions
# List available extensions
az extension list-available --output table
# List installed extensions
az extension list --output table
Manage Azure DevOps Extension
# Install Azure DevOps extension
az extension add --name azure-devops
# Update Azure DevOps extension
az extension update --name azure-devops
# Remove extension
az extension remove --name azure-devops
# Install from local path
az extension add --source ~/extensions/azure-devops.whl
Projects
List Projects
az devops project list --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org}
az devops project list --top 10 --output table
Create Project
az devops project create \
--name myNewProject \
--organization https://dev.azure.com/{org} \
--description "My new DevOps project" \
--source-control git \
--visibility private
Show Project Details
az devops project show --project {project-name} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}
Delete Project
az devops project delete --id {project-id} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} --yes
Repositories
List Repositories
az repos list --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} --project {project}
az repos list --output table
Show Repository Details
az repos show --repository {repo-name} --project {project}
Create Repository
az repos create --name {repo-name} --project {project}
Delete Repository
az repos delete --id {repo-id} --project {project} --yes
Update Repository
az repos update --id {repo-id} --name {new-name} --project {project}
Repository Import
Import Git Repository
# Import from public Git repository
az repos import create \
--git-source-url https://github.com/user/repo \
--repository {repo-name}
# Import with authentication
az repos import create \
--git-source-url https://github.com/user/private-repo \
--repository {repo-name} \
--user {username} \
--password {password-or-pat}
# All PRs
az repos pr list --repository {repo}
# Filter by status
az repos pr list --repository {repo} --status active
# Filter by creator
az repos pr list --repository {repo} --creator {email}
# Output as table
az repos pr list --repository {repo} --output table
Show PR Details
az repos pr show --id {pr-id}
az repos pr show --id {pr-id} --open # Open in browser
Update PR (Complete/Abandon/Draft)
# Complete PR
az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --status completed
# Abandon PR
az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --status abandoned
# Set to draft
az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --draft true# Publish draft PR
az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --draft false# Auto-complete when policies pass
az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --auto-complete true# Set title and description
az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --title "New title" --description "New description"
Checkout PR Locally
# Checkout PR branch
az repos pr checkout --id {pr-id}
# Checkout with specific remote
az repos pr checkout --id {pr-id} --remote-name upstream
Vote on PR
az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote approve
az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote approve-with-suggestions
az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote reject
az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote wait-for-author
az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote reset
PR Reviewers
# Add reviewers
az repos pr reviewer add --id {pr-id} --reviewers user1@example.com user2@example.com
# List reviewers
az repos pr reviewer list --id {pr-id}
# Remove reviewers
az repos pr reviewer remove --id {pr-id} --reviewers user1@example.com
PR Work Items
# Add work items to PR
az repos pr work-item add --id {pr-id} --work-items {id1} {id2}
# List PR work items
az repos pr work-item list --id {pr-id}
# Remove work items from PR
az repos pr work-item remove --id {pr-id} --work-items {id1}
PR Policies
# List policies for a PR
az repos pr policy list --id {pr-id}
# Queue policy evaluation for a PR
az repos pr policy queue --id {pr-id} --evaluation-id {evaluation-id}
Pipelines
List Pipelines
az pipelines list --output table
az pipelines list --query "[?name=='myPipeline']"
az pipelines list --folder-path 'folder/subfolder'
Create Pipeline
# From local repository context (auto-detects settings)
az pipelines create --name 'ContosoBuild' --description 'Pipeline for contoso project'# With specific branch and YAML path
az pipelines create \
--name {pipeline-name} \
--repository {repo} \
--branch main \
--yaml-path azure-pipelines.yml \
--description "My CI/CD pipeline"# For GitHub repository
az pipelines create \
--name 'GitHubPipeline' \
--repository https://github.com/Org/Repo \
--branch main \
--repository-type github
# Skip first run
az pipelines create --name 'MyPipeline' --skip-run true
Show Pipeline
az pipelines show --id {pipeline-id}
az pipelines show --name {pipeline-name}
Update Pipeline
az pipelines update --id {pipeline-id} --name "New name" --description "Updated description"
Delete Pipeline
az pipelines delete --id {pipeline-id} --yes
Run Pipeline
# Run by name
az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --branch main
# Run by ID
az pipelines run --id {pipeline-id} --branch refs/heads/main
# With parameters
az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --parameters version=1.0.0 environment=prod
# With variables
az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --variables buildId=123 configuration=release
# Open results in browser
az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --open
Pipeline Runs
List Runs
az pipelines runs list --pipeline {pipeline-id}
az pipelines runs list --name {pipeline-name} --top 10
az pipelines runs list --branch main --status completed
Show Run Details
az pipelines runs show --run-id {run-id}
az pipelines runs show --run-id {run-id} --open
Pipeline Artifacts
# List artifacts for a run
az pipelines runs artifact list --run-id {run-id}
# Download artifact
az pipelines runs artifact download \
--artifact-name '{artifact-name}' \
--path {local-path} \
--run-id {run-id}
# Upload artifact
az pipelines runs artifact upload \
--artifact-name '{artifact-name}' \
--path {local-path} \
--run-id {run-id}
Pipeline Run Tags
# Add tag to run
az pipelines runs tag add --run-id {run-id} --tags production v1.0
# List run tags
az pipelines runs tag list --run-id {run-id} --output table
Builds
List Builds
az pipelines build list
az pipelines build list --definition {build-definition-id}
az pipelines build list --status completed --result succeeded
Queue Build
az pipelines build queue --definition {build-definition-id} --branch main
az pipelines build queue --definition {build-definition-id} --parameters version=1.0.0
Show Build Details
az pipelines build show --id {build-id}
Cancel Build
az pipelines build cancel --id {build-id}
Build Tags
# Add tag to build
az pipelines build tag add --build-id {build-id} --tags prod release
# Delete tag from build
az pipelines build tag delete --build-id {build-id} --tag prod
Build Definitions
List Build Definitions
az pipelines build definition list
az pipelines build definition list --name {definition-name}
Show Build Definition
az pipelines build definition show --id {definition-id}
Releases
List Releases
az pipelines release list
az pipelines release list --definition {release-definition-id}
Create Release
az pipelines release create --definition {release-definition-id}
az pipelines release create --definition {release-definition-id} --description "Release v1.0"
Show Release
az pipelines release show --id {release-id}
Release Definitions
List Release Definitions
az pipelines release definition list
Show Release Definition
az pipelines release definition show --id {definition-id}
Pipeline Variables
List Variables
az pipelines variable list --pipeline-id {pipeline-id}
az pipelines folder create --path 'folder/subfolder' --description "My folder"
Delete Folder
az pipelines folder delete --path 'folder/subfolder'
Update Folder
az pipelines folder update --path 'old-folder' --new-path 'new-folder'
Agent Pools
List Agent Pools
az pipelines pool list
az pipelines pool list --pool-type automation
az pipelines pool list --pool-type deployment
Show Agent Pool
az pipelines pool show --pool-id {pool-id}
Agent Queues
List Agent Queues
az pipelines queue list
az pipelines queue list --pool-name {pool-name}
Show Agent Queue
az pipelines queue show --id {queue-id}
Work Items (Boards)
Query Work Items
# WIQL query
az boards query \
--wiql "SELECT [System.Id], [System.Title], [System.State] FROM WorkItems WHERE [System.AssignedTo] = @Me AND [System.State] = 'Active'"# Query with output format
az boards query --wiql "SELECT * FROM WorkItems" --output table
Show Work Item
az boards work-item show --id {work-item-id}
az boards work-item show --id {work-item-id} --open
Create Work Item
# Basic work item
az boards work-item create \
--title "Fix login bug" \
--type Bug \
--assigned-to user@example.com \
--description "Users cannot login with SSO"# With area and iteration
az boards work-item create \
--title "New feature" \
--type"User Story" \
--area "Project\\Area1" \
--iteration "Project\\Sprint 1"# With custom fields
az boards work-item create \
--title "Task" \
--type Task \
--fields "Priority=1""Severity=2"# With discussion comment
az boards work-item create \
--title "Issue" \
--type Bug \
--discussion "Initial investigation completed"# Open in browser after creation
az boards work-item create --title "Bug" --type Bug --open
Update Work Item
# Update state, title, and assignee
az boards work-item update \
--id {work-item-id} \
--state "Active" \
--title "Updated title" \
--assigned-to user@example.com
# Move to different area
az boards work-item update \
--id {work-item-id} \
--area "{ProjectName}\\{Team}\\{Area}"# Change iteration
az boards work-item update \
--id {work-item-id} \
--iteration "{ProjectName}\\Sprint 5"# Add comment/discussion
az boards work-item update \
--id {work-item-id} \
--discussion "Work in progress"# Update with custom fields
az boards work-item update \
--id {work-item-id} \
--fields "Priority=1""StoryPoints=5"
Delete Work Item
# Soft delete (can be restored)
az boards work-item delete --id {work-item-id} --yes# Permanent delete
az boards work-item delete --id {work-item-id} --destroy --yes
Work Item Relations
# List relations
az boards work-item relation list --id {work-item-id}
# List supported relation types
az boards work-item relation list-type
# Add relation
az boards work-item relation add --id {work-item-id} --relation-type parent --target-id {parent-id}
# Remove relation
az boards work-item relation remove --id {work-item-id} --relation-id {relation-id}
Area Paths
List Areas for Project
az boards area project list --project {project}
az boards area project show --path "Project\\Area1" --project {project}
Create Area
az boards area project create --path "Project\\NewArea" --project {project}
Update Area
az boards area project update \
--path "Project\\OldArea" \
--new-path "Project\\UpdatedArea" \
--project {project}
Delete Area
az boards area project delete --path "Project\\AreaToDelete" --project {project} --yes
Area Team Management
# List areas for team
az boards area team list --team {team-name} --project {project}
# Add area to team
az boards area team add \
--team {team-name} \
--path "Project\\NewArea" \
--project {project}
# Remove area from team
az boards area team remove \
--team {team-name} \
--path "Project\\AreaToRemove" \
--project {project}
# Update team area
az boards area team update \
--team {team-name} \
--path "Project\\Area" \
--project {project} \
--include-sub-areas true
Iterations
List Iterations for Project
az boards iteration project list --project {project}
az boards iteration project show --path "Project\\Sprint 1" --project {project}
Create Iteration
az boards iteration project create --path "Project\\Sprint 1" --project {project}
az repos policy case-enforcement create \
--blocking true \
--enabled true \
--branch main \
--repository-id {repo-id}
Comment Required Policy
az repos policy comment-required create \
--blocking true \
--enabled true \
--branch main \
--repository-id {repo-id}
File Size Policy
az repos policy file-size create \
--blocking true \
--enabled true \
--branch main \
--repository-id {repo-id} \
--maximum-file-size 10485760 # 10MB in bytes
Service Endpoints
List Service Endpoints
az devops service-endpoint list --project {project}
az devops service-endpoint list --project {project} --output table
Show Service Endpoint
az devops service-endpoint show --id {endpoint-id} --project {project}
Create Service Endpoint
# Using configuration file
az devops service-endpoint create --service-endpoint-configuration endpoint.json --project {project}
Delete Service Endpoint
az devops service-endpoint delete --id {endpoint-id} --project {project} --yes
Teams
List Teams
az devops team list --project {project}
Show Team
az devops team show --team {team-name} --project {project}
Create Team
az devops team create \
--name {team-name} \
--description "Team description" \
--project {project}
Update Team
az devops team update \
--team {team-name} \
--project {project} \
--name "{new-team-name}" \
--description "Updated description"
Delete Team
az devops team delete --team {team-name} --project {project} --yes
Show Team Members
az devops team list-member --team {team-name} --project {project}
Users
List Users
az devops user list --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}
az devops user list --top 10 --output table
Show User
az devops user show --user {user-id-or-email} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}
Add User
az devops user add \
--email user@example.com \
--license-type express \
--org https://dev.azure.com/{org}
Update User
az devops user update \
--user {user-id-or-email} \
--license-type advanced \
--org https://dev.azure.com/{org}
Remove User
az devops user remove --user {user-id-or-email} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} --yes
Security Groups
List Groups
# List all groups in project
az devops security group list --project {project}
# List all groups in organization
az devops security group list --scope organization
# List with filtering
az devops security group list --project {project} --subject-types vstsgroup
Show Group Details
az devops security group show --group-id {group-id}
Create Group
az devops security group create \
--name {group-name} \
--description "Group description" \
--project {project}
Update Group
az devops security group update \
--group-id {group-id} \
--name "{new-group-name}" \
--description "Updated description"
Delete Group
az devops security group delete --group-id {group-id} --yes
Group Memberships
# List memberships
az devops security group membership list --id {group-id}
# Add member
az devops security group membership add \
--group-id {group-id} \
--member-id {member-id}
# Remove member
az devops security group membership remove \
--group-id {group-id} \
--member-id {member-id} --yes
Security Permissions
List Namespaces
az devops security permission namespace list
Show Namespace Details
# Show permissions available in a namespace
az devops security permission namespace show --namespace "GitRepositories"
List Permissions
# List permissions for user/group and namespace
az devops security permission list \
--id {user-or-group-id} \
--namespace "GitRepositories" \
--project {project}
# List for specific token (repository)
az devops security permission list \
--id {user-or-group-id} \
--namespace "GitRepositories" \
--project {project} \
--token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}"
Show Permissions
az devops security permission show \
--id {user-or-group-id} \
--namespace "GitRepositories" \
--project {project} \
--token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}"
az pipelines agent show --agent-id {agent-id} --pool-id {pool-id}
Git Aliases
After enabling git aliases:
# Enable Git aliases
az devops configure --use-git-aliases true# Use Git commands for DevOps operations
git pr create --target-branch main
git pr list
git pr checkout 123
Output Formats
All commands support multiple output formats:
# Table format (human-readable)
az pipelines list --output table
# JSON format (default, machine-readable)
az pipelines list --output json
# JSONC (colored JSON)
az pipelines list --output jsonc
# YAML format
az pipelines list --output yaml
# YAMLC (colored YAML)
az pipelines list --output yamlc
# TSV format (tab-separated values)
az pipelines list --output tsv
# None (no output)
az pipelines list --output none
JMESPath Queries
Filter and transform output:
# Filter by name
az pipelines list --query "[?name=='myPipeline']"# Get specific fields
az pipelines list --query "[].{Name:name, ID:id}"# Chain queries
az pipelines list --query "[?name.contains('CI')].{Name:name, ID:id}" --output table
# Get first result
az pipelines list --query "[0]"# Get top N
az pipelines list --query "[0:5]"
# From local git repository (auto-detects repo, branch, etc.)
az pipelines create --name 'CI-Pipeline' --description 'Continuous Integration'
Bulk update work items
# Query items and update in loopforidin $(az boards query --wiql "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE State='New'" -o tsv); do
az boards work-item update --id$id --state "Active"done
Best Practices
Authentication and Security
# Use PAT from environment variable (most secure)export AZURE_DEVOPS_EXT_PAT=$MY_PAT
az devops login --organization $ORG_URL# Pipe PAT securely (avoids shell history)echo$MY_PAT | az devops login --organization $ORG_URL# Set defaults to avoid repetition
az devops configure --defaults organization=$ORG_URL project=$PROJECT# Clear credentials after use
az devops logout --organization $ORG_URL
Idempotent Operations
# Always use --detect for auto-detection
az devops configure --defaults organization=$ORG_URL project=$PROJECT# Check existence before creationif ! az pipelines show --id$PIPELINE_ID 2>/dev/null; then
az pipelines create --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --yaml-path azure-pipelines.yml
fi# Use --output tsv for shell parsing
PIPELINE_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='MyPipeline'].id" --output tsv)
# Use --output json for programmatic access
BUILD_STATUS=$(az pipelines build show --id$BUILD_ID --query "status" --output json)
Script-Safe Output
# Suppress warnings and errors
az pipelines list --only-show-errors
# No output (useful for commands that only need to execute)
az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --output none
# TSV format for shell scripts (clean, no formatting)
az repos pr list --output tsv --query "[].{ID:pullRequestId,Title:title}"# JSON with specific fields
az pipelines list --output json --query "[].{Name:name, ID:id, URL:url}"
Pipeline Orchestration
# Run pipeline and wait for completion
RUN_ID=$(az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --query "id" -o tsv)
whiletrue; do
STATUS=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "status" -o tsv)
if [[ "$STATUS" != "inProgress" && "$STATUS" != "notStarted" ]]; thenbreakfisleep 10
done# Check result
RESULT=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "result" -o tsv)
if [[ "$RESULT" == "succeeded" ]]; thenecho"Pipeline succeeded"elseecho"Pipeline failed with result: $RESULT"exit 1
fi
Variable Group Management
# Create variable group idempotently
VG_NAME="production-variables"
VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group list --query "[?name=='$VG_NAME'].id" -o tsv)
if [[ -z "$VG_ID" ]]; then
VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group create \
--name "$VG_NAME" \
--variables API_URL=$API_URL API_KEY=$API_KEY \
--authorize true \
--query "id" -o tsv)
echo"Created variable group with ID: $VG_ID"elseecho"Variable group already exists with ID: $VG_ID"fi
# Create PR with work items and reviewers
PR_ID=$(az repos pr create \
--repository "$REPO_NAME" \
--source-branch "$FEATURE_BRANCH" \
--target-branch main \
--title "Feature: $(git log -1 --pretty=%B)" \
--description "$(git log -1 --pretty=%B)" \
--work-items $WORK_ITEM_1$WORK_ITEM_2 \
--reviewers "$REVIEWER_1""$REVIEWER_2" \
--required-reviewers "$LEAD_EMAIL" \
--labels "enhancement""backlog" \
--open \
--query "pullRequestId" -o tsv)
# Set auto-complete when policies pass
az repos pr update --id$PR_ID --auto-complete true
Error Handling and Retry Patterns
Retry Logic for Transient Failures
# Retry function for network operationsretry_command() {
local max_attempts=3
local attempt=1
local delay=5
while [[ $attempt -le $max_attempts ]]; doif"$@"; thenreturn 0
fiecho"Attempt $attempt failed. Retrying in ${delay}s..."sleep$delay
((attempt++))
delay=$((delay * 2))
doneecho"All $max_attempts attempts failed"return 1
}
# Usage
retry_command az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME"
Check and Handle Errors
# Check if pipeline exists before operations
PIPELINE_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='$PIPELINE_NAME'].id" -o tsv)
if [[ -z "$PIPELINE_ID" ]]; thenecho"Pipeline not found. Creating..."
az pipelines create --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --yaml-path azure-pipelines.yml
elseecho"Pipeline exists with ID: $PIPELINE_ID"fi
Validate Inputs
# Validate required parametersif [[ -z "$PROJECT" || -z "$REPO" ]]; thenecho"Error: PROJECT and REPO must be set"exit 1
fi# Check if branch existsif ! az repos ref list --repository "$REPO" --query "[?name=='refs/heads/$BRANCH']" -o tsv | grep -q .; thenecho"Error: Branch $BRANCH does not exist"exit 1
fi
# Run pipeline and check result
RUN_ID=$(az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --query "id" -o tsv)
# Wait for completionwhiletrue; do
STATUS=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "status" -o tsv)
if [[ "$STATUS" != "inProgress" && "$STATUS" != "notStarted" ]]; thenbreakfisleep 10
done# Check result and create work item on failure
RESULT=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "result" -o tsv)
if [[ "$RESULT" != "succeeded" ]]; then
BUILD_NUMBER=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "buildNumber" -o tsv)
az boards work-item create \
--title "Build $BUILD_NUMBER failed" \
--type Bug \
--description "Pipeline run $RUN_ID failed with result: $RESULT\n\nURL: $ORG_URL/$PROJECT/_build/results?buildId=$RUN_ID"fi
Graceful Degradation
# Try to download artifact, fallback to alternative sourceif ! az pipelines runs artifact download \
--artifact-name 'webapp' \
--path ./output \
--run-id $RUN_ID 2>/dev/null; thenecho"Warning: Failed to download from pipeline run. Falling back to backup source..."# Alternative download method
curl -L "$BACKUP_URL" -o ./output/backup.zip
fi
Advanced JMESPath Queries
Filtering and Sorting
# Filter by multiple conditions
az pipelines list --query "[?name.contains('CI') && enabled==true]"# Filter by status and result
az pipelines runs list --query "[?status=='completed' && result=='succeeded']"# Sort by date (descending)
az pipelines runs list --query "sort_by([?status=='completed'], &finishTime | reverse(@))"# Get top N items after filtering
az pipelines runs list --query "[?result=='succeeded'] | [0:5]"
Nested Queries
# Extract nested properties
az pipelines show --id$PIPELINE_ID --query "{Name:name, Repo:repository.{Name:name, Type:type}, Folder:folder}"# Query build details
az pipelines build show --id$BUILD_ID --query "{ID:id, Number:buildNumber, Status:status, Result:result, Requested:requestedFor.displayName}"
Complex Filtering
# Find pipelines with specific YAML path
az pipelines list --query "[?process.type.name=='yaml' && process.yamlFilename=='azure-pipelines.yml']"# Find PRs from specific reviewer
az repos pr list --query "[?contains(reviewers[?displayName=='John Doe'].displayName, 'John Doe')]"# Find work items with specific iteration and state
az boards work-item show --id$WI_ID --query "{Title:fields['System.Title'], State:fields['System.State'], Iteration:fields['System.IterationPath']}"
Aggregation
# Count items by status
az pipelines runs list --query "groupBy([?status=='completed'], &[result]) | {Succeeded: [?key=='succeeded'][0].count, Failed: [?key=='failed'][0].count}"# Get unique reviewers
az repos pr list --query "unique_by(reviewers[], &displayName)"# Sum values
az pipelines runs list --query "[?result=='succeeded'] | [].{Duration:duration} | [0].Duration"
Conditional Transformation
# Format dates
az pipelines runs list --query "[].{ID:id, Date:createdDate, Formatted:createdDate | format_datetime(@, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm')}"# Conditional output
az pipelines list --query "[].{Name:name, Status:(enabled ? 'Enabled' : 'Disabled')}"# Extract with defaults
az pipelines show --id$PIPELINE_ID --query "{Name:name, Folder:folder || 'Root', Description:description || 'No description'}"
Complex Workflows
# Find longest running builds
az pipelines build list --query "sort_by([?result=='succeeded'], &queueTime) | reverse(@) | [0:3].{ID:id, Number:buildNumber, Duration:duration}"# Get PR statistics per reviewer
az repos pr list --query "groupBy([], &reviewers[].displayName) | [].{Reviewer:@.key, Count:length(@)}"# Find work items with multiple child items
az boards work-item relation list --id$PARENT_ID --query "[?rel=='System.LinkTypes.Hierarchy-Forward'] | [].{ChildID:url | split('/', @) | [-1]}"
Scripting Patterns for Idempotent Operations
Create or Update Pattern
# Ensure pipeline exists, update if differentensure_pipeline() {
local name=$1local yaml_path=$2
PIPELINE=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='$name']" -o json)
if [[ -z "$PIPELINE" ]]; thenecho"Creating pipeline: $name"
az pipelines create --name "$name" --yaml-path "$yaml_path"elseecho"Pipeline exists: $name"fi
}
Ensure Variable Group
# Create variable group with idempotent updatesensure_variable_group() {
local vg_name=$1shiftlocal variables=("$@")
VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group list --query "[?name=='$vg_name'].id" -o tsv)
if [[ -z "$VG_ID" ]]; thenecho"Creating variable group: $vg_name"
VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group create \
--name "$vg_name" \
--variables "${variables[@]}" \
--authorize true \
--query "id" -o tsv)
elseecho"Variable group exists: $vg_name (ID: $VG_ID)"fiecho"$VG_ID"
}
Ensure Service Connection
# Check if service connection exists, create if notensure_service_connection() {
local name=$1local project=$2
SC_ID=$(az devops service-endpoint list \
--project "$project" \
--query "[?name=='$name'].id" \
-o tsv)
if [[ -z "$SC_ID" ]]; thenecho"Service connection not found. Creating..."# Create logic hereelseecho"Service connection exists: $name"echo"$SC_ID"fi
}
Idempotent Work Item Creation
# Create work item only if doesn't exist with same titlecreate_work_item_if_new() {
local title=$1localtype=$2
WI_ID=$(az boards query \
--wiql "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE [System.WorkItemType]='$type' AND [System.Title]='$title'" \
--query "[0].id" -o tsv)
if [[ -z "$WI_ID" ]]; thenecho"Creating work item: $title"
WI_ID=$(az boards work-item create --title "$title" --type"$type" --query "id" -o tsv)
elseecho"Work item exists: $title (ID: $WI_ID)"fiecho"$WI_ID"
}
Bulk Idempotent Operations
# Ensure multiple pipelines existdeclare -a PIPELINES=(
"ci-pipeline:azure-pipelines.yml""deploy-pipeline:deploy.yml""test-pipeline:test.yml"
)
for pipeline in"${PIPELINES[@]}"; do
IFS=':'read -r name yaml <<< "$pipeline"
ensure_pipeline "$name""$yaml"done
Configuration Synchronization
# Sync variable groups from config filesync_variable_groups() {
local config_file=$1while IFS=','read -r vg_name variables; do
ensure_variable_group "$vg_name""$variables"done < "$config_file"
}
# config.csv format:# prod-vars,API_URL=prod.com,API_KEY=secret123# dev-vars,API_URL=dev.com,API_KEY=secret456
# Create PR from feature branch with automationcreate_automated_pr() {
local branch=$1local title=$2# Get branch info
LAST_COMMIT=$(git log -1 --pretty=%B "$branch")
COMMIT_SHA=$(git rev-parse "$branch")
# Find related work items
WORK_ITEMS=$(az boards query \
--wiql "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE [System.ChangedBy] = @Me AND [System.State] = 'Active'" \
--query "[].id" -o tsv)
# Create PR
PR_ID=$(az repos pr create \
--source-branch "$branch" \
--target-branch main \
--title "$title" \
--description "$LAST_COMMIT" \
--work-items $WORK_ITEMS \
--auto-complete true \
--query "pullRequestId" -o tsv)
# Set required reviewers
az repos pr reviewer add \
--id$PR_ID \
--reviewers $(git log -1 --pretty=format:'%ae'"$branch") \
--required trueecho"Created PR #$PR_ID"
}
Pipeline Monitoring and Alerting
# Monitor pipeline and alert on failuremonitor_pipeline() {
local pipeline_name=$1local slack_webhook=$2whiletrue; do# Get latest run
RUN_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='$pipeline_name'] | [0].id" -o tsv)
RUNS=$(az pipelines runs list --pipeline $RUN_ID --top 1)
LATEST_RUN_ID=$(echo"$RUNS" | jq -r '.[0].id')
RESULT=$(echo"$RUNS" | jq -r '.[0].result')
# Check if failed and not already processedif [[ "$RESULT" == "failed" ]]; then# Send Slack alert
curl -X POST "$slack_webhook" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d "{\"text\": \"Pipeline $pipeline_name failed! Run ID: $LATEST_RUN_ID\"}"fisleep 300 # Check every 5 minutesdone
}
Bulk Work Item Management
# Bulk update work items based on querybulk_update_work_items() {
local wiql=$1local updates=("$@")
# Query work items
WI_IDS=$(az boards query --wiql "$wiql" --query "[].id" -o tsv)
# Update each work itemfor wi_id in$WI_IDS; do
az boards work-item update --id$wi_id"${updates[@]}"echo"Updated work item: $wi_id"done
}
# Usage: bulk_update_work_items "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE State='New'" --state "Active" --assigned-to "user@example.com"
Branch Policy Automation
# Apply branch policies to all repositoriesapply_branch_policies() {
local branch=$1local project=$2# Get all repositories
REPOS=$(az repos list --project "$project" --query "[].id" -o tsv)
for repo_id in$REPOS; doecho"Applying policies to repo: $repo_id"# Require minimum approvers
az repos policy approver-count create \
--blocking true \
--enabled true \
--branch "$branch" \
--repository-id "$repo_id" \
--minimum-approver-count 2 \
--creator-vote-counts true# Require work item linking
az repos policy work-item-linking create \
--blocking true \
--branch "$branch" \
--enabled true \
--repository-id "$repo_id"# Require build validation
BUILD_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='CI'].id" -o tsv | head -1)
az repos policy build create \
--blocking true \
--enabled true \
--branch "$branch" \
--repository-id "$repo_id" \
--build-definition-id "$BUILD_ID" \
--queue-on-source-update-only truedone
}
Multi-Environment Deployment
# Deploy across multiple environmentsdeploy_to_environments() {
local run_id=$1shiftlocal environments=("$@")
# Download artifacts
ARTIFACT_NAME=$(az pipelines runs artifact list --run-id $run_id --query "[0].name" -o tsv)
az pipelines runs artifact download \
--artifact-name "$ARTIFACT_NAME" \
--path ./artifacts \
--run-id $run_id# Deploy to each environmentforenvin"${environments[@]}"; doecho"Deploying to: $env"# Get environment-specific variables
VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group list --query "[?name=='$env-vars'].id" -o tsv)
# Run deployment pipeline
DEPLOY_RUN_ID=$(az pipelines run \
--name "Deploy-$env" \
--variables ARTIFACT_PATH=./artifacts ENV="$env" \
--query "id" -o tsv)
# Wait for deploymentwhiletrue; do
STATUS=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $DEPLOY_RUN_ID --query "status" -o tsv)
if [[ "$STATUS" != "inProgress" ]]; thenbreakfisleep 10
donedone
}
Enhanced Global Arguments
Parameter
Description
--help / -h
Show command help
--output / -o
Output format (json, jsonc, none, table, tsv, yaml, yamlc)
# General help
az devops --help# Help for specific command group
az pipelines --help
az repos pr --help# Help for specific command
az repos pr create --help# Search for examples
az find "az repos pr create"
