Azure DevOps Work Items Plugin
A Claude Code plugin for managing Azure DevOps work items, boards, backlogs, and sprints using the Azure CLI (az devops).
Why This Plugin?
This plugin uses the official Azure CLI with the azure-devops extension instead of the Microsoft MCP server, which has known stability issues. The Azure CLI provides a reliable, well-documented interface to Azure DevOps APIs.
Prerequisites
1. Azure CLI
Install the Azure CLI:
- Windows:
winget install Microsoft.AzureCLIor download installer - macOS:
brew install azure-cli - Linux: See installation guide
2. Azure DevOps Extension
Install the Azure DevOps extension for Azure CLI:
az extension add --name azure-devops
3. Authentication
Log in to Azure:
az login
Or use a Personal Access Token (PAT):
az devops login
4. Configure Defaults
Set your default organization and project:
az devops configure --defaults organization=https://dev.azure.com/YOUR_ORG project=YOUR_PROJECT
Verify configuration:
az devops configure --list
Installation
From Claude Plugin Marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add ms-ado-az
From Local Source
claude plugin install /path/to/ado
Available Commands
Setup & Status
| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /ado:setup | Configure Azure DevOps CLI authentication and defaults | | /ado:status | Check current configuration and test connectivity |
Work Items
| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /ado:items:show | Show details of a work item by ID | | /ado:items:create | Create a new work item (bug, task, user story, etc.) | | /ado:items:update | Update an existing work item | | /ado:items:query | Query work items using WIQL | | /ado:items:search | Full-text search across work items | | /ado:items:link | Link work items together (parent/child, related, etc.) | | /ado:items:comments | View and add comments to work items |
Boards
| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /ado:boards:list | List boards for a team | | /ado:boards:columns | Get board column configuration | | /ado:boards:card-rules | View board card styling rules |
Backlogs
| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /ado:backlogs:list | List backlogs for a team | | /ado:backlogs:items | Get items in a backlog |
Sprints
| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /ado:sprints:list | List team iterations/sprints | | /ado:sprints:capacity | View team capacity for a sprint | | /ado:sprints:days-off | View team days off for a sprint |
Areas & Iterations
| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /ado:areas-iterations:list-areas | List project area paths | | /ado:areas-iterations:list-iterations | List project iteration paths | | /ado:areas-iterations:assign-team | Assign areas or iterations to a team |
Available Skills
Skills provide reference documentation and guidance for complex operations:
| Skill | Description | |-------|-------------| | wiql-queries | Build and execute WIQL (Work Item Query Language) queries | | wit-invoke | Call Azure DevOps REST APIs via az devops invoke | | hierarchy-tree | Construct ASCII tree visualizations from parent/child work item data | | work-item-fields | Reference for work item fields, link types, and states |
Agent
The plugin includes an AI agent for interactive work item management:
ado-work-items Agent
An Azure DevOps work item assistant that can:
- Query and search work items
- Create and update work items
- Manage boards and backlogs
- Handle sprints and capacity
- Work with areas and iterations
Start the agent with:
/agent ado-work-items
Examples
Query My Open Tasks
/ado:items:query
Then ask for: "Show me all tasks assigned to me that are not done"
Create a Bug
/ado:items:create
Then provide: Type "Bug", Title "Login button not responding", Priority 1
View Sprint Capacity
/ado:sprints:capacity
Then specify the team and sprint iteration.
Troubleshooting
Check Status
Run /ado:status to verify:
- Azure CLI is installed
- Azure DevOps extension is present
- Default organization and project are configured
- Connectivity to Azure DevOps is working
Common Issues
1. "az: command not found" - Azure CLI is not installed or not in PATH 2. "The following extension is not installed: azure-devops" - Run az extension add --name azure-devops 3. "Please run 'az login' to setup account" - Run az login to authenticate 4. "TF401019: The project does not exist" - Check your project name is correct (case-sensitive) 5. "TF400813: Resource not available" - Verify organization URL format is https://dev.azure.com/orgname
Re-authenticate
az account clear
az login
az devops configure --defaults organization=https://dev.azure.com/YOUR_ORG project=YOUR_PROJECT
License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details.
Author
Joshua Ramirez








