azure-boards

Azure Boards Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Boards. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, and integrations & coding patterns. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., [security.md](security.md)), use read_file on the linked reference file

IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description | |----------|-------|-------------| | Troubleshooting | L35-L43 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure Boards issues with Office integration, backlog nesting/reordering, and common query problems (filters, clauses, results). | | Best Practices | L44-L51 | Best practices for using Azure Boards for Agile: product management, Kanban, Scrum/sprints, and scaling Agile across teams and projects. | | Decision Making | L52-L58 | Guidance on choosing Azure Boards processes, tools, and integrations, plus planning cross-team dependencies and migrations to get the right setup for your organization. | | Limits & Quotas | L59-L64 | Managing Azure Boards limits for test artifacts and work item attachments, including size/quantity constraints and how to restore deleted test-related items. | | Security | L65-L71 | Managing Azure Boards security: default permissions, configuring query/folder access, and setting access controls and policies for teams and users. | | Configuration | L72-L84 | Configuring Azure Boards processes, fields, and boards; integrating with GitHub; and using queries, charts, and work item field references for Agile/Scrum/CMMI tracking | | Integrations & Coding Patterns | L85-L94 | Connecting Azure Boards to external tools (Excel, GitHub, Copilot, Slack, Teams) and using WIQL, badges, and integrations to sync work items and development artifacts. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Troubleshoot Azure DevOps Office integration issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/backlogs/office/tfs-office-integration-issues?view=azure-devops | | Troubleshoot Azure DevOps Office integration issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/backlogs/office/tfs-office-integration-issues?view=azure-devops | | Troubleshoot Azure DevOps Office integration issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/backlogs/office/tfs-office-integration-issues?view=azure-devops | | Troubleshoot Azure Boards backlog nesting and reordering | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/backlogs/resolve-backlog-reorder-issues?view=azure-devops | | Resolve common Azure Boards query issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/queries/query-faqs?view=azure-devops |

Best Practices

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Apply Azure Boards agile product management practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/best-practices-agile-project-management?view=azure-devops | | Use Azure Boards Kanban boards effectively | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/boards/kanban-overview?view=azure-devops | | Apply scalable Agile practices in Azure Boards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/plans/practices-that-scale?view=azure-devops | | Apply Azure Boards sprint and Scrum best practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/sprints/best-practices-scrum?view=azure-devops |

Decision Making

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Select migration and integration options for Azure Boards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/extensions/migrate-integrate?view=azure-devops | | Choose Azure Boards tools for cross-team visibility | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/plans/visibility-across-teams?view=azure-devops | | Choose the right Azure Boards process template | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/work-items/guidance/choose-process?view=azure-devops |

Limits & Quotas

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Manage and restore deleted Azure Boards test artifacts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/backlogs/delete-test-artifacts?view=azure-devops | | Manage Azure Boards work item attachments and limits | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/work-items/manage-attachments?view=azure-devops |

Security

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Understand default permissions and access in Azure Boards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/get-started/permissions-access-boards?view=azure-devops | | Configure query and folder permissions in Azure Boards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/queries/set-query-permissions?view=azure-devops | | Secure Azure Boards with access controls and policies | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/secure-your-azure-boards?view=azure-devops |

Configuration

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Configure and customize Azure Boards processes and boards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/configure-customize?view=azure-devops | | Configure on-premises Azure DevOps with GitHub Enterprise | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/github/connect-on-premises-to-github?view=azure-devops-server | | Configure Azure Boards GitHub app connections | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/github/install-github-app?view=azure-devops | | Configure Azure Boards query charts for dashboards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/queries/example-query-charts?view=azure-devops | | Use Azure Boards query fields, operators, and macros | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/queries/query-operators-variables?view=azure-devops | | Track bugs, issues, and risks fields in CMMI process | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/work-items/guidance/cmmi/guidance-bugs-issues-risks-field-reference-cmmi?view=azure-devops | | Use code review and feedback fields in Azure Boards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/work-items/guidance/guidance-code-review-feedback-field-reference?view=azure-devops | | Reference Agile and Scrum work item fields in Azure Boards | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/work-items/guidance/work-item-field?view=azure-devops | | Configure and manage Azure Boards work item fields | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/work-items/work-item-fields?view=azure-devops |

Integrations & Coding Patterns

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Connect Azure Boards work tracking with Excel | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/backlogs/office/track-work?view=azure-devops | | Add Azure Boards status badges to GitHub repos | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/github/configure-status-badges?view=azure-devops | | Integrate Azure Boards projects with GitHub repositories | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/github/connect-to-github?view=azure-devops | | Integrate Azure Boards work items with GitHub artifacts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/github/link-to-from-github?view=azure-devops | | Integrate Azure Boards wi