azure-boards
Expert knowledge for Azure Boards development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, and integrations & coding patterns. Use when managing work items, backlogs, queries/charts, GitHub links, or Excel/Slack/Teams integrations, and othe...
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
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), useread_filewith the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g.,[security.md](security.md)), useread_fileon the linked reference file
IMPORTANT for Agent: If
metadata.generated_atis more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. Ifmcp_microsoftdocstools 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_fetchwith query stringfrom=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown. - Fallback: Use
fetch_webpagewith query stringfrom=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-L50 | Best practices for using Azure Boards for Agile: product management, Kanban, Scrum/sprints, and scaling Agile across teams and projects. |
| Decision Making | L51-L57 | 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 | L58-L63 | Managing Azure Boards limits for test artifacts and work item attachments, including size/quantity constraints and how to restore deleted test-related items. |
| Security | L64-L70 | Managing Azure Boards security: default permissions, configuring query/folder access, and setting access controls and policies for teams and users. |
| Configuration | L71-L83 | 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 | L84-L93 | 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 |
| 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 |