Azure DevOps Task Pilot Extension

Overview

Task Pilot is an Azure DevOps extension that enables teams to efficiently create, manage, and template multiple tasks as children under user stories and bugs. Use a Sprint URL or Query URL to load work items, then bulk-create tasks with full field support directly inside Azure DevOps Boards.

✨ Features

• Sprint URL or Query URL — Fetch user stories from a sprint, or user stories and bugs from a saved Azure DevOps query
• User stories & bugs — When using Query URL, both User Stories and Bugs are listed; tasks can be created under either
• Bulk create and assign tasks under user stories or bugs
• Support for all standard and custom Azure DevOps fields (Priority, Severity, Activity, Estimates, etc.)
• Assign tasks to users by email
• Save and load task templates (local or Azure DevOps cloud)
• Robust handling of area/iteration paths for all team/project structures

🛠️ Installation

From Azure Marketplace

1. Go to Task Pilot: Automated Task Creator on Azure Marketplace
2. Click Get it free and install it to your Azure DevOps organization.
3. In your project, go to Boards → Task Pilot in the hub list.

Install in your organization (upload VSIX)

1. Package the extension (see below) to get the .vsix file.
2. In Azure DevOps: Organization settings → Extensions → Manage extensions → Upload extension.
3. Select the .vsix file (e.g. AhmedRashad.task-pilot-custom-3.0.16.vsix) and complete the install.

🚀 Usage

1. Configure Azure DevOps
   • Enter your Personal Access Token (PAT) (Work Items: Read & Write, Queries: Read).
   • Enter Organization and Project.
   • Provide either a Sprint URL (user stories only) or a Query URL (user stories and bugs from a saved query).
2. Fetch work items
   • Click Fetch User Stories. The list shows User Stories & Bugs when using a Query URL.
3. Create tasks
   • Add task details (title, description, assigned to, custom fields).
   • Use templates if needed, then click Apply Tasks to Selected Items.
4. Review results in the modal (success/error per task).

📦 Package extension for Azure upload

Build and create the .vsix file for uploading to your org or the marketplace:

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the web app and create the VSIX (version in vss-extension.json is auto-incremented)
npm run package

Output: AhmedRashad.task-pilot-custom-<version>.vsix in the project root.

Upload to Azure DevOps

• Your organization: Organization settings → Extensions → Upload extension → choose the .vsix file.
• Marketplace (public): Visual Studio Marketplace – Azure DevOps → Publish extension → upload the .vsix and complete the listing.

To rebuild and repackage later, run npm run package again (version bumps automatically).

🌐 Deploy on GitHub

Push code to GitHub

# If you haven't already, add the remote
git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO.git

# Commit and push
git add .
git commit -m "Your commit message"
git push -u origin main

Replace YOUR_USERNAME and YOUR_REPO with your GitHub username and repository name. Use master instead of main if that’s your default branch.

Deploy app to GitHub Pages (optional)

To host the built app on GitHub Pages:

1. In package.json, set "homepage": "https://YOUR_USERNAME.github.io/YOUR_REPO".
2. Install and use gh-pages:

   npm install --save-dev gh-pages
   

   Add (or restore) a script: "deploy": "gh-pages -d build".
3. Build and deploy:

   npm run build
   npm run deploy
   

4. In the repo on GitHub: Settings → Pages → Source: Deploy from a branch → Branch: gh-pages → Save.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repo and submit a pull request.

📚 Documentation & Support

• GitHub repository
• For help, open an issue or contact the maintainer

© 2025 Ahmed Rashad. All rights reserved.