Work Item Field Content Restriction

This Azure DevOps extension allows project administrators to configure rules that restrict and validate the content of work item fields.

Features

• Required fields: Ensure a field is not left empty.
• Regex pattern matching: Validate field values against a custom regular expression (e.g., enforce a naming convention like PRJ-1234 - Description).
• Blocked words: Prevent specific words or phrases from being entered in a field.
• Maximum length: Restrict the number of characters allowed in a field.
• Allowed values: Limit a field to a predefined set of acceptable values.

How It Works

1. Configure rules in the Project Settings > Field Restrictions hub.
2. Rules are evaluated in real-time as users edit work items.
3. If a field value violates a rule, an error message is displayed on the work item form, preventing the user from saving invalid data.

Configuration

Navigate to Project Settings > Field Restrictions to:

• Add new validation rules
• Select the target field (common fields are listed, or enter a custom field reference name)
• Choose the rule type and configure its parameters
• Set a custom error message (optional)
• Enable or disable individual rules

Supported Fields

Any work item field can be targeted, including:

• System.Title
• System.Description
• System.Tags
• Custom fields (e.g., Custom.MyField)

Requirements

• Azure DevOps Services or Azure DevOps Server 2020+
• Project Administrator permissions to configure rules