AI Assistant Extension for Azure DevOps

Generate and Manage Work Item Descriptions, Acceptance Criteria and more with Custom AI Prompts

Assistant Demo

Overview

The AI Assistant Extension for Azure DevOps enables teams to quickly create, refine, and standardize work item documentation using AI-powered custom prompts. Seamlessly integrated with Azure Boards, it allows developers, QA, business analysts, product owners, and team leads to generate and update the Description, Acceptance Criteria and more in User Stories, Bugs, and Tasks—all from within the familiar work item form.

Select from a library of default or organization-specific prompts that reflect your standards and best practices. Each time you use the AI Assistant, review the generated content in a confirmation dialog before applying it, ensuring relevance and clarity. This extension helps teams accelerate backlog grooming, reduce manual effort, and maintain consistent, high-quality documentation throughout the DevOps workflow.

Key Benefits:

Productivity: Instantly generate detailed work item fields with AI.
Consistency: Apply shared prompt templates across your organization.
Quality: Improve clarity and reduce ambiguity in acceptance criteria.
Control: Always review and confirm AI-generated content before saving.

Features

AI-Powered Work Item Authoring

Instantly generate or update Description, Acceptance Criteria and more fields using custom AI prompts.
Supports User Stories, Bugs, and Tasks and more for agile and DevOps teams.

Prompt Selection

[ New ] Writing Mode

Write adhoc prompts and generate content with AI.
Use the AI Assistant in writing mode to generate content.
Nice if you want to add specific content to a work item.

Writing Mode

[ New ] Summarize Feature

Summarize the whole work item into a short summary.
Includes the Description, Acceptance Criteria, comments and more.
Can be used to create a quick summary of the work item.
Nice for non-technical stakeholders.

Summarize

Custom Prompt Management

Create, edit, and organize prompts at the organization level.
Assign prompts to Description, Acceptance Criteria and more fields.
Enable/disable default prompts.

Prompt Selection

Seamless Azure DevOps Integration

Access AI Assistant directly from the work item form.
Real-time processing with loading indicators.
Review and apply content with a confirmation dialog.

Confirmation Dialog

Performance and Reliability

Optimized for prompt execution in under 8 seconds.
Designed for reliability within Azure DevOps Boards.

Installation

Prerequisites

Azure DevOps Organization: Active and accessible.
Supported Work Items: User Story, Bug, Task, and more (with Description/Acceptance Criteria).
Browser: Latest Edge, Chrome, or Firefox.

Permissions

Install: Project Collection Administrator or equivalent.
Manage Prompts: Admin or custom role.
Use Extension: All organization members.

Steps

Go to Azure DevOps Marketplace.
Search for "AI Assistant Extension" and select it.

Search Marketplace

Click “Get”, choose your organization, and confirm installation.

Install

Once installed, verify it’s enabled under Organization Settings > Extensions.

Post-Installation

Open any work item form and find the AI Assistant button beside the Description or Acceptance Criteria field.
(Admins) Access the Prompt Management interface to create or edit prompts.

Configuration

Options and Settings

Prompts: Add, edit, delete, and categorize prompts for Description or Acceptance Criteria.

Usage Examples

1. Rapid User Story Description

Open a User Story in Azure Boards.
Select a prompt beside the Description field (e.g., "Create Description from Title").
Click Run, review, then Apply.

User Story

2. Acceptance Criteria for Sprint Planning

Open a work item for the current sprint.
Use AI Assistant on the Acceptance Criteria field.
Pick "Create Acceptance Criteria from Description" prompt.
Generate, review, and apply.

3. Custom Prompt Creation

Go to Organization Settings > AI Assistant.
Click Add Prompt, write a name and description.
Write the prompt in the editor.
Assign the prompt to the Description or Acceptance Criteria field.

Manage Prompts

4. Summarize Feature

Open a work item.
Click on the menu button in the top right corner.
Select AI - Summarize work item.
A new dialog will open with the summary.

Summarize

4. Bulk Updates with Open in Excel

Export work items via Open in Excel.
Open each item in Azure DevOps and use AI Assistant for updates.
Save and sync changes in Excel.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
Extension not visible	Verify install, refresh browser, check permissions
Prompts not loading	Ensure prompts exist; check network/permissions
Cannot apply AI content	Confirm edit rights and field access
Prompt management inaccessible	Only admins manage prompts; contact admin
Slow response or timeout	Check endpoint/network; retry at off-peak hours

Error Messages

Message	Meaning/Resolution
Failed to load prompts	Network issue; refresh page
Permission denied	Insufficient rights; contact admin
AI service timeout	Backend delay; retry/check endpoint
Cannot apply content	Field locked; check permissions
Invalid API key/endpoint	Review integration settings

Optimization & Diagnostics

Use concise prompts.
Avoid simultaneous requests.
Regularly update the extension.
Test connectivity to custom AI endpoints.
Use browser dev tools (F12) for error details.

Known Limitations

Limitation	Workaround
Currently only supports Description, Acceptance Criteria and Repro Steps fields	Copy/paste for other fields and contact us for new fields
No bulk apply	Use Open in Excel for batch
Generic AI output	Refine prompts, review content
No support for custom fields	Copy/paste for other fields

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I install the AI Assistant Extension?
Go to Azure DevOps Marketplace, search, select, and install. See Installation.
Who can manage custom prompts?
Only admins or those with the designated role can create or edit prompts.
Why don’t I see the AI Assistant in my work item form?
Check installation, project access, browser refresh, and permissions.
Can it be used for fields besides Description and Acceptance Criteria?
Not at this time. Copy/paste output if needed elsewhere.
AI content isn’t applying. What should I check?
Confirm you have edit rights, and the field isn’t locked by rules.
How do I optimize performance?
Use concise prompts, avoid concurrent requests, and keep the extension updated.
Where do I get help for errors or issues?
See Troubleshooting or contact Support.
How can I use the summarize feature?
Open a work item and click on the menu button in the top right corner. Select AI - Summarize work item. A new dialog will open with the summary.
How can I activate a new user? Users are automatically activated when they run a prompt. After running the last prompt, the user will be active for 30 days.

DevOps AI Assistant

FJAN IT