Git DevOps Assistant (MCP Powered)

Stop context-switching. Start shipping. Your AI-powered Azure DevOps companion lives right inside VS Code — talk to your boards, pipelines, repos, and wikis in plain English through GitHub Copilot.

Install → Sign in → Type @devops → Done. No config files, no API tokens, no YAML to write. The built-in ADO MCP server connects to your Azure DevOps org automatically.

ℹ️ Important Notice

This extension is built by Microsoft Digital as an engineering-productivity tool that uses an ADO MCP server, provides AI-powered skills, and offers prebuilt prompts to streamline Azure DevOps workflows. It is an official Microsoft Digital extension, but it is not a supported product offering from the Azure DevOps or GitHub product teams.

GitHub Copilot and Azure DevOps are trademarks of their respective owners. This extension enhances the Azure DevOps experience through AI-powered assistance.

For Support & Feedback: Please use the VS Code Marketplace Q&A section for any questions, feedback, bug reports, or feature requests. Your input helps us improve the extension.

🎬 Get Set Up in Under 2 Minutes

Before you can use any of the features below, complete these three steps:

Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
Sign in to Azure DevOps when prompted
Configure your organization and project (see Getting Started for details)

Once you're signed in and configured, open Copilot Chat and try any of these:

What you want	Just type this
"Am I ready to ship?"	`/ado-release-manager are we ready to release?`
"How's the sprint going?"	`@devops /sprint`
"Review my PR"	`/ado-pr-reviewer review PR #12345`
"Where's the tech debt?"	`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer tech debt report`
"I'm new — help me ramp up"	`/ado-project-onboarding I'm new to this project`
Draft a PR description	`@devops /draftpr 123456`
Create a PR from current branch	`@devops /createpr`
Verify my code meets requirements	`@devops /reqcheck 123456`
Check build/pipeline status	`@devops /build`
Update a work item inline	`@devops /update 123456 state=Active`
See what I've been up to	`@devops /myactivity`
Any question in plain English	`@devops What PRs need my review?`

Two ways to interact — use both. Slash commands like @devops /draftpr and /ado-scrum-master give you fast, repeatable shortcuts for specific tasks. For everything else, just type @devops followed by any question in plain English — @devops show me failed builds today, @devops what bugs are assigned to me? — and the MCP tools handle the rest.

In Agent Mode, you don't even need the @devops tag — just ask and the tools activate automatically.

Keep reading to explore all 5 AI Skills, the built-in ADO MCP Server, and 17 slash commands — there's a lot more to discover.

🧠 5 AI Skills — Your Team's Superpowers

Skills are ready-to-use AI experts that ship with this extension. Each one chains multiple Azure DevOps API calls behind a single conversational prompt — no scripting, no queries, no dashboards to build. They auto-install when you install the extension.

🏃 Scrum Master — `/ado-scrum-master`

"Show me the sprint, not the spreadsheet."

Your AI Scrum Master pulls live data from Azure DevOps and delivers ceremony-ready insights in seconds.

Try this	What you get
`/ado-scrum-master How's our sprint?`	Sprint progress %, at-risk items, blockers, capacity utilization
`/ado-scrum-master standup summary`	Per-member status: done, in-progress, blocked — with work item IDs
`/ado-scrum-master plan next sprint`	Capacity-aware recommendations from your prioritized backlog
`/ado-scrum-master run a retro`	Delivered vs. planned, patterns, and generated action items
`/ado-scrum-master backlog refinement`	Flags missing criteria, oversized stories, duplicates, priority gaps

🔍 PR Reviewer — `/ado-pr-reviewer`

"Review this PR like a Staff Engineer would."

Analyzes real diffs, existing comments, linked work items, and build status — then delivers a structured, severity-rated review.

Try this	What you get
`/ado-pr-reviewer review PR #12345`	Full review: 🔴 Critical / 🟡 Important / 🔵 Suggestions with file & line refs
`/ado-pr-reviewer security review PR #12345`	Hardcoded secrets, injection risks, auth gaps, input validation issues
`/ado-pr-reviewer check test coverage for PR #12345`	Changed files mapped to test files — highlights what's missing

🚀 Release Manager — `/ado-release-manager`

"Are we ready to release? Give me the receipts."

Pre-release checklist backed by live build, test, PR, and security data.

Try this	What you get
`/ado-release-manager are we ready to release?`	✅/❌ checklist: builds, open PRs, bugs, test results, security alerts
`/ado-release-manager why did build #456 fail?`	Root cause from build logs, failing tests, and the commit that broke it
`/ado-release-manager pipeline dashboard`	All pipelines with success rates and failure diagnostics
`/ado-release-manager generate release notes`	Auto-generated notes from commits and linked work items

🏥 Tech Debt Analyzer — `/ado-tech-debt-analyzer`

"How healthy is this codebase, really?"

Data-driven health scores across bugs, PRs, builds, and security — with sprint-allocation recommendations.

Try this	What you get
`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer tech debt report`	🟢/🟡/🔴 scores for bugs, stale PRs, build stability, security, untriaged items
`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer aging bugs`	Bugs sorted by age, severity, assigned-to, and days since last update
`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer stale PRs`	PRs open too long, unresolved comments, recommended action per PR
`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer backlog hygiene`	Items missing acceptance criteria, assignments, or area paths

🎯 Project Onboarding — `/ado-project-onboarding`

"I just joined. Catch me up — from the real data."

Generates a personalized onboarding summary from your live Azure DevOps project — teams, sprints, repos, pipelines, wikis, and current work.

Try this	What you get
`/ado-project-onboarding I'm new to this project`	Full onboard: teams, sprint cadence, repos, pipelines, wiki links, current sprint work
`/ado-project-onboarding who's on the team?`	Team roster with current work assignments
`/ado-project-onboarding what repos do we have?`	Repo listing with branch strategies and directory structure
`/ado-project-onboarding where's the documentation?`	Organized wiki page index with suggested reading

🔌 Built-In ADO MCP Server — Zero Setup, Full Power

This extension ships with a pre-configured Azure DevOps MCP Server that connects GitHub Copilot directly to your organization. No API tokens. No server config. It starts when the extension starts.

What that means for you

You can talk to every corner of Azure DevOps in plain English — and the AI figures out which tools to call:

You say	What happens behind the scenes
`@devops show my work items`	`mcp_ado_wit_my_work_items`
`@devops what builds failed today?`	`mcp_ado_pipelines_get_builds`
`@devops list PRs on my branch`	`mcp_ado_repo_list_pull_requests_by_repo_or_project`
`@devops search code for AuthService`	`mcp_ado_search_code`
`@devops find wiki docs about deployment`	`mcp_ado_search_wiki`
`@devops show sprint capacity`	`mcp_ado_work_get_team_capacity`
`@devops create a task under work item 12345`	`mcp_ado_wit_add_child_work_items`

9 Tool Domains — Everything Connected

Domain	What you can do
📝 Work Items	Get, create, update, link, comment — manage your backlog conversationally
🔄 Iterations	Sprint details, team capacity, team settings
🔀 Repositories	PRs, branches, commits, code review threads
⚙️ Pipelines	Builds, pipeline runs, logs, artifacts
🔍 Search	Full-text search across code, wiki, and work items
📖 Wiki	List, read, create, and update wiki pages
🧪 Test Plans	Test plans, suites, cases, and build test results
👥 Core	Projects, teams, and identity lookup
🛡️ Security	Advanced Security alerts for repositories

Follow-ups just work. Ask @devops show failed builds today, then say "Only the ones from the release pipeline" — the server keeps context.

🌟 Quick Wins by Role

Developers

Scenario	Command / Skill
Get implementation guidance	`@devops /plan 123456`
Auto-generate PR description	`@devops /draftpr 123456`
Create a PR from current branch	`@devops /createpr`
Prove code meets requirements	`@devops /reqcheck 123456`
Check pipeline / build status	`@devops /build`
Diagnose build failure	`@devops /build 456` or `/ado-release-manager why did build #456 fail?`
Move work item to Active	`@devops /update 123456 state=Active`
Find code across all repos	`@devops /code AuthService`
Get a senior-level PR review	`/ado-pr-reviewer review PR #789`
Check PR test coverage	`/ado-pr-reviewer check test coverage for PR #789`

Scrum Masters & PMs

Scenario	Command / Skill
Sprint dashboard	`@devops /sprint` or `/ado-scrum-master How's our sprint?`
Automated standup prep	`/ado-scrum-master standup summary`
Capacity-aware sprint planning	`/ado-scrum-master plan next sprint`
Data-driven retrospective	`/ado-scrum-master run a retro`
AI-rank the backlog	`@devops /prioritize`
Backlog grooming	`/ado-scrum-master backlog refinement`
Break down a large item	`@devops /decompose 123456 Task`
Quick work item summary	`@devops /summarize 123456`

Testers & QA

Scenario	Command / Skill
Test results from latest build	`@devops /build` or `@devops show test results from latest build`
List test plans	`@devops list all test plans for this sprint`
Find bugs reported today	`@devops what bugs were reported today?`
Check PR test coverage	`/ado-pr-reviewer check test coverage for PR #789`
Search test-related code	`@devops /code TestHelper`

DevOps Engineers

Scenario	Command / Skill
Pipeline dashboard	`@devops /build` or `/ado-release-manager pipeline dashboard`
Build failure root cause	`@devops /build 456` or `/ado-release-manager why did build #456 fail?`
Pre-release checklist	`/ado-release-manager are we ready to release?`
Generate release notes	`/ado-release-manager generate release notes`
Project health score	`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer tech debt report`
Stale PR report	`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer stale PRs`
Security alerts	`/ado-release-manager security check`

New Team Members

Scenario	Command / Skill
Full project walkthrough	`/ado-project-onboarding I'm new here`
Team roster & assignments	`/ado-project-onboarding who's on the team?` or `@devops /sprint`
Find documentation	`/ado-project-onboarding where's the documentation?`
Repository guide	`/ado-project-onboarding what repos do we have?`
Understand current sprint	`@devops /sprint`

📦 Getting Started

Installation

Install the extension
- Open VS Code and press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (Mac)
- Search for "Git DevOps Assistant"
- Click Install
Sign in to Azure DevOps
- After install the extension guides you automatically to Sign In and authenticate
- Complete the authentication flow
Configure your organization and project
- When prompted, enter your Azure DevOps organization URL (e.g., https://dev.azure.com/your-org) or Name (e.g., your-org)
- Enter your project name: Exact project display name or its slug (e.g., MyProject)
- You're all set! 🎉
Open Copilot Chat and go
- Click the chat icon in the Activity Bar or press Ctrl+Shift+I
- Type @devops /help or try any skill from the table above

Pro tip: Run @devops /instruct to auto-generate .github/copilot-instructions.md — this teaches Copilot about your Azure DevOps MCP tools so every future conversation is smarter.

🎮 17 Slash Commands

While natural language and skills handle most scenarios, these slash commands give you quick, focused actions:

Command	What it does	Example
`/help`	List all commands and capabilities	`@devops /help`
`/info`	Show current org/project configuration	`@devops /info`
`/instruct`	Generate Copilot instructions for MCP-aware AI	`@devops /instruct`
`/summarize <id>`	Summarize a work item's discussion	`@devops /summarize 123456`
`/decompose <id> <type>`	Break a work item into child items	`@devops /decompose 123456 Task`
`/simplify <id>`	Rewrite as smaller, actionable tasks	`@devops /simplify 123456`
`/plan <id>`	Generate implementation plan mapped to your code	`@devops /plan 123456`
`/prioritize`	AI-rank work items by impact	`@devops /prioritize`
`/myactivity`	Your recent updates, comments, assignments	`@devops /myactivity`
`/docs <query>`	Search Azure DevOps wiki	`@devops /docs API guide`
`/code <query>`	Search code across all repos	`@devops /code AuthService`
`/draftpr <id>`	Generate PR description from diff + work item	`@devops /draftpr 123456`
`/reqcheck <id>`	Verify code meets acceptance criteria	`@devops /reqcheck 123456`
`/build [id]`	View pipeline status, logs, diagnose failures	`@devops /build`
`/update <id> <changes>`	Update work item fields, state, or add comments	`@devops /update 123456 state=Active`
`/sprint [team]`	View sprint status, capacity, and progress	`@devops /sprint`
`/createpr [options]`	Create a PR for the current branch	`@devops /createpr`

Tips

Commands work with follow-up questions: after @devops /myactivity, ask "Show only bugs"
Use /draftpr before creating a PR — never write a PR description by hand again
Use /createpr right after /draftpr — complete the PR workflow without leaving VS Code
Use /reqcheck before closing a work item — prove your code meets every acceptance criterion
Use /plan before starting work — get implementation guidance mapped to your actual codebase
Use /build to check pipeline status — stop switching to the browser for build results
Use /update to change work item state — move items to Active/Resolved without leaving the editor
Use /sprint in standups — get a real-time sprint dashboard instantly

🔧 Configuration & Settings

Check Your Current Configuration

@devops /info

This shows your configured organization and project, with a button to change settings.

Change Organization or Project

Type @devops /info
Click the Change Configuration button in the response
Enter new organization URL and/or project name
Confirm changes

Alternative: Press Ctrl+Shift+P and run "Git DevOps Assistant: Change configuration" from the command palette, but @devops /info + Change Configuration button is the fastest path.

Note: When you change the organization or project, the ADO MCP server automatically reconfigures to point to your new Azure DevOps organization. This ensures all tools and natural language queries work with your updated settings immediately.

Optimize Copilot for Your Azure DevOps Setup

Run @devops /instruct to automatically generate or update .github/copilot-instructions.md with:

Complete list of available Azure DevOps MCP tools
Essential workflows and best practices
Tool call patterns with examples
Your organization and project context

This helps GitHub Copilot provide better suggestions tailored to your Azure DevOps environment. Run it again anytime to refresh with the latest tool information.

The extension adds a Git DevOps Assistant view to your Activity Bar:

Work Items View: Browse and manage work items from your Azure DevOps projects
Work Item Details: View detailed information in a webview
Quick actions: Open in browser, refresh, sort by priority

�️ Natural Language Examples

You don't need to memorize commands. Just type @devops and ask in plain English. In Agent Mode, skip the @devops tag entirely — just ask your question and the ADO MCP tools kick in automatically:

Area	Example queries
Work Items	`Show my assigned work items` · `Find high-priority bugs assigned to my team` · `Create a bug titled "Login fails on mobile" assigned to me`
Boards	`What's in the current sprint?` · `Compare completed work items across the last 3 sprints`
Code & Repos	`Find code that implements JWT validation` · `Search all repos for usage of deprecated API`
Pull Requests	`Show my open PRs` · `List PRs waiting for my review` · `PRs targeting main open more than 5 days`
Pipelines	`Show failed builds today` · `Find all builds that failed this week grouped by failure reason`
Tests	`Show test results for the latest build` · `Find flaky tests from the last 2 weeks`
Wiki	`Search wiki for "deployment process"` · `Find wiki articles about security best practices`
Activity	`What did I work on today?` · `Summarize all my activity from the last month`

💡 Pro Tips

Day-to-Day Workflows

When	Do this
Morning standup	`@devops /sprint` or `/ado-scrum-master standup summary`
Before starting work	`@devops /plan 123456`
Pick up a work item	`@devops /update 123456 state=Active`
Before creating a PR	`@devops /draftpr 123456`
Create the PR	`@devops /createpr`
Get a code review	`/ado-pr-reviewer review PR #789`
Before closing a work item	`@devops /reqcheck 123456`
Check build status	`@devops /build` or `/ado-release-manager pipeline dashboard`
Sprint planning	`/ado-scrum-master plan next sprint`
Release day	`/ado-release-manager are we ready to release?`
Onboarding a teammate	`/ado-project-onboarding I'm new to this project`
Tech debt review	`/ado-tech-debt-analyzer tech debt report`

Getting Better Answers

Be specific: "Show failed builds today" beats "Show builds"
Use context: "What PRs are related to work item 123?"
Chain naturally: Ask a question, then refine — "Only show critical", "From last week"

🐛 Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Wrong org/project	`@devops /info` → Click Change Configuration
Commands not responding	Make sure Copilot Chat is active and you're using `@devops` prefix
Empty search results	Verify the repo/wiki exists and you have access permissions
Authentication expired	Press `Ctrl+Shift+P` → "Git DevOps Assistant: Refresh Authentication Token"
`Cannot have more than 128 tools per request`	Disable other MCP servers, skills, or agents in the chat tool picker — `@devops` only loads Azure DevOps MCP tools, but other host-injected entries still count toward the limit

Still stuck? Try @devops /help → restart VS Code → reinstall the extension.

🔐 Privacy & Security

Authentication: Standard Azure DevOps OAuth flow — your existing credentials
Permissions: Only accesses resources you already have rights to
Storage: Configuration stored locally in VS Code settings
Telemetry: Anonymous usage data helps improve the extension

💬 Feedback & Support

Use the VS Code Marketplace Q&A section for questions, bug reports, and feature requests. Your input directly shapes what we build next.

How to Get Help:

Open the Marketplace Page: Search for "Git DevOps Assistant" in VS Code extensions
Navigate to Q&A: Click the "Q&A" tab on the extension's marketplace page
Ask Your Question: Post your issue with relevant details (command run, error message, etc.)
Share Feedback: Let us know what's working well and what could be improved
Report Bugs: Include steps to reproduce and expected vs. actual behavior

Your questions and suggestions help us continuously improve the extension!

Your Azure DevOps workflow just changed forever. Type @devops /help to begin. 🚀

Git DevOps Assistant (MCP Powered)

Microsoft

Git DevOps Assistant (MCP Powered)

ℹ️ Important Notice

🎬 Get Set Up in Under 2 Minutes

🧠 5 AI Skills — Your Team's Superpowers

🏃 Scrum Master — /ado-scrum-master

🔍 PR Reviewer — /ado-pr-reviewer

🚀 Release Manager — /ado-release-manager

🏥 Tech Debt Analyzer — /ado-tech-debt-analyzer

🎯 Project Onboarding — /ado-project-onboarding

🔌 Built-In ADO MCP Server — Zero Setup, Full Power

What that means for you

9 Tool Domains — Everything Connected

🌟 Quick Wins by Role

Developers

Scrum Masters & PMs

Testers & QA

DevOps Engineers

New Team Members

📦 Getting Started

Installation

🎮 17 Slash Commands

Tips

🔧 Configuration & Settings

Check Your Current Configuration

Change Organization or Project

Optimize Copilot for Your Azure DevOps Setup

🖥️ Sidebar Views

�️ Natural Language Examples

💡 Pro Tips

Day-to-Day Workflows

Getting Better Answers

🐛 Troubleshooting

🔐 Privacy & Security

💬 Feedback & Support

How to Get Help:

🏃 Scrum Master — `/ado-scrum-master`

🔍 PR Reviewer — `/ado-pr-reviewer`

🚀 Release Manager — `/ado-release-manager`

🏥 Tech Debt Analyzer — `/ado-tech-debt-analyzer`

🎯 Project Onboarding — `/ado-project-onboarding`