Git DevOps Assistant (MCP Powered)Your AI-powered GitHub Copilot chat extension for Azure DevOps that supercharges your workflow without leaving VS Code. Manage work items, explore code, track builds, review pull requests, search wikis, and analyze test results—all using natural conversations. ℹ️ Important NoticeThis extension is built by Microsoft Digital as an engineering-productivity tool that uses a remote MCP server and provides 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. 🚀 What Makes This Extension Special⭐ Built-In Azure DevOps Intelligence (MCP Server)Git DevOps Assistant is powered by a pre‑configured remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects GitHub Copilot directly to your Azure DevOps organization. This means:
Ask ADO questions or request actions in agent mode — no special command syntax (
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| Category | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Work Items | Create, update, query, link, decompose, summarize, prioritize, and track your work |
| Code & Repos | Search code, list repositories, browse commits, find files |
| Pull Requests | List PRs, review comments, check status, filter by author/reviewer |
| Pipelines | Check build status, view logs, list definitions, track releases |
| Boards | Query backlogs, view sprints/iterations, manage team boards |
| Tests | View test plans, check test results, analyze failures |
| Wiki | Search documentation, browse wiki pages |
| Activity | Track your recent work item updates, comments, and assignments |
📦 Getting Started
Installation
Install the extension
- Open VS Code and press
Ctrl+Shift+X(Windows/Linux) orCmd+Shift+X(Mac) - Search for "Git DevOps Assistant"
- Click Install
- Open VS Code and press
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! 🎉
- When prompted, enter your Azure DevOps organization URL (e.g.,
Open Copilot Chat
- Click the chat icon in the Activity Bar or press the Copilot Chat keyboard shortcut (
Ctrl+Shift+I) - Type
@devopsto start asking questions
- Click the chat icon in the Activity Bar or press the Copilot Chat keyboard shortcut (
First Commands to Try
@devops /help
@devops /info
@devops /instruct
Tip: Run
@devops /instructto automatically generate a.github/copilot-instructions.mdfile with Azure DevOps MCP Server guidance. This helps GitHub Copilot better understand your Azure DevOps setup and available tools.
🎮 Special Slash Commands
While natural language works for most tasks, these slash commands provide quick shortcuts for specific actions:
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
/help |
List all available commands | @devops /help |
/info |
Show current org/project configuration | @devops /info |
/instruct |
Generate/update Copilot instructions file | @devops /instruct |
/summarize <id> |
Summarize a work item's discussion and details | @devops /summarize 123456 |
/decompose <id> <type> |
Break down work item into child items | @devops /decompose 123456 Task |
/simplify <id> |
Break down work item into smaller, actionable tasks | @devops /simplify 123456 |
/plan <id> |
Generate a detailed implementation plan for a work item | @devops /plan 123456 |
/prioritize |
Prioritize work items based on impact to critical areas | @devops /prioritize |
/myactivity |
Show your recent work item updates, comments, and assignments | @devops /myactivity |
/docs <query> |
Search Azure DevOps wiki documentation | @devops /docs API guide |
/code <query> |
Search code across Azure DevOps repositories | @devops /code AuthService |
/draftpr <id> |
Generate a professional PR description with git diff, commits, and work item context | @devops /draftpr 123456 |
Tips for Slash Commands
- You can omit angle brackets:
@devops /summarize 12345✅ - Commands work with follow-up questions: After
@devops /myactivity, ask "Show only bugs" - Mix commands and natural language:
@devops /prioritizethen "Show active work items" - Use
/draftprbefore creating a PR to generate a professional description - Use
/planto get implementation guidance before starting work on a feature
Agent Mode vs Slash Commands
| Use This | When |
|---|---|
| Natural question (agent mode) | You want conversational, flexible access to ADO data (builds, PRs, releases, code, wiki, tests, work items). |
| Slash command | You want a focused transformation (e.g., summarize, decompose) or quick access to a known function. |
🔧 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 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.
🖥️ Sidebar Views
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
💬 How to Use: Natural Language Examples
The beauty of this extension is that you don't need to memorize commands. Just ask naturally! Here are examples organized from simple to complex.
🎯 Work Items
Simple Queries
Show my assigned work items
What bugs are in the current sprint?
List all active user stories
Show work item 123456
Intermediate Queries
Find all high-priority bugs assigned to my team
Show me work items I updated this week
What tasks are blocked?
List all features in the backlog
Complex Queries
Show all critical bugs created in the last 30 days that are still active, grouped by area path
Find work items related to authentication that I commented on
What's the status of all child items for Epic 456789?
Create a bug titled "Login fails on mobile" assigned to me with high priority
Work Item Management
@devops /summarize 123456
@devops /decompose 123456 Task
@devops /simplify 123456
@devops /plan 123456
Link work items 111 and 222
Add comment to work item 123456: "Fixed in PR #42"
📋 Boards & Iterations
Simple Queries
What's in the current sprint?
Show all iterations for my team
List all team boards
Intermediate Queries
What work is planned for Sprint 23?
Show me the capacity for our current iteration
What items are in the backlog?
Complex Queries
Compare completed work items across the last 3 sprints
Show all unfinished work from previous iterations
What's the velocity trend for our team over the last 6 sprints?
📂 Repositories & Code
Simple Queries
List all repositories in this project
Show recent commits in the main branch
@devops /code AuthService
Intermediate Queries
Search for files containing "config" in the repo
Find code that implements JWT validation
Show commits by author "john.doe@company.com"
@devops /code DatabaseConnection
Complex Queries
Search all repos for usage of deprecated API "oldMethod()"
Find files modified in the last week that contain "database connection"
Show me code patterns for error handling across all repositories
🔀 Pull Requests
Simple Queries
Show my open pull requests
List PRs waiting for my review
What's the status of PR 789?
Draft PR Description
@devops /draftpr 123456
Generate a professional PR description based on work item context, git diff, and commit messages.
Intermediate Queries
Show all active PRs in the repository "web-app"
Find PRs created this week
List PRs with merge conflicts
Complex Queries
Show all PRs targeting the main branch that have been open for more than 5 days
Find PRs I reviewed that have comments by me
What PRs are blocked by failing builds?
List all PRs from the last sprint that touched authentication code
🏗️ Pipelines & Builds
Simple Queries
Show recent builds
What's the status of the latest build?
List all build definitions
Intermediate Queries
Show failed builds today
What builds are currently running?
Show build history for the "CI-Pipeline" definition
Complex Queries
Find all builds that failed in the last week and group by failure reason
Compare build times for the main branch over the last month
Show me the logs for the last failed build of the "Release-Pipeline"
What's the success rate of builds for PR #456?
🧪 Tests
Simple Queries
List all test plans
Show test results for the latest build
What tests failed recently?
Intermediate Queries
Show test results for build 12345
List all test cases in test plan "Regression Suite"
What's the pass rate for tests today?
Complex Queries
Find all flaky tests that failed intermittently in the last 2 weeks
Compare test pass rates between the last 5 builds
Show test coverage trends for the main branch
📚 Wiki & Documentation
Simple Queries
@devops /docs API documentation
Search wiki for "deployment process"
List all wiki pages
Intermediate Queries
Find wiki articles about security best practices
Show recently updated wiki pages
Search for "troubleshooting" across all wikis
Complex Queries
Find all wiki pages related to database migrations created in the last 3 months
Search for onboarding documentation and summarize key steps
What wiki pages reference the "authentication service"?
🔍 My Activity
Simple Queries
@devops /myactivity
What did I work on today?
Show my recent comments
Intermediate Queries
What work items did I update this week?
Show all items I was recently assigned
What bugs did I close in the last sprint?
Complex Queries
Summarize all my activity across work items, PRs, and commits from the last month
Show work items I touched that are now blocked or have issues
What conversations am I part of that need my response?
💡 Pro Tips
Optimize Your Setup
- Run
/instructfirst: Generate.github/copilot-instructions.mdto help Copilot understand your Azure DevOps MCP tools - Update after config changes: Re-run
@devops /instructwhen you switch organizations or projects
Getting Better Answers
- Be specific: "Show failed builds today" > "Show builds"
- Use context: "What PRs are related to work item 123?"
- Chain queries: Ask a question, then refine with "Only show critical" or "From last week"
Combining Features
Show all bugs from the current sprint
(Then ask:) Which ones have open PRs?
(Then ask:) Show me the PR with the most comments
Time-Saving Workflows
- Daily standup prep:
What did I work on yesterday? - Sprint planning:
Show backlog items by priority - Code review:
List PRs I need to review today - Bug triage:
Show new bugs since Friday - Before starting work:
@devops /plan 123456for implementation guidance - Before creating PR:
@devops /draftpr 123456for professional PR description - Finding code:
@devops /code AuthServiceto search across repos
🐛 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" |
Still Having Issues?
- Try
@devops /helpto verify the extension is loaded - Restart VS Code
- Reinstall the extension
🔐 Privacy & Security
- Authentication: Uses your Azure DevOps credentials via standard OAuth flow
- 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
🌟 Examples for Different Roles
For Developers
Show my active work items and related PRs
What builds failed after my recent commits?
@devops /code AuthService
@devops /plan 123456
@devops /draftpr 123456
Link work item 123 to PR 456
For Scrum Masters / PMs
What's the sprint burndown for this iteration?
Show all blocked work items
List features with no child tasks
Compare velocity across the last 3 sprints
For Testers / QA
Show failed tests from the latest build
List all test plans for this sprint
What bugs were reported today?
Find test cases related to login functionality
For DevOps Engineers
Show all pipeline definitions
What builds are queued or running right now?
Find failed deployments in the last 24 hours
Show build logs for the last release pipeline run
💬 Feedback & Support
We encourage all users to use the VS Code Marketplace Q&A section for all support. We’ve documented clear steps for how to get help, including posting issues, bug reports, and feature requests.
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!
Ready to supercharge your Azure DevOps workflow? Start using Git DevOps Assistant with @devops today! 🚀