Better Editor from Smaller Chunks

Edit Description, Acceptance Criteria, and other rich-text fields inside Azure DevOps—with a visual editor or Markdown.

Use the rich-text toolbar to add headings, colors, highlights, links, and tables, or write Markdown and preview the result. Your content stays in the existing work-item field.

Current Better Editor with File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, and Table menus, a compact favorites toolbar, and sample acceptance criteria

Write in the mode that fits the work

HTML: A familiar rich-text toolbar with Lucide icons for headings, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, lists, alignment, links, and code. Add text colors and highlights. Insert tables, add or delete rows and columns, merge or split cells, and toggle header rows.
Markdown: Standard CommonMark source with preview and matching formatting controls. HTML-only tools are hidden. No embedded HTML, extended Markdown tables, or automatic formatting surprises.
Stay in control: Edits and confirmed mode conversions update the work-item field automatically. Use Azure DevOps Save or Save & Close normally. Converting to Markdown warns when HTML formatting would be lost; outside changes are checked before updates.
Find out more: The Info button opens Additional Tools on Smaller Chunks in a new tab.

Set it up once in your process

Better Editor is an Azure DevOps work-item field control, not a dashboard widget or browser plug-in. After installation, an administrator adds it to an inherited process layout:

Open Organization settings > Process and select the inherited process.
Select a work-item type and its Layout.
To use a new field, select New field first and create a Text (multiple lines) rich-text field on this work-item type. Skip this step to use an existing field.
Select Add custom control. On Definition, choose Better Editor (or Better Editor (Testing)).
On Options, select the Rich-text field to edit, such as Description, Acceptance Criteria, or your new field. This binds the editor to that field's existing data.
On Layout, choose the label, page, and group, then select OK. Creating a group here changes placement; it does not create a data field.
Open a work item and verify reading, editing, and saving. Optionally hide the original field control from the layout so the field appears only through Better Editor. Hide the control; do not delete the field.
Repeat for other fields and work-item types as needed.

Definition, Options, and Layout are Azure DevOps's standard custom-control configuration tabs. Field creation uses Azure DevOps's separate New field dialog. See Microsoft's custom-control setup guide.

If Options says No configuration is needed, update the extension to a version with the field-selector fix, refresh the browser, and reopen the control configuration. An earlier package omitted the selector from the control properties.

If the Layout tab looks misaligned (oversized empty boxes), update to a version that uses the compact setup frame during process configuration, hard-refresh the browser, and reopen Add custom control.

Installing the extension does not automatically replace every editor. The content stays in the existing Azure DevOps field; no migration or separate database is required. Plain-text fields and the Discussion/comments feed are not supported by this control.

Both editing modes save HTML to the configured rich-text field. Standard Markdown cannot retain colors, highlights, table structure, alignment, or other HTML-only formatting. Rich HTML is normalized by the editor; review imported content before editing. You can download a copy of your draft before converting or reloading.

About Smaller Chunks

Smaller Chunks builds focused tools that make complex work clearer, more visible, and easier to manage. Our approach is to break work into understandable pieces and connect planning, delivery, and team conversations where the work already happens.

Better Editor SaaS uses BYOL. Smaller Chunks may grant $0 access or offer paid access; current terms are described in the Pricing tab. Installation does not authorize future charges.

Product	What it helps your team do
Chunk Plan	Structure plans, milestones, timelines, and connected work items.
Chunk Map	Make work-item relationships and dependencies visible.
Chunk Plot	Explore work-item data through configurable charts.
Chunk Obeya	Bring team discussions, decisions, and action items into a shared workspace.
Estimate	Run collaborative estimation sessions.
Chunk Notes	Turn work-item information into useful release notes.
Chunk Dashboards	Track pipeline health with configurable dashboard cards.
Chunk Suite	Bring the Smaller Chunks tools together.

Learn more at www.smallerchunks.com.

Access and privacy

Better Editor uses your current Azure DevOps permissions to read and update the configured work-item field. It does not send work-item content to a Smaller Chunks server, use a licensing service, or include analytics. Content remains inside the Azure DevOps form until you save it there. Links and images in your content may load their own external destinations. Third-party component notices are included in the extension package.

SaaS licensing

This is the new SaaS/BYOL listing. Installation does not purchase a subscription. Access may be granted at $0 or under a paid license; see the Pricing tab for current availability and terms.