ADO Deep Ops

Deep operations for Azure DevOps Work Items. Edit, copy, or delete hundreds of work items at once -- including their full hierarchy.

Features

Bulk Edit

Mass-edit work items across entire hierarchies with live preview.

• Filter by Work Item Type, State, Title, Tags, or Assigned To
• Operations: Add title prefix/suffix, search & replace, add/remove tags, change state, set priority
• Preview mode: Review every change side-by-side before applying
• Undo: Revert any bulk edit by operation ID
• Real-time progress with per-item status tracking

Bulk Copy

Clone complete work item hierarchies while preserving parent-child relationships.

• Cross-project copy: Copy hierarchies to any project in your organization
• Type mapping: Automatic detection and mapping of incompatible work item types across process templates (e.g., User Story → Product Backlog Item)
• Selective field copying: Choose which fields to include (Description, Priority, Tags, Effort, State, Area Path, Iteration Path, and more)
• Flexible depth: Copy the root item or only its children, limit hierarchy depth
• Import/Export: Export hierarchies as JSON for offline planning or cross-organization transfers
• Automatic rollback on errors -- no orphaned work items
• Undo: Delete all copied items with a single click

Bulk Delete

Delete work items with full hierarchy awareness from the context menu.

• Hierarchy visualization: See the full tree of descendants before deleting
• Delete strategies: Delete the entire hierarchy or keep children
• Batch processing: Delete multiple selected items at once
• Progress tracking: Real-time feedback during deletion
• Work item type icons: Visual identification of item types in the hierarchy tree

Access Control

Restrict who can use ADO Deep Ops by Azure DevOps group membership.

• Group-based access: Assign access to specific Azure DevOps groups
• Organization Administrators always have access
• Default: All users have access until groups are configured
• Configure via Organization Settings > Deep Ops Settings (admin only)

Audit Log

Every bulk operation is logged for compliance and traceability.

• Tracks who performed what operation, when, and on which work items
• Filter by operation type
• Download as JSON for external analysis

Getting Started

Installation

1. Install the extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace
2. The extension will request the required permissions automatically
3. Navigate to Boards in any project to find Bulk Edit and Bulk Copy

Using Bulk Edit

1. Go to Boards > Bulk Edit
2. Set your filters (Work Item Type, State, Title, Tags, etc.)
3. Choose an operation (e.g., "Add Tag")
4. Click Preview to see what will change
5. Click Execute to apply the changes

Using Bulk Copy

1. Go to Boards > Bulk Copy
2. Search for the source work item by title or ID
3. Select the target parent work item (can be in any project)
4. If the target project uses a different process template, map the types in the dialog that appears
5. Choose which fields to copy
6. Click Copy to create the hierarchy

Import/Export:

• Click Export to download the loaded source hierarchy as a JSON file
• Click Import to load a previously exported hierarchy
• Imported hierarchies support all the same operations as live data

Using Bulk Delete

1. Right-click a work item on any backlog, board, or query result
2. Select Delete with hierarchy
3. Review the hierarchy tree in the confirmation dialog
4. Choose to delete the entire hierarchy or only the selected item
5. The page refreshes automatically after deletion

Configuring Access Control

1. Go to Organization Settings > Deep Ops Settings (requires Organization Admin)
2. Search for Azure DevOps groups by name
3. Add groups that should have access
4. Click Save

When no groups are configured, all users have access. Once groups are added, only members of those groups (and Organization Administrators) can use the extension.

Permissions

The extension requires the following scopes:

FAQ

Q: Can I undo a bulk edit? A: Yes. Each bulk edit operation can be reverted using the Undo button. The Audit Log records all operations for reference.

Q: What happens if copying fails midway? A: If "Rollback on Error" is enabled (default), all created work items are automatically deleted in reverse order. No orphaned items are left behind.

Q: Can I copy work items to a different project? A: Yes. When the target project uses a different process template, the extension detects incompatible work item types and lets you map them. Area Path and Iteration Path are automatically set to the target parent's values.

Q: What happens with custom fields during cross-project copy? A: If a custom field from the source doesn't exist in the target project, the extension automatically strips it and retries. A warning is shown for each stripped field.

Q: Can I export and import hierarchies? A: Yes. Use Export to download the source hierarchy as JSON. Use Import to load it back. This is useful for offline planning, backups, or transferring structures between organizations.

Q: Who can configure access control? A: Only Organization Administrators (Project Collection Administrators) can access the settings page.

Q: Does the extension work with Azure DevOps Server (on-premises)? A: The extension is designed for Azure DevOps Services (cloud). On-premises compatibility has not been tested.

Data & Privacy

• ADO Deep Ops is free to use with no license required.
• The extension operates entirely within your Azure DevOps organization. Work item data is read and written using the standard Azure DevOps REST API with the permissions granted during installation.
• Access control settings and audit logs are stored in the extension's own data storage within your organization.
• No external calls: The extension does not contact any backend services. No data leaves your Azure DevOps organization.

Third-Party Notices

ADO Deep Ops is built with the following open-source libraries:

All icons used in this extension are original works.

Disclaimer

THIS EXTENSION IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY ARISING FROM, OUT OF, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXTENSION OR ITS USE.

Bulk operations modify work items in your Azure DevOps organization. While the extension includes safeguards such as preview mode, rollback on error, and audit logging, you are responsible for verifying changes before applying them. Always use the Preview feature for bulk edits and review the hierarchy tree before bulk deletions. Deleted work items are moved to the recycle bin and can be restored within 30 days (Azure DevOps default retention policy).

This extension has been tested with the default Azure DevOps process templates (Agile, Scrum, Basic, CMMI). Customized process templates (custom work item types, fields, or rules) may lead to unexpected results. We recommend testing with a small number of work items first if you use a customized process.

ADO Deep Ops is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Azure DevOps is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

© 2025 Vyve. All rights reserved.