Epic Excel Template
Fill in a standard Excel template right inside the Epic form. Each Epic keeps its own copy, saved as an attachment on that Epic, so edits on one Epic never touch another.
Formulas, dropdown lists and colour-coded results work live in the page. There is no download, edit and re-upload round trip.
Typical uses: risk or material-classification questionnaires, readiness checklists, estimation sheets and scoring templates that every Epic must complete.
At a glance
|
|
| Where it shows |
A control you place on the Epic form, next to a custom field of your choice |
| Where the data lives |
An attachment on the Epic, named <Epic no> - <field label>.xlsx |
| Templates |
One or more .xlsx files per project, uploaded in Project Settings |
| Works on |
Azure DevOps Services and Azure DevOps Server 2019 and later |
How it works
1. Upload your templates (project administrator, once per project)
- Open Project Settings → Epic Excel Templates.
- Select one or more
.xlsx files. Each appears in the list with its upload date.
- Upload a file with the same name to replace it. Use Delete to remove one. Epics that already saved a copy keep it.
- Open Organization Settings → Process → your process → Epic → Layout.
- Choose Add a custom control and pick Epic Excel Template.
- Fill in the two settings:
- Custom field: an HTML or long-text field. Its label names the saved file.
- Template file name (optional): the template this control should use. Leave it empty when the project has one template.
3. Use it on an Epic (everyone)
- Open an Epic. If the Epic is new, save it once so it has a number.
- A new Epic opens the template. An Epic that was saved before opens its own copy.
- Fill in the sheet. Formulas and colour rules update as you type. You can copy and paste cells.
- Choose how to keep your work:
| Button |
What it does |
| Save to Epic |
Saves the workbook as an attachment on the Epic. Saving again replaces it, so there is always one working file |
| Download |
Gives you the .xlsx without changing the Epic |
| Maximize / Restore size |
Makes the sheet taller inside the form, then brings it back |
| Reset |
Throws away your changes and reloads the starting copy |
The page warns you before you leave with unsaved changes.
File naming
The saved file is named <Epic number> - <field label>.xlsx, for example 3 - Risk Questionnaire.xlsx.
- The label is the display name of the custom field you map in the control settings.
- With no field mapped, the template name is used, or
Epic Excel as a last resort.
- Download uses the same name.
Several templates
Upload as many templates as you need. Add one control per template to the Epic layout and enter that template's file name in the control's Template file name setting. Each control keeps its own file on the Epic.
A control with no template name uses the project's only template. If the project has several, it asks which one to use the first time, and after saving it opens the saved copy.
What the spreadsheet supports
| Supported |
Notes |
| Formulas and calculations |
Recalculate live while you type |
| Dropdown lists |
Data validation lists are shown and usable |
| Merged cells, fills, fonts, borders |
Shown as in the template |
| Colour rules |
"Equal to", "greater than", "less than" and "contains text" rules are drawn in the page, for example Low / Moderate / High colouring |
| Several sheets |
Switch with the tabs at the bottom |
Not supported: charts, macros, pivot tables and images. Other colour rule kinds, such as data bars, are kept in the saved file but not drawn in the page.
When you save or download, your changes are written into the original workbook, so formatting, dropdowns and colour rules in the file are kept.
Good to know
- Add the control to the Epic layout only. On any other work item type it shows a short message instead.
- Save the Epic once before using the sheet, because the file is named with the Epic number.
- Template size: up to about 5 MB per file.
- Saving needs permission to edit the work item. Read-only users can view and download.
- If you change the custom field's label later, the next save creates a file with the new name and the old attachment stays on the Epic.
Your data
Everything stays inside your Azure DevOps organization:
- Templates are kept in the extension's own data store for your project.
- Each Epic's workbook is an attachment on that Epic, with the same permissions and history as any other attachment.
The extension does not send data to external services and loads no external scripts.
Permissions
| Scope |
Why |
vso.work |
Read the Epic and its attachments |
vso.work_write |
Save the workbook as an attachment |
Troubleshooting
| Problem |
What to check |
| The control is not on the Epic form |
Add it in the process layout and refresh the page. Inherited processes can only be edited by a process administrator |
| "No template configured" |
Upload a template in Project Settings → Epic Excel Templates |
| "Template … was not found" |
The Template file name on the control must match an uploaded file name |
| "Save the Epic first" |
Save a new Epic once so it has a number, then reopen it |
| Save failed |
You need permission to edit the Epic. The message on the toolbar shows the HTTP status |
| The sheet looks blank after an update |
Hard-refresh the page (Ctrl+Shift+R, or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) |
Release notes
0.3.x
- Control on the Epic form instead of a separate tab
- Project-level templates, with several templates per project
- Files saved as
<Epic no> - <field label>.xlsx
- Maximize / Restore size button
- Works on Azure DevOps Services and Server 2019+
