Work Item Hierarchy Validator for Azure DevOps

An Azure DevOps extension that enforces mandatory parent links for work items. The extension disables the save button until a valid parent link is added, ensuring strict hierarchy compliance.

Why You Need This Extension

The Problem

Azure DevOps doesn't enforce work item hierarchy relationships by default, and that can quickly lead to trouble. Without guardrails, teams end up with Features floating around without an Epic, Tasks that aren't tied to any User Story, and a project structure that's hard to follow. Traceability suffers because there's no clear thread connecting strategy to execution. Reports become unreliable — roll-ups and burndown charts break when parent-child relationships are missing or incorrect. On top of that, governance and compliance requirements go unmet, and someone has to spend hours manually tracking down and fixing orphaned work items.

The Solution

This extension steps in and automatically prevents those hierarchy violations before they ever happen. It catches issues right at creation time — not after the damage is done. With this extension in place, it's simply not possible to save a work item without a proper parent, so broken hierarchies become a thing of the past. Your organization's work breakdown rules are consistently enforced, which means reporting stays clean and accurate with perfect parent-child relationships. And because everything is validated in real time, your team no longer needs to spend time on manual auditing or cleanup tasks.

Enforced Hierarchy Structure

Epic (no parent required)
  └─ Feature (requires Epic parent)
      └─ User Story (requires Feature parent)
          ├─ Task (requires User Story parent)
          └─ Bug (requires User Story parent)

Customization

You can customize the hierarchy to match your organization's process:

Example: Simple Three-Level Hierarchy

{
  "workItemHierarchy": [
    {
      "type": "Initiative",
      "children": ["Story"]
    },
    {
      "type": "Story",
      "children": ["Task"]
    },
    {
      "type": "Task",
      "children": []
    }
  ]
}

Example: Allowing Bugs at Multiple Levels

{
  "workItemHierarchy": [
    {
      "type": "Epic",
      "children": ["Feature", "Bug"]
    },
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "children": ["User Story", "Bug"]
    },
    {
      "type": "User Story",
      "children": ["Task", "Bug"]
    },
    {
      "type": "Task",
      "children": []
    },
    {
      "type": "Bug",
      "children": []
    }
  ]
}

Support

For issues or questions, reach out to us at vststoolssupport@ecanarys.com.