Glance

Answer "Where are we?" in 3 seconds.

Stop manually compiling deployment status across environments. Glance transforms your Azure DevOps tags into an instant matrix view — by environment, by category, by release.

No extra license. No data export. No maintenance.

The Problem We Solve

Why doesn't Azure DevOps do this natively?

Azure DevOps stores tags as a single text string ("ENV:PROD; CAT:Auth; Priority:High"), not as relational data. Native widgets cannot:

• Parse prefixes (ENV: vs CAT:) as separate dimensions
• Create a cross-dimensional matrix (environment × category)
• Calculate aggregations on tag subsets

Glance fills this gap.

Who Is This For?

How It Works

3 Simple Steps

1. TAG      →  Add tags to your Work Items (ENV:DEV, CAT:Auth)
2. ADD      →  Drop the widget on your dashboard
3. CONFIGURE →  Set your prefixes, done in 2 minutes

Zero Double Entry

Glance exploits your existing Work Items. No separate database, no synchronization, no data duplication.

The only prerequisite: add prefixed tags to your Work Items — which can be done:

• Manually (a few clicks per Work Item)
• In bulk via Azure DevOps grid editor
• Via CSV import (for recurring projects)

Features

Multi-Axis Tracking

Configure any two dimensions using tag prefixes:

Three Display Modes

Time Indicator

Track time-related metrics with two configurable indicators:

Multi-Widget Dashboards

Place multiple Glance widgets on the same dashboard for powerful comparisons:

• Widget 1: FEAT:OAuth deployment across environments
• Widget 2: FEAT:Auth deployment across environments
• Widget 3: RELEASE:v2.0 progress by component

Each widget has independent configuration, but State Mapping is shared across all widgets to ensure consistent progress calculations.

Drill-Down to Work Items

Click the chevron (▼) on any category to see remaining Work Items:

• Direct links to each Work Item
• Current state displayed
• Global toggle to expand/collapse all

Configuration

Widget Settings (Per Instance)

Project Settings (Shared)

These settings apply to all Glance widgets in your project:

Example State Mapping:

• Done: Closed, Resolved, Done
• In Progress: Active, In Progress, Committed
• Pending: New, To Do, Approved
• Ignored: Removed

Use Cases

Case 1: Multi-Environment Deployment Tracking

Scenario: You're deploying a feature across DEV → UAT → PROD environments.

Configuration:

• X Axis: ENV: with values DEV, UAT, PROD
• Y Axis: CAT: for categories (Auth, API, UI, Infra)
• Filter: FEAT:OAuth (optional, to focus on one feature)

Result: Instant view of which categories are complete in each environment.

Case 2: Release Progress by Component

Scenario: Tracking v2.0 release across multiple components.

Configuration:

• X Axis: RELEASE: with values v1.0, v2.0, v2.1
• Y Axis: COMP: for components (Frontend, Backend, Mobile, API)

Result: Compare release readiness across your tech stack.

Case 3: Sprint Tracking by Team

Scenario: Multiple teams working on the same sprint.

Configuration:

• X Axis: SPRINT: with current and upcoming sprints
• Y Axis: TEAM: for team names

Result: Cross-team sprint comparison at a glance.

Case 4: Side-by-Side Feature Comparison

Scenario: Compare two features being developed in parallel.

Setup: Two widgets on the same dashboard

• Widget 1: Filter FEAT:OAuth, X Axis ENV:
• Widget 2: Filter FEAT:Billing, X Axis ENV:

Result: Real-time comparison of feature deployment progress.

Technical Details

Required Scope

vso.work — Read access to Work Items only.

Comparison: Glance vs Alternatives

Getting Started

Step 1: Install the Widget

Add Glance from the Azure DevOps Marketplace to your organization.

Step 2: Prepare Your Work Items

Add tags with prefixes to your Work Items:

ENV:DEV
ENV:UAT
ENV:PROD
CAT:Auth
CAT:API
CAT:UI

Tip: Use the Azure DevOps grid editor for bulk tagging, or import via CSV.

Step 3: Add to Dashboard

1. Go to your Azure DevOps dashboard
2. Click "Add a widget"
3. Search for "Glance"
4. Drag to your preferred size (we recommend 2×2 to start)

Step 4: Configure

1. Click the ⚙️ icon in the widget header
2. Set your X Axis name (e.g., ENV:)
3. Click "Auto-detect" to find existing X Axis values
4. Set your Y Axis name (e.g., CAT:)
5. Optionally add filters (Iteration Path, Area Path, Tags)
6. Save — you're done!

FAQ

Can I use custom prefixes?

Yes! The prefixes ENV: and CAT: are just defaults. You can use any prefix that makes sense for your project: PHASE:, RELEASE:, TEAM:, MODULE:, etc.

What if a Work Item has multiple environment tags?

It will appear in each environment. For example, a Work Item tagged ENV:DEV; ENV:UAT will count in both DEV and UAT views.

How are percentages calculated?

Percentage = (Done Work Items) / (Total Work Items) × 100

States are configurable. By default:

• Done: Closed, Resolved, Done
• In Progress: Active, In Progress, Committed
• Pending: New, To Do, Approved
• Ignored: Removed (excluded from calculation)

Can I have multiple widgets with different configurations?

Absolutely! This is a key feature. Each widget can have its own filter, axes, and display mode. Only the State Mapping is shared to ensure consistent calculations.

What happens if I exceed 200 Work Items?

A warning toast will display showing how many Work Items were included vs. total matching. Consider using a filter tag to narrow your scope.

Does the widget work with all process templates?

Yes. Glance works with Agile, Scrum, CMMI, and custom templates. Just configure the State Mapping to match your template's states.

Support

• Marketplace: Glance on Azure DevOps Marketplace
• Publisher: sbequet

Version History

Built for teams who want answers, not reports.