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Automate work item state transitions

Azure DevOps Services

Note

Work item automation rules are only available in Azure DevOps Services (cloud). This feature isn't available in Azure DevOps Server.

Automatically update the state of a work item according to the state of its child tasks. For example, if one task is changed to Doing, the parent gets set to Doing. If all tasks are in Closed state, the parent gets Closed.

Establish rules at the team backlog level. These rules apply to all work items at that specific level. You can establish these rules independently for each backlog level, including stories, features, and epics. For example, you can automate the closure of user stories, but keep features and epics open.

Important

Work item automation rules exclusively pertain to your team’s workflow on the backlog and boards. Other teams within your project can customize their own rules to align with their specific work processes.

Prerequisites

Category Requirements
Permissions To configure work item automation rules for your team: Team Administrator role or member of the Project Administrators group.

Set rules

Set team rules for each backlog level.

Note

  • Team scope requirement: Automation rules trigger only when work items belong to the same team. Closing a task in a different team or project doesn't automatically update the parent item's state.
  • Interface limitation: Work item state automation rules only function when you update items through Boards, Backlogs, or Sprint views. These rules don't trigger when you update work item states from query results or work item forms.

  1. Sign in to your project (https://dev.azure.com/{Your_Organization}/{Your_Project}).

  2. Select Boards > Backlogs > Configure team settings.

    Screenshot of selection process, Boards, Backlogs, and then Configure team settings.

  3. Select Rules.

  4. Check one or more applicable boxes, which trigger the parent work items on this backlog level, and then select Save.

    Screenshot of team automation rules settings page.

    Work item states automatically transition when child items get updated on your backlog.

Rules applied to sprint board

These rules operate seamlessly, regardless of where you make updates to the child items, such as on the sprint board, for example.

Animation of demo of automation rules for sprintboard, drag and drop child task activates, and then closes the parent user story on the board.

Rules applied to the user stories backlog level

The following example shows the rules applied to the user stories backlog level.

Animation of demo of automation rules for simple workflow, closing a child task closes the parent user story on the backlog.

Rules applied to several backlog levels in sync

The following example shows the rules applied to several backlog levels in sync.

Animation of demo of automation rules applied to several backlog levels in sync.

FAQs

For answers to the following frequently asked questions, see the FAQs:

  • Is there way to make the parent active when a child is active?
  • Why are my work items automatically changing state?
  • Why are the rules not triggering when I reactivate a child item?
  • Can I set automation rules per work item type or state?
  • Can I set up automation rules for user stories but not for features or epics?
  • Why are automation rules not working if the child or parent items belongs to a different team or project?

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