tomevault-io Azure DevOps Work Item Fields Reference (Verified)
System Fields (All Work Item Types)
| Display Name | Reference Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID | System.Id | Integer | Unique identifier |
| Title | System.Title | String | Work item title |
| State | System.State | String | Current state |
| Reason | System.Reason | String | Reason for state |
| Work Item Type | System.WorkItemType | String | Bug, Task, etc. |
| Assigned To | System.AssignedTo | Identity | Person assigned |
| Created By | System.CreatedBy | Identity | Creator |
| Created Date | System.CreatedDate | DateTime | Creation timestamp |
| Changed By | System.ChangedBy | Identity | Last modifier |
| Changed Date | System.ChangedDate | DateTime | Last modified |
| Area Path | System.AreaPath | TreePath | Area classification |
| Iteration Path | System.IterationPath | TreePath | Sprint/iteration |
| Tags | System.Tags | String | Semicolon-separated |
| Description | System.Description | HTML | Rich text description |
| History | System.History | HTML | Discussion entry |
| Rev | System.Rev | Integer | Revision number |
| Board Column | System.BoardColumn | String | Kanban column |
| Board Lane | System.BoardLane | String | Swimlane |
Common Fields by Category
Scheduling
| Display Name | Reference Name | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Story Points | Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.StoryPoints | Double |
| Effort | Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.Effort | Double |
| Original Estimate | Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.OriginalEstimate | Double |
| Remaining Work | Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.RemainingWork | Double |
| Completed Work | Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.CompletedWork | Double |
| Start Date | Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.StartDate | DateTime |
| Finish Date | Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.FinishDate | DateTime |
Priority & Severity
| Display Name | Reference Name | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Priority | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Severity | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Severity | 1 - Critical, 2 - High, 3 - Medium, 4 - Low |
| Value Area | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.ValueArea | Business, Architectural |
| Risk | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Risk | 1 - High, 2 - Medium, 3 - Low |
Bug-Specific
| Display Name | Reference Name | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Repro Steps | Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.ReproSteps | HTML |
| System Info | Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.SystemInfo | HTML |
| Found In | Microsoft.VSTS.Build.FoundIn | String |
| Integration Build | Microsoft.VSTS.Build.IntegrationBuild | String |
Link Types (VERIFIED from az boards work-item relation list-type)
| Display Name | Reference Name | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Child | System.LinkTypes.Hierarchy-Forward | workItemLink |
| Parent | System.LinkTypes.Hierarchy-Reverse | workItemLink |
| Successor | System.LinkTypes.Dependency-Forward | workItemLink |
| Predecessor | System.LinkTypes.Dependency-Reverse | workItemLink |
| Related | System.LinkTypes.Related | workItemLink |
| Duplicate | System.LinkTypes.Duplicate-Forward | workItemLink |
| Duplicate Of | System.LinkTypes.Duplicate-Reverse | workItemLink |
| Tested By | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.TestedBy-Forward | workItemLink |
| Tests | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.TestedBy-Reverse | workItemLink |
| Affects | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Affects-Forward | workItemLink |
| Affected By | Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Affects-Reverse | workItemLink |
| Referenced By | Microsoft.VSTS.TestCase.SharedParameterReferencedBy-Forward | workItemLink |
| References | Microsoft.VSTS.TestCase.SharedParameterReferencedBy-Reverse | workItemLink |
| Test Case | Microsoft.VSTS.TestCase.SharedStepReferencedBy-Forward | workItemLink |
| Shared Steps | Microsoft.VSTS.TestCase.SharedStepReferencedBy-Reverse | workItemLink |
Verified CLI Commands for Fields and Links
List all relation types
az boards work-item relation list-type -o table
Show work item with relations
az boards work-item relation show --id 123 -o json
Add parent-child relationship
# Add child link (work item 123 becomes parent of 456)
az boards work-item relation add --id 123 --relation-type "Child" --target-id 456 -o json
# Add parent link (work item 123 becomes child of 789)
az boards work-item relation add --id 123 --relation-type "Parent" --target-id 789 -o json
# Add related link
az boards work-item relation add --id 123 --relation-type "Related" --target-id 456 -o json
Note: Friendly Names vs Reference Names
The CLI uses friendly names (from the "Name" column), not reference names:
- Use
"Parent"not"System.LinkTypes.Hierarchy-Reverse"- Use
"Child"not"System.LinkTypes.Hierarchy-Forward"- Use
"Related"not"System.LinkTypes.Related"Tip: Run
az boards work-item relation list-type -o tableto see all available friendly names in the "Name" column.
Create with fields
az boards work-item create \
--type "Bug" \
--title "Login fails" \
--fields "Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Priority=1" \
"Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Severity=2 - High" \
"System.Tags=urgent;login" \
-o json
Update fields
az boards work-item update \
--id 123 \
--state "In Progress" \
--assigned-to "user@example.com" \
--fields "Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.RemainingWork=4" \
-o json
Add comment (discussion)
az boards work-item update --id 123 --discussion "This is my comment" -o json
List All Fields in Project
az boards work-item list-fields -o table
Field Gotchas
- Identity fields: Use email or display name, not GUID
- HTML fields: Wrap in HTML tags:
<p>Description</p> - TreePath fields: Use backslash:
Project\Area\SubArea - Tags: Semicolon-separated in API, comma-separated in CLI
- DateTime: ISO 8601 format:
2024-01-15T10:30:00Z - Double fields: Use decimal:
4.5not4,5 - State values: Must match exactly including case - check your process template
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