Azure DevOps CLI

This Skill helps manage Azure DevOps resources using the Azure CLI with Azure DevOps extension.

CLI Version: 2.81.0 (current as of 2025)

Prerequisites

Install Azure CLI and Azure DevOps extension:

Install Azure CLI

brew install azure-cli # macOS curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash # Linux pip install azure-cli # via pip

Verify installation

az --version

Install Azure DevOps extension

az extension add --name azure-devops az extension show --name azure-devops

CLI Structure az devops # Main DevOps commands ├── admin # Administration (banner) ├── extension # Extension management ├── project # Team projects ├── security # Security operations │ ├── group # Security groups │ └── permission # Security permissions ├── service-endpoint # Service connections ├── team # Teams ├── user # Users ├── wiki # Wikis ├── configure # Set defaults ├── invoke # Invoke REST API ├── login # Authenticate └── logout # Clear credentials

az pipelines # Azure Pipelines ├── agent # Agents ├── build # Builds ├── folder # Pipeline folders ├── pool # Agent pools ├── queue # Agent queues ├── release # Releases ├── runs # Pipeline runs ├── variable # Pipeline variables └── variable-group # Variable groups

az boards # Azure Boards ├── area # Area paths ├── iteration # Iterations └── work-item # Work items

az repos # Azure Repos ├── import # Git imports ├── policy # Branch policies ├── pr # Pull requests └── ref # Git references

az artifacts # Azure Artifacts └── universal # Universal Packages ├── download # Download packages └── publish # Publish packages

Authentication Login to Azure DevOps

az devops login --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org}

az devops login --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org} --token YOUR_PAT_TOKEN

Logout

az devops logout --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Configure Defaults

Set default organization and project

az devops configure --defaults organization=https://dev.azure.com/{org} project={project}

List current configuration

az devops configure --list

Enable Git aliases

az devops configure --use-git-aliases true

Extension Management List Extensions

List available extensions

az extension list-available --output table

List installed extensions

az extension list --output table

Manage Azure DevOps Extension

Install Azure DevOps extension

az extension add --name azure-devops

Update Azure DevOps extension

az extension update --name azure-devops

Remove extension

az extension remove --name azure-devops

Install from local path

az extension add --source ~/extensions/azure-devops.whl

Projects List Projects az devops project list --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org} az devops project list --top 10 --output table

Create Project az devops project create \ --name myNewProject \ --organization https://dev.azure.com/{org} \ --description "My new DevOps project" \ --source-control git \ --visibility private

Show Project Details az devops project show --project {project-name} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Delete Project az devops project delete --id {project-id} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} --yes

Repositories List Repositories az repos list --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} --project {project} az repos list --output table

Show Repository Details az repos show --repository {repo-name} --project {project}

Create Repository az repos create --name {repo-name} --project {project}

Delete Repository az repos delete --id {repo-id} --project {project} --yes

Update Repository az repos update --id {repo-id} --name {new-name} --project {project}

Repository Import Import Git Repository

Import from public Git repository

az repos import create \ --git-source-url https://github.com/user/repo \ --repository {repo-name}

Import with authentication

az repos import create \ --git-source-url https://github.com/user/private-repo \ --repository {repo-name} \ --user {username} \ --password {password-or-pat}

Pull Requests Create Pull Request

Basic PR creation

az repos pr create \ --repository {repo} \ --source-branch {source-branch} \ --target-branch {target-branch} \ --title "PR Title" \ --description "PR description" \ --open

PR with work items

az repos pr create \ --repository {repo} \ --source-branch {source-branch} \ --work-items 63 64

Draft PR with reviewers

az repos pr create \ --repository {repo} \ --source-branch feature/new-feature \ --target-branch main \ --title "Feature: New functionality" \ --draft true \ --reviewers user1@example.com user2@example.com \ --required-reviewers lead@example.com \ --labels "enhancement" "backlog"

List Pull Requests

All PRs

az repos pr list --repository {repo}

Filter by status

az repos pr list --repository {repo} --status active

Filter by creator

az repos pr list --repository {repo} --creator {email}

Output as table

az repos pr list --repository {repo} --output table

Show PR Details az repos pr show --id {pr-id} az repos pr show --id {pr-id} --open # Open in browser

Update PR (Complete/Abandon/Draft)

Complete PR

az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --status completed

Abandon PR

az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --status abandoned

Set to draft

az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --draft true

Publish draft PR

az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --draft false

Auto-complete when policies pass

az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --auto-complete true

Set title and description

az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --title "New title" --description "New description"

Checkout PR Locally

Checkout PR branch

az repos pr checkout --id {pr-id}

Checkout with specific remote

az repos pr checkout --id {pr-id} --remote-name upstream

Vote on PR az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote approve az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote approve-with-suggestions az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote reject az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote wait-for-author az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote reset

PR Reviewers

Add reviewers

az repos pr reviewer add --id {pr-id} --reviewers user1@example.com user2@example.com

List reviewers

az repos pr reviewer list --id {pr-id}

Remove reviewers

az repos pr reviewer remove --id {pr-id} --reviewers user1@example.com

PR Work Items

Add work items to PR

az repos pr work-item add --id {pr-id} --work-items {id1} {id2}

List PR work items

az repos pr work-item list --id {pr-id}

Remove work items from PR

az repos pr work-item remove --id {pr-id} --work-items {id1}

PR Policies

List policies for a PR

az repos pr policy list --id {pr-id}

Queue policy evaluation for a PR

az repos pr policy queue --id {pr-id} --evaluation-id {evaluation-id}

Pipelines List Pipelines az pipelines list --output table az pipelines list --query "[?name=='myPipeline']" az pipelines list --folder-path 'folder/subfolder'

Create Pipeline

From local repository context (auto-detects settings)

az pipelines create --name 'ContosoBuild' --description 'Pipeline for contoso project'

With specific branch and YAML path

az pipelines create \ --name {pipeline-name} \ --repository {repo} \ --branch main \ --yaml-path azure-pipelines.yml \ --description "My CI/CD pipeline"

For GitHub repository

az pipelines create \ --name 'GitHubPipeline' \ --repository https://github.com/Org/Repo \ --branch main \ --repository-type github

Skip first run

az pipelines create --name 'MyPipeline' --skip-run true

Show Pipeline az pipelines show --id {pipeline-id} az pipelines show --name {pipeline-name}

Update Pipeline az pipelines update --id {pipeline-id} --name "New name" --description "Updated description"

Delete Pipeline az pipelines delete --id {pipeline-id} --yes

Run Pipeline

Run by name

az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --branch main

Run by ID

az pipelines run --id {pipeline-id} --branch refs/heads/main

With parameters

az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --parameters version=1.0.0 environment=prod

With variables

az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --variables buildId=123 configuration=release

Open results in browser

az pipelines run --name {pipeline-name} --open

Pipeline Runs List Runs az pipelines runs list --pipeline {pipeline-id} az pipelines runs list --name {pipeline-name} --top 10 az pipelines runs list --branch main --status completed

Show Run Details az pipelines runs show --run-id {run-id} az pipelines runs show --run-id {run-id} --open

Pipeline Artifacts

List artifacts for a run

az pipelines runs artifact list --run-id {run-id}

Download artifact

az pipelines runs artifact download \ --artifact-name '{artifact-name}' \ --path {local-path} \ --run-id {run-id}

Upload artifact

az pipelines runs artifact upload \ --artifact-name '{artifact-name}' \ --path {local-path} \ --run-id {run-id}

Pipeline Run Tags

Add tag to run

az pipelines runs tag add --run-id {run-id} --tags production v1.0

List run tags

az pipelines runs tag list --run-id {run-id} --output table

Builds List Builds az pipelines build list az pipelines build list --definition {build-definition-id} az pipelines build list --status completed --result succeeded

Queue Build az pipelines build queue --definition {build-definition-id} --branch main az pipelines build queue --definition {build-definition-id} --parameters version=1.0.0

Show Build Details az pipelines build show --id {build-id}

Cancel Build az pipelines build cancel --id {build-id}

Build Tags

Add tag to build

az pipelines build tag add --build-id {build-id} --tags prod release

Delete tag from build

az pipelines build tag delete --build-id {build-id} --tag prod

Build Definitions List Build Definitions az pipelines build definition list az pipelines build definition list --name {definition-name}

Show Build Definition az pipelines build definition show --id {definition-id}

Releases List Releases az pipelines release list az pipelines release list --definition {release-definition-id}

Create Release az pipelines release create --definition {release-definition-id} az pipelines release create --definition {release-definition-id} --description "Release v1.0"

Show Release az pipelines release show --id {release-id}

Release Definitions List Release Definitions az pipelines release definition list

Show Release Definition az pipelines release definition show --id {definition-id}

Pipeline Variables List Variables az pipelines variable list --pipeline-id {pipeline-id}

Create Variable

Non-secret variable

az pipelines variable create \ --name {var-name} \ --value {var-value} \ --pipeline-id {pipeline-id}

Secret variable

az pipelines variable create \ --name {var-name} \ --secret true \ --pipeline-id {pipeline-id}

Secret with prompt

az pipelines variable create \ --name {var-name} \ --secret true \ --prompt true \ --pipeline-id {pipeline-id}

Update Variable az pipelines variable update \ --name {var-name} \ --value {new-value} \ --pipeline-id {pipeline-id}

Update secret variable

az pipelines variable update \ --name {var-name} \ --secret true \ --value "{new-secret-value}" \ --pipeline-id {pipeline-id}

Delete Variable az pipelines variable delete --name {var-name} --pipeline-id {pipeline-id} --yes

Variable Groups List Variable Groups az pipelines variable-group list az pipelines variable-group list --output table

Show Variable Group az pipelines variable-group show --id {group-id}

Create Variable Group az pipelines variable-group create \ --name {group-name} \ --variables key1=value1 key2=value2 \ --authorize true

Update Variable Group az pipelines variable-group update \ --id {group-id} \ --name {new-name} \ --description "Updated description"

Delete Variable Group az pipelines variable-group delete --id {group-id} --yes

Variable Group Variables List Variables az pipelines variable-group variable list --group-id {group-id}

Create Variable

Non-secret variable

az pipelines variable-group variable create \ --group-id {group-id} \ --name {var-name} \ --value {var-value}

Secret variable (will prompt for value if not provided)

az pipelines variable-group variable create \ --group-id {group-id} \ --name {var-name} \ --secret true

Secret with environment variable

export AZURE_DEVOPS_EXT_PIPELINE_VAR_MySecret=secretvalue az pipelines variable-group variable create \ --group-id {group-id} \ --name MySecret \ --secret true

Update Variable az pipelines variable-group variable update \ --group-id {group-id} \ --name {var-name} \ --value {new-value} \ --secret false

Delete Variable az pipelines variable-group variable delete \ --group-id {group-id} \ --name {var-name}

Pipeline Folders List Folders az pipelines folder list

Create Folder az pipelines folder create --path 'folder/subfolder' --description "My folder"

Delete Folder az pipelines folder delete --path 'folder/subfolder'

Update Folder az pipelines folder update --path 'old-folder' --new-path 'new-folder'

Agent Pools List Agent Pools az pipelines pool list az pipelines pool list --pool-type automation az pipelines pool list --pool-type deployment

Show Agent Pool az pipelines pool show --pool-id {pool-id}

Agent Queues List Agent Queues az pipelines queue list az pipelines queue list --pool-name {pool-name}

Show Agent Queue az pipelines queue show --id {queue-id}

Work Items (Boards) Query Work Items

WIQL query

az boards query \ --wiql "SELECT [System.Id], [System.Title], [System.State] FROM WorkItems WHERE [System.AssignedTo] = @Me AND [System.State] = 'Active'"

Query with output format

az boards query --wiql "SELECT * FROM WorkItems" --output table

Show Work Item az boards work-item show --id {work-item-id} az boards work-item show --id {work-item-id} --open

Create Work Item

Basic work item

az boards work-item create \ --title "Fix login bug" \ --type Bug \ --assigned-to user@example.com \ --description "Users cannot login with SSO"

With area and iteration

az boards work-item create \ --title "New feature" \ --type "User Story" \ --area "Project\Area1" \ --iteration "Project\Sprint 1"

With custom fields

az boards work-item create \ --title "Task" \ --type Task \ --fields "Priority=1" "Severity=2"

With discussion comment

az boards work-item create \ --title "Issue" \ --type Bug \ --discussion "Initial investigation completed"

Open in browser after creation

az boards work-item create --title "Bug" --type Bug --open

Update Work Item

Update state, title, and assignee

az boards work-item update \ --id {work-item-id} \ --state "Active" \ --title "Updated title" \ --assigned-to user@example.com

Move to different area

az boards work-item update \ --id {work-item-id} \ --area "{ProjectName}\{Team}\{Area}"

Change iteration

az boards work-item update \ --id {work-item-id} \ --iteration "{ProjectName}\Sprint 5"

Add comment/discussion

az boards work-item update \ --id {work-item-id} \ --discussion "Work in progress"

Update with custom fields

az boards work-item update \ --id {work-item-id} \ --fields "Priority=1" "StoryPoints=5"

Delete Work Item

Soft delete (can be restored)

az boards work-item delete --id {work-item-id} --yes

Permanent delete

az boards work-item delete --id {work-item-id} --destroy --yes

Work Item Relations

List relations

az boards work-item relation list --id {work-item-id}

List supported relation types

az boards work-item relation list-type

Add relation

az boards work-item relation add --id {work-item-id} --relation-type parent --target-id {parent-id}

Remove relation

az boards work-item relation remove --id {work-item-id} --relation-id {relation-id}

Area Paths List Areas for Project az boards area project list --project {project} az boards area project show --path "Project\Area1" --project {project}

Create Area az boards area project create --path "Project\NewArea" --project {project}

Update Area az boards area project update \ --path "Project\OldArea" \ --new-path "Project\UpdatedArea" \ --project {project}

Delete Area az boards area project delete --path "Project\AreaToDelete" --project {project} --yes

Area Team Management

List areas for team

az boards area team list --team {team-name} --project {project}

Add area to team

az boards area team add \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\NewArea" \ --project {project}

Remove area from team

az boards area team remove \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\AreaToRemove" \ --project {project}

Update team area

az boards area team update \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\Area" \ --project {project} \ --include-sub-areas true

Iterations List Iterations for Project az boards iteration project list --project {project} az boards iteration project show --path "Project\Sprint 1" --project {project}

Create Iteration az boards iteration project create --path "Project\Sprint 1" --project {project}

Update Iteration az boards iteration project update \ --path "Project\OldSprint" \ --new-path "Project\NewSprint" \ --project {project}

Delete Iteration az boards iteration project delete --path "Project\OldSprint" --project {project} --yes

List Iterations for Team az boards iteration team list --team {team-name} --project {project}

Add Iteration to Team az boards iteration team add \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\Sprint 1" \ --project {project}

Remove Iteration from Team az boards iteration team remove \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\Sprint 1" \ --project {project}

List Work Items in Iteration az boards iteration team list-work-items \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\Sprint 1" \ --project {project}

Set Default Iteration for Team az boards iteration team set-default-iteration \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\Sprint 1" \ --project {project}

Show Default Iteration az boards iteration team show-default-iteration \ --team {team-name} \ --project {project}

Set Backlog Iteration for Team az boards iteration team set-backlog-iteration \ --team {team-name} \ --path "Project\Sprint 1" \ --project {project}

Show Backlog Iteration az boards iteration team show-backlog-iteration \ --team {team-name} \ --project {project}

Show Current Iteration az boards iteration team show --team {team-name} --project {project} --timeframe current

Git References List References (Branches) az repos ref list --repository {repo} az repos ref list --repository {repo} --query "[?name=='refs/heads/main']"

Create Reference (Branch) az repos ref create --name refs/heads/new-branch --object-type commit --object {commit-sha}

Delete Reference (Branch) az repos ref delete --name refs/heads/old-branch --repository {repo} --project {project}

Lock Branch az repos ref lock --name refs/heads/main --repository {repo} --project {project}

Unlock Branch az repos ref unlock --name refs/heads/main --repository {repo} --project {project}

Repository Policies List All Policies az repos policy list --repository {repo-id} --branch main

Create Policy Using Configuration File az repos policy create --config policy.json

Update/Delete Policy

Update

az repos policy update --id {policy-id} --config updated-policy.json

Delete

az repos policy delete --id {policy-id} --yes

Policy Types Approver Count Policy az repos policy approver-count create \ --blocking true \ --enabled true \ --branch main \ --repository-id {repo-id} \ --minimum-approver-count 2 \ --creator-vote-counts true

Build Policy az repos policy build create \ --blocking true \ --enabled true \ --branch main \ --repository-id {repo-id} \ --build-definition-id {definition-id} \ --queue-on-source-update-only true \ --valid-duration 720

Work Item Linking Policy az repos policy work-item-linking create \ --blocking true \ --branch main \ --enabled true \ --repository-id {repo-id}

Required Reviewer Policy az repos policy required-reviewer create \ --blocking true \ --enabled true \ --branch main \ --repository-id {repo-id} \ --required-reviewers user@example.com

Merge Strategy Policy az repos policy merge-strategy create \ --blocking true \ --enabled true \ --branch main \ --repository-id {repo-id} \ --allow-squash true \ --allow-rebase true \ --allow-no-fast-forward true

Case Enforcement Policy az repos policy case-enforcement create \ --blocking true \ --enabled true \ --branch main \ --repository-id {repo-id}

Comment Required Policy az repos policy comment-required create \ --blocking true \ --enabled true \ --branch main \ --repository-id {repo-id}

File Size Policy az repos policy file-size create \ --blocking true \ --enabled true \ --branch main \ --repository-id {repo-id} \ --maximum-file-size 10485760 # 10MB in bytes

Service Endpoints List Service Endpoints az devops service-endpoint list --project {project} az devops service-endpoint list --project {project} --output table

Show Service Endpoint az devops service-endpoint show --id {endpoint-id} --project {project}

Create Service Endpoint

Using configuration file

az devops service-endpoint create --service-endpoint-configuration endpoint.json --project {project}

Delete Service Endpoint az devops service-endpoint delete --id {endpoint-id} --project {project} --yes

Teams List Teams az devops team list --project {project}

Show Team az devops team show --team {team-name} --project {project}

Create Team az devops team create \ --name {team-name} \ --description "Team description" \ --project {project}

Update Team az devops team update \ --team {team-name} \ --project {project} \ --name "{new-team-name}" \ --description "Updated description"

Delete Team az devops team delete --team {team-name} --project {project} --yes

Show Team Members az devops team list-member --team {team-name} --project {project}

Users List Users az devops user list --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} az devops user list --top 10 --output table

Show User az devops user show --user {user-id-or-email} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Add User az devops user add \ --email user@example.com \ --license-type express \ --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Update User az devops user update \ --user {user-id-or-email} \ --license-type advanced \ --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Remove User az devops user remove --user {user-id-or-email} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} --yes

Security Groups List Groups

List all groups in project

az devops security group list --project {project}

List all groups in organization

az devops security group list --scope organization

List with filtering

az devops security group list --project {project} --subject-types vstsgroup

Show Group Details az devops security group show --group-id {group-id}

Create Group az devops security group create \ --name {group-name} \ --description "Group description" \ --project {project}

Update Group az devops security group update \ --group-id {group-id} \ --name "{new-group-name}" \ --description "Updated description"

Delete Group az devops security group delete --group-id {group-id} --yes

Group Memberships

List memberships

az devops security group membership list --id {group-id}

Add member

az devops security group membership add \ --group-id {group-id} \ --member-id {member-id}

Remove member

az devops security group membership remove \ --group-id {group-id} \ --member-id {member-id} --yes

Security Permissions List Namespaces az devops security permission namespace list

Show Namespace Details

Show permissions available in a namespace

az devops security permission namespace show --namespace "GitRepositories"

List Permissions

List permissions for user/group and namespace

az devops security permission list \ --id {user-or-group-id} \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project {project}

List for specific token (repository)

az devops security permission list \ --id {user-or-group-id} \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project {project} \ --token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}"

Show Permissions az devops security permission show \ --id {user-or-group-id} \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project {project} \ --token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}"

Update Permissions

Grant permission

az devops security permission update \ --id {user-or-group-id} \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project {project} \ --token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}" \ --permission-mask "Pull,Contribute"

Deny permission

az devops security permission update \ --id {user-or-group-id} \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project {project} \ --token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}" \ --permission-mask 0

Reset Permissions

Reset specific permission bits

az devops security permission reset \ --id {user-or-group-id} \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project {project} \ --token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}" \ --permission-mask "Pull,Contribute"

Reset all permissions

az devops security permission reset-all \ --id {user-or-group-id} \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project {project} \ --token "repoV2/{project}/{repository-id}" --yes

Wikis List Wikis

List all wikis in project

az devops wiki list --project {project}

List all wikis in organization

az devops wiki list

Show Wiki az devops wiki show --wiki {wiki-name} --project {project} az devops wiki show --wiki {wiki-name} --project {project} --open

Create Wiki

Create project wiki

az devops wiki create \ --name {wiki-name} \ --project {project} \ --type projectWiki

Create code wiki from repository

az devops wiki create \ --name {wiki-name} \ --project {project} \ --type codeWiki \ --repository {repo-name} \ --mapped-path /wiki

Delete Wiki az devops wiki delete --wiki {wiki-id} --project {project} --yes

Wiki Pages

List pages

az devops wiki page list --wiki {wiki-name} --project {project}

Show page

az devops wiki page show \ --wiki {wiki-name} \ --path "/page-name" \ --project {project}

Create page

az devops wiki page create \ --wiki {wiki-name} \ --path "/new-page" \ --content "# New Page\n\nPage content here..." \ --project {project}

Update page

az devops wiki page update \ --wiki {wiki-name} \ --path "/existing-page" \ --content "# Updated Page\n\nNew content..." \ --project {project}

Delete page

az devops wiki page delete \ --wiki {wiki-name} \ --path "/old-page" \ --project {project} --yes

Administration Banner Management

List banners

az devops admin banner list

az devops admin banner show --id {banner-id}

az devops admin banner add \ --message "System maintenance scheduled" \ --level info # info, warning, error

az devops admin banner update \ --id {banner-id} \ --message "Updated message" \ --level warning \ --expiration-date "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z"

az devops admin banner remove --id {banner-id}

DevOps Extensions

Manage extensions installed in an Azure DevOps organization (different from CLI extensions).

List installed extensions

az devops extension list --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Search marketplace extensions

az devops extension search --search-query "docker"

Show extension details

az devops extension show --ext-id {extension-id} --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Install extension

az devops extension install \ --ext-id {extension-id} \ --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} \ --publisher {publisher-id}

Enable extension

az devops extension enable \ --ext-id {extension-id} \ --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Disable extension

az devops extension disable \ --ext-id {extension-id} \ --org https://dev.azure.com/{org}

Uninstall extension

az devops extension uninstall \ --ext-id {extension-id} \ --org https://dev.azure.com/{org} --yes

Universal Packages Publish Package az artifacts universal publish \ --feed {feed-name} \ --name {package-name} \ --version {version} \ --path {package-path} \ --project {project}

Download Package az artifacts universal download \ --feed {feed-name} \ --name {package-name} \ --version {version} \ --path {download-path} \ --project {project}

Agents List Agents in Pool az pipelines agent list --pool-id {pool-id}

Show Agent Details az pipelines agent show --agent-id {agent-id} --pool-id {pool-id}

Git Aliases

After enabling git aliases:

Enable Git aliases

az devops configure --use-git-aliases true

Use Git commands for DevOps operations

git pr create --target-branch main git pr list git pr checkout 123

Output Formats

All commands support multiple output formats:

Table format (human-readable)

az pipelines list --output table

JSON format (default, machine-readable)

az pipelines list --output json

JSONC (colored JSON)

az pipelines list --output jsonc

YAML format

az pipelines list --output yaml

YAMLC (colored YAML)

az pipelines list --output yamlc

TSV format (tab-separated values)

az pipelines list --output tsv

None (no output)

az pipelines list --output none

JMESPath Queries

Filter and transform output:

Filter by name

az pipelines list --query "[?name=='myPipeline']"

Get specific fields

az pipelines list --query "[].{Name:name, ID:id}"

Chain queries

az pipelines list --query "[?name.contains('CI')].{Name:name, ID:id}" --output table

Get first result

az pipelines list --query "[0]"

Get top N

az pipelines list --query "[0:5]"

Global Arguments

Available on all commands:

--help / -h: Show help --output / -o: Output format (json, jsonc, none, table, tsv, yaml, yamlc) --query: JMESPath query string --verbose: Increase logging verbosity --debug: Show all debug logs --only-show-errors: Only show errors, suppress warnings --subscription: Name or ID of subscription Common Parameters Parameter Description --org / --organization Azure DevOps organization URL (e.g., https://dev.azure.com/{org}) --project / -p Project name or ID --detect Auto-detect organization from git config --yes / -y Skip confirmation prompts --open Open in web browser Common Workflows Create PR from current branch CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current) az repos pr create \ --source-branch $CURRENT_BRANCH \ --target-branch main \ --title "Feature: $(git log -1 --pretty=%B)" \ --open

Create work item on pipeline failure az boards work-item create \ --title "Build $BUILD_BUILDNUMBER failed" \ --type bug \ --org $SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI \ --project $SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECT

Download latest pipeline artifact RUN_ID=$(az pipelines runs list --pipeline {pipeline-id} --top 1 --query "[0].id" -o tsv) az pipelines runs artifact download \ --artifact-name 'webapp' \ --path ./output \ --run-id $RUN_ID

Approve and complete PR

Vote approve

az repos pr set-vote --id {pr-id} --vote approve

Complete PR

az repos pr update --id {pr-id} --status completed

Create pipeline from local repo

From local git repository (auto-detects repo, branch, etc.)

az pipelines create --name 'CI-Pipeline' --description 'Continuous Integration'

Bulk update work items

Query items and update in loop

for id in $(az boards query --wiql "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE State='New'" -o tsv); do az boards work-item update --id $id --state "Active" done

Best Practices Authentication and Security

Use PAT from environment variable (most secure)

export AZURE_DEVOPS_EXT_PAT=$MY_PAT az devops login --organization $ORG_URL

Pipe PAT securely (avoids shell history)

echo $MY_PAT | az devops login --organization $ORG_URL

Set defaults to avoid repetition

az devops configure --defaults organization=$ORG_URL project=$PROJECT

Clear credentials after use

az devops logout --organization $ORG_URL

Idempotent Operations

Always use --detect for auto-detection

az devops configure --defaults organization=$ORG_URL project=$PROJECT

Check existence before creation

if ! az pipelines show --id $PIPELINE_ID 2>/dev/null; then az pipelines create --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --yaml-path azure-pipelines.yml fi

Use --output tsv for shell parsing

PIPELINE_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='MyPipeline'].id" --output tsv)

Use --output json for programmatic access

BUILD_STATUS=$(az pipelines build show --id $BUILD_ID --query "status" --output json)

Script-Safe Output

Suppress warnings and errors

az pipelines list --only-show-errors

No output (useful for commands that only need to execute)

az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --output none

TSV format for shell scripts (clean, no formatting)

az repos pr list --output tsv --query "[].{ID:pullRequestId,Title:title}"

JSON with specific fields

az pipelines list --output json --query "[].{Name:name, ID:id, URL:url}"

Pipeline Orchestration

Run pipeline and wait for completion

RUN_ID=$(az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --query "id" -o tsv)

while true; do STATUS=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "status" -o tsv) if [[ "$STATUS" != "inProgress" && "$STATUS" != "notStarted" ]]; then break fi sleep 10 done

Check result

RESULT=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "result" -o tsv) if [[ "$RESULT" == "succeeded" ]]; then echo "Pipeline succeeded" else echo "Pipeline failed with result: $RESULT" exit 1 fi

Variable Group Management

Create variable group idempotently

VG_NAME="production-variables" VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group list --query "[?name=='$VG_NAME'].id" -o tsv)

if [[ -z "$VG_ID" ]]; then VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group create \ --name "$VG_NAME" \ --variables API_URL=$API_URL API_KEY=$API_KEY \ --authorize true \ --query "id" -o tsv) echo "Created variable group with ID: $VG_ID" else echo "Variable group already exists with ID: $VG_ID" fi

Service Connection Automation

Create service connection using configuration file

cat > service-connection.json <<'EOF' { "data": { "subscriptionId": "$SUBSCRIPTION_ID", "subscriptionName": "My Subscription", "creationMode": "Manual", "serviceEndpointId": "$SERVICE_ENDPOINT_ID" }, "url": "https://management.azure.com/", "authorization": { "parameters": { "tenantid": "$TENANT_ID", "serviceprincipalid": "$SP_ID", "authenticationType": "spnKey", "serviceprincipalkey": "$SP_KEY" }, "scheme": "ServicePrincipal" }, "type": "azurerm", "isShared": false, "isReady": true } EOF

az devops service-endpoint create \ --service-endpoint-configuration service-connection.json \ --project "$PROJECT"

Pull Request Automation

Create PR with work items and reviewers

PR_ID=$(az repos pr create \ --repository "$REPO_NAME" \ --source-branch "$FEATURE_BRANCH" \ --target-branch main \ --title "Feature: $(git log -1 --pretty=%B)" \ --description "$(git log -1 --pretty=%B)" \ --work-items $WORK_ITEM_1 $WORK_ITEM_2 \ --reviewers "$REVIEWER_1" "$REVIEWER_2" \ --required-reviewers "$LEAD_EMAIL" \ --labels "enhancement" "backlog" \ --open \ --query "pullRequestId" -o tsv)

Set auto-complete when policies pass

az repos pr update --id $PR_ID --auto-complete true

Error Handling and Retry Patterns Retry Logic for Transient Failures

Retry function for network operations

retry_command() { local max_attempts=3 local attempt=1 local delay=5

while [[ $attempt -le $max_attempts ]]; do if "$@"; then return 0 fi echo "Attempt $attempt failed. Retrying in ${delay}s..." sleep $delay ((attempt++)) delay=$((delay * 2)) done

echo "All $max_attempts attempts failed" return 1 }

Usage

retry_command az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME"

Check and Handle Errors

Check if pipeline exists before operations

PIPELINE_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='$PIPELINE_NAME'].id" -o tsv)

if [[ -z "$PIPELINE_ID" ]]; then echo "Pipeline not found. Creating..." az pipelines create --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --yaml-path azure-pipelines.yml else echo "Pipeline exists with ID: $PIPELINE_ID" fi

Validate Inputs

Validate required parameters

if [[ -z "$PROJECT" || -z "$REPO" ]]; then echo "Error: PROJECT and REPO must be set" exit 1 fi

Check if branch exists

if ! az repos ref list --repository "$REPO" --query "[?name=='refs/heads/$BRANCH']" -o tsv | grep -q .; then echo "Error: Branch $BRANCH does not exist" exit 1 fi

Handle Permission Errors

Try operation, handle permission errors

if az devops security permission update \ --id "$USER_ID" \ --namespace "GitRepositories" \ --project "$PROJECT" \ --token "repoV2/$PROJECT/$REPO_ID" \ --allow-bit 2 \ --deny-bit 0 2>&1 | grep -q "unauthorized"; then echo "Error: Insufficient permissions to update repository permissions" exit 1 fi

Pipeline Failure Notification

Run pipeline and check result

RUN_ID=$(az pipelines run --name "$PIPELINE_NAME" --query "id" -o tsv)

Wait for completion

while true; do STATUS=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "status" -o tsv) if [[ "$STATUS" != "inProgress" && "$STATUS" != "notStarted" ]]; then break fi sleep 10 done

Check result and create work item on failure

RESULT=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "result" -o tsv) if [[ "$RESULT" != "succeeded" ]]; then BUILD_NUMBER=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $RUN_ID --query "buildNumber" -o tsv)

az boards work-item create \ --title "Build $BUILD_NUMBER failed" \ --type Bug \ --description "Pipeline run $RUN_ID failed with result: $RESULT\n\nURL: $ORG_URL/$PROJECT/_build/results?buildId=$RUN_ID" fi

Graceful Degradation

Try to download artifact, fallback to alternative source

if ! az pipelines runs artifact download \ --artifact-name 'webapp' \ --path ./output \ --run-id $RUN_ID 2>/dev/null; then echo "Warning: Failed to download from pipeline run. Falling back to backup source..."

# Alternative download method curl -L "$BACKUP_URL" -o ./output/backup.zip fi

Advanced JMESPath Queries Filtering and Sorting

Filter by multiple conditions

az pipelines list --query "[?name.contains('CI') && enabled==true]"

Filter by status and result

az pipelines runs list --query "[?status=='completed' && result=='succeeded']"

Sort by date (descending)

az pipelines runs list --query "sort_by([?status=='completed'], &finishTime | reverse(@))"

Get top N items after filtering

az pipelines runs list --query "[?result=='succeeded'] | [0:5]"

Nested Queries

Extract nested properties

az pipelines show --id $PIPELINE_ID --query "{Name:name, Repo:repository.{Name:name, Type:type}, Folder:folder}"

Query build details

az pipelines build show --id $BUILD_ID --query "{ID:id, Number:buildNumber, Status:status, Result:result, Requested:requestedFor.displayName}"

Complex Filtering

Find pipelines with specific YAML path

az pipelines list --query "[?process.type.name=='yaml' && process.yamlFilename=='azure-pipelines.yml']"

Find PRs from specific reviewer

az repos pr list --query "[?contains(reviewers[?displayName=='John Doe'].displayName, 'John Doe')]"

Find work items with specific iteration and state

az boards work-item show --id $WI_ID --query "{Title:fields['System.Title'], State:fields['System.State'], Iteration:fields['System.IterationPath']}"

Aggregation

Count items by status

az pipelines runs list --query "groupBy([?status=='completed'], &[result]) | {Succeeded: [?key=='succeeded'][0].count, Failed: [?key=='failed'][0].count}"

Get unique reviewers

az repos pr list --query "unique_by(reviewers[], &displayName)"

Sum values

az pipelines runs list --query "[?result=='succeeded'] | [].{Duration:duration} | [0].Duration"

Conditional Transformation

Format dates

az pipelines runs list --query "[].{ID:id, Date:createdDate, Formatted:createdDate | format_datetime(@, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm')}"

Conditional output

az pipelines list --query "[].{Name:name, Status:(enabled ? 'Enabled' : 'Disabled')}"

Extract with defaults

az pipelines show --id $PIPELINE_ID --query "{Name:name, Folder:folder || 'Root', Description:description || 'No description'}"

Complex Workflows

Find longest running builds

az pipelines build list --query "sort_by([?result=='succeeded'], &queueTime) | reverse(@) | [0:3].{ID:id, Number:buildNumber, Duration:duration}"

Get PR statistics per reviewer

az repos pr list --query "groupBy([], &reviewers[].displayName) | [].{Reviewer:@.key, Count:length(@)}"

Find work items with multiple child items

az boards work-item relation list --id $PARENT_ID --query "[?rel=='System.LinkTypes.Hierarchy-Forward'] | [].{ChildID:url | split('/', @) | [-1]}"

Scripting Patterns for Idempotent Operations Create or Update Pattern

Ensure pipeline exists, update if different

ensure_pipeline() { local name=$1 local yaml_path=$2

PIPELINE=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='$name']" -o json)

if [[ -z "$PIPELINE" ]]; then echo "Creating pipeline: $name" az pipelines create --name "$name" --yaml-path "$yaml_path" else echo "Pipeline exists: $name" fi }

Ensure Variable Group

Create variable group with idempotent updates

ensure_variable_group() { local vg_name=$1 shift local variables=("$@")

VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group list --query "[?name=='$vg_name'].id" -o tsv)

if [[ -z "$VG_ID" ]]; then echo "Creating variable group: $vg_name" VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group create \ --name "$vg_name" \ --variables "${variables[@]}" \ --authorize true \ --query "id" -o tsv) else echo "Variable group exists: $vg_name (ID: $VG_ID)" fi

echo "$VG_ID" }

Ensure Service Connection

Check if service connection exists, create if not

ensure_service_connection() { local name=$1 local project=$2

SC_ID=$(az devops service-endpoint list \ --project "$project" \ --query "[?name=='$name'].id" \ -o tsv)

if [[ -z "$SC_ID" ]]; then echo "Service connection not found. Creating..." # Create logic here else echo "Service connection exists: $name" echo "$SC_ID" fi }

Idempotent Work Item Creation

Create work item only if doesn't exist with same title

create_work_item_if_new() { local title=$1 local type=$2

WI_ID=$(az boards query \ --wiql "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE [System.WorkItemType]='$type' AND [System.Title]='$title'" \ --query "[0].id" -o tsv)

if [[ -z "$WI_ID" ]]; then echo "Creating work item: $title" WI_ID=$(az boards work-item create --title "$title" --type "$type" --query "id" -o tsv) else echo "Work item exists: $title (ID: $WI_ID)" fi

echo "$WI_ID" }

Bulk Idempotent Operations

Ensure multiple pipelines exist

declare -a PIPELINES=( "ci-pipeline:azure-pipelines.yml" "deploy-pipeline:deploy.yml" "test-pipeline:test.yml" )

for pipeline in "${PIPELINES[@]}"; do IFS=':' read -r name yaml <<< "$pipeline" ensure_pipeline "$name" "$yaml" done

Configuration Synchronization

Sync variable groups from config file

sync_variable_groups() { local config_file=$1

while IFS=',' read -r vg_name variables; do ensure_variable_group "$vg_name" "$variables" done < "$config_file" }

config.csv format:

prod-vars,API_URL=prod.com,API_KEY=secret123

dev-vars,API_URL=dev.com,API_KEY=secret456

Real-World Workflows CI/CD Pipeline Setup

Setup complete CI/CD pipeline

setup_cicd_pipeline() { local project=$1 local repo=$2 local branch=$3

# Create variable groups VG_DEV=$(ensure_variable_group "dev-vars" "ENV=dev API_URL=api-dev.com") VG_PROD=$(ensure_variable_group "prod-vars" "ENV=prod API_URL=api-prod.com")

# Create CI pipeline az pipelines create \ --name "$repo-CI" \ --repository "$repo" \ --branch "$branch" \ --yaml-path .azure/pipelines/ci.yml \ --skip-run true

# Create CD pipeline az pipelines create \ --name "$repo-CD" \ --repository "$repo" \ --branch "$branch" \ --yaml-path .azure/pipelines/cd.yml \ --skip-run true

echo "CI/CD pipeline setup complete" }

Automated PR Creation

Create PR from feature branch with automation

create_automated_pr() { local branch=$1 local title=$2

# Get branch info LAST_COMMIT=$(git log -1 --pretty=%B "$branch") COMMIT_SHA=$(git rev-parse "$branch")

# Find related work items WORK_ITEMS=$(az boards query \ --wiql "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE [System.ChangedBy] = @Me AND [System.State] = 'Active'" \ --query "[].id" -o tsv)

# Create PR PR_ID=$(az repos pr create \ --source-branch "$branch" \ --target-branch main \ --title "$title" \ --description "$LAST_COMMIT" \ --work-items $WORK_ITEMS \ --auto-complete true \ --query "pullRequestId" -o tsv)

# Set required reviewers az repos pr reviewer add \ --id $PR_ID \ --reviewers $(git log -1 --pretty=format:'%ae' "$branch") \ --required true

echo "Created PR #$PR_ID" }

Pipeline Monitoring and Alerting

Monitor pipeline and alert on failure

monitor_pipeline() { local pipeline_name=$1 local slack_webhook=$2

while true; do # Get latest run RUN_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='$pipeline_name'] | [0].id" -o tsv) RUNS=$(az pipelines runs list --pipeline $RUN_ID --top 1)

LATEST_RUN_ID=$(echo "$RUNS" | jq -r '.[0].id')
RESULT=$(echo "$RUNS" | jq -r '.[0].result')

# Check if failed and not already processed
if [[ "$RESULT" == "failed" ]]; then
  # Send Slack alert
  curl -X POST "$slack_webhook" \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -d "{\"text\": \"Pipeline $pipeline_name failed! Run ID: $LATEST_RUN_ID\"}"
fi

sleep 300 # Check every 5 minutes

done }

Bulk Work Item Management

Bulk update work items based on query

bulk_update_work_items() { local wiql=$1 local updates=("$@")

# Query work items WI_IDS=$(az boards query --wiql "$wiql" --query "[].id" -o tsv)

# Update each work item for wi_id in $WI_IDS; do az boards work-item update --id $wi_id "${updates[@]}" echo "Updated work item: $wi_id" done }

Usage: bulk_update_work_items "SELECT ID FROM WorkItems WHERE State='New'" --state "Active" --assigned-to "user@example.com"

Branch Policy Automation

Apply branch policies to all repositories

apply_branch_policies() { local branch=$1 local project=$2

# Get all repositories REPOS=$(az repos list --project "$project" --query "[].id" -o tsv)

for repo_id in $REPOS; do echo "Applying policies to repo: $repo_id"

# Require minimum approvers
az repos policy approver-count create \
  --blocking true \
  --enabled true \
  --branch "$branch" \
  --repository-id "$repo_id" \
  --minimum-approver-count 2 \
  --creator-vote-counts true

# Require work item linking
az repos policy work-item-linking create \
  --blocking true \
  --branch "$branch" \
  --enabled true \
  --repository-id "$repo_id"

# Require build validation
BUILD_ID=$(az pipelines list --query "[?name=='CI'].id" -o tsv | head -1)
az repos policy build create \
  --blocking true \
  --enabled true \
  --branch "$branch" \
  --repository-id "$repo_id" \
  --build-definition-id "$BUILD_ID" \
  --queue-on-source-update-only true

done }

Multi-Environment Deployment

Deploy across multiple environments

deploy_to_environments() { local run_id=$1 shift local environments=("$@")

# Download artifacts ARTIFACT_NAME=$(az pipelines runs artifact list --run-id $run_id --query "[0].name" -o tsv) az pipelines runs artifact download \ --artifact-name "$ARTIFACT_NAME" \ --path ./artifacts \ --run-id $run_id

# Deploy to each environment for env in "${environments[@]}"; do echo "Deploying to: $env"

# Get environment-specific variables
VG_ID=$(az pipelines variable-group list --query "[?name=='$env-vars'].id" -o tsv)

# Run deployment pipeline
DEPLOY_RUN_ID=$(az pipelines run \
  --name "Deploy-$env" \
  --variables ARTIFACT_PATH=./artifacts ENV="$env" \
  --query "id" -o tsv)

# Wait for deployment
while true; do
  STATUS=$(az pipelines runs show --run-id $DEPLOY_RUN_ID --query "status" -o tsv)
  if [[ "$STATUS" != "inProgress" ]]; then
    break
  fi
  sleep 10
done

done }

Enhanced Global Arguments Parameter Description --help / -h Show command help --output / -o Output format (json, jsonc, none, table, tsv, yaml, yamlc) --query JMESPath query string for filtering output --verbose Increase logging verbosity --debug Show all debug logs --only-show-errors Only show errors, suppress warnings --subscription Name or ID of subscription --yes / -y Skip confirmation prompts Enhanced Common Parameters Parameter Description --org / --organization Azure DevOps organization URL (e.g., https://dev.azure.com/{org}) --project / -p Project name or ID --detect Auto-detect organization from git config --yes / -y Skip confirmation prompts --open Open resource in web browser --subscription Azure subscription (for Azure resources) Getting Help

General help

az devops --help

Help for specific command group

az pipelines --help az repos pr --help

Help for specific command

az repos pr create --help

Search for examples

az find "az repos pr create"

安装

Install Azure CLI

Verify installation

Install Azure DevOps extension

Interactive login (prompts for PAT)

Login with PAT token

Logout

Set default organization and project

List current configuration

Enable Git aliases

List available extensions

List installed extensions

Install Azure DevOps extension

Update Azure DevOps extension

Remove extension

Install from local path

Import from public Git repository

Import with authentication

Basic PR creation

PR with work items

Draft PR with reviewers

All PRs

Filter by status

Filter by creator

Output as table

Complete PR

Abandon PR

Set to draft

Publish draft PR

Auto-complete when policies pass

Set title and description

Checkout PR branch

Checkout with specific remote

Add reviewers

List reviewers

Remove reviewers

Add work items to PR

List PR work items

Remove work items from PR

List policies for a PR

Queue policy evaluation for a PR

From local repository context (auto-detects settings)

With specific branch and YAML path

For GitHub repository

Skip first run

Run by name

Run by ID

With parameters

With variables

Open results in browser

List artifacts for a run

Download artifact

Upload artifact

Add tag to run

List run tags

Add tag to build

Delete tag from build

Non-secret variable

Secret variable

Secret with prompt

Update secret variable

Non-secret variable

Secret variable (will prompt for value if not provided)

Secret with environment variable

WIQL query

Query with output format

Basic work item

With area and iteration

With custom fields

With discussion comment

Open in browser after creation

Update state, title, and assignee

Move to different area

Change iteration

Add comment/discussion

Update with custom fields

Soft delete (can be restored)

Permanent delete

List relations

List supported relation types