Azure Boards is a powerful tool for planning, tracking, and discussing work. Adding tasks is a fundamental step in managing your projects effectively. This guide will walk you through the process of adding new tasks to your Azure Boards.
Understanding Work Item Types
In Azure Boards, work is tracked using different work item types. The most common types include:
User Story: Describes a feature from an end-user perspective.
Bug: Reports a defect or issue in the product.
Task: Represents a specific piece of work needed to complete a User Story or Bug.
Epic: A large body of work that can be broken down into smaller stories.
Steps to Add a New Task
Method 1: From the Boards or Backlogs View
1
Navigate to your Azure DevOps project and select Boards from the left-hand navigation.
2
Choose either Backlogs or Boards.
On the Backlogs page, you'll see your work items in a hierarchical list.
On the Boards page, you'll see work items in a Kanban-style board.
3
Look for the New Work Item button (often represented by a + icon or text). This button is typically located at the top of the backlog list or in the toolbar of the board view.
4
Click the + New Work Item button and select Task from the dropdown menu.
5
A new task form will appear. Fill in the essential details:
Title: A concise description of the task (e.g., "Implement user authentication API").
Assigned To: (Optional) Assign the task to a team member.
Remaining Work: Estimate the effort required (e.g., in hours).
Description: Provide more details, acceptance criteria, or links.
6
Click Save or Save & Close to add the task to your project.
Method 2: From an Existing Work Item
You can also add tasks directly as children of existing User Stories or Bugs.
1
Open the User Story or Bug you want to add a task to by clicking on its title from the Boards or Backlogs view.
2
In the work item form, locate the Details tab or a section titled Tasks or Child Items.
3
Click the Add task button.
4
Enter the Title for the new task and click Save. The new task will automatically be linked as a child to the parent work item.
Tip: When adding tasks, ensure they are small, actionable, and have a clear title. This helps in accurate tracking and estimation. Consider defining clear acceptance criteria for each task.
Advanced Options
When creating or editing a task, you can leverage several other fields:
Area Path and Iteration Path: To organize work within sprints or teams.
Tags: For further categorization and filtering.
Related Work: To link tasks to other work items (e.g., parent, blocker, related).
Attachments: Upload relevant files or documents.
[Placeholder for a screenshot illustrating the "New Work Item" button or the task form]
By consistently adding and managing tasks, your team can maintain clarity on responsibilities, progress, and dependencies, leading to more predictable and successful project delivery within Azure Boards.