Step 1: Navigate to Process Settings

To customize WITs, you'll work within the project's process settings. This is typically done by a Project Administrator or a member of the Project Collection Administrators group.

1. Go to your Azure DevOps project.
2. Click on Project settings in the bottom-left corner.
3. Under the Boards section, select Process.

You will see a list of processes applied to your project. If you are using an inherited process, you can customize it. If you are using an XML-hosted process, you'll need to modify the process template file.

Step 2: Select the Process and Work Item Type

From the Process page, choose the process your project uses. Then, click on the specific Work Item Type you wish to customize (e.g., User Story, Bug).

For this tutorial, let's assume we're customizing the 'User Story' WIT.

Selecting a process and Work Item Type.

Step 3: Add Custom Fields

To add a new field, click on the New field button.

1. Choose the field type (e.g., Text, Integer, Picklist, Date/Time).
2. Provide a Name for your field (e.g., "Customer Impact").
3. Optionally, add a Description.
4. Select the Category (e.g., Custom).
5. For picklist fields, you'll define the allowed values.
6. Click Add.

Once added, you can choose which page and group on the work item form the new field should appear. Drag and drop it to the desired location.

Adding a field to the work item form layout.

Step 4: Modify Layout and Add Controls

The Layout tab allows you to manage the appearance of the work item form. You can:

• Create new Groups to organize fields.
• Add existing fields to these groups.
• Rename groups.
• Rearrange the order of groups and fields.
• Make fields required or read-only using rules.

To add a control (like a field) to a group, simply drag it from the 'All fields' list on the right to the desired group on the form preview.

Step 5: Add Rules

Rules automate actions based on specific conditions. Click on the Rules tab.

To add a rule:

1. Click New rule.
2. Define the Conditions (e.g., "When Field 'State' changes to 'Done'").
3. Define the Actions (e.g., "Set Field 'Resolution' to 'Fixed'").
4. Click Save.

Common rules include setting default values, making fields required based on state, or copying values between fields.

Step 6: Review and Save Changes

After making your customizations, it's good practice to review them. You can see how the work item form will look and ensure your rules are set up correctly.

Click the Save changes button at the top of the page to apply your customizations.

Now, when you create or edit a work item of the customized type, you will see your new fields, organized layout, and enforced rules.