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Azure Boards New Hubs Default Experience

41 posts · Dec 2015 – Apr 2026

What this trail covers

Azure Boards continues to evolve with a focus on improving user experience and productivity. Recent updates include ordering states by process, automatically tagging commenters, enabling live updates for all new boards by default, and introducing Markdown support in large text fields. This post introduces a clearer distinction between preview and edit modes for large text fields, with fields defaulting to preview mode and an explicit edit icon to switch to editing. This change reflects how most users interact with Markdown editors, reducing accidental edits and making interactions more intentional.

All Microsoft trails
  1. Improving the Markdown Editor for Work ItemsIntroduced a clearer distinction between preview and edit modes for large text fields in the Markdown editor for work items. By default, fields now open in preview mode, and users must explicitly click an edit icon to switch to editing mode. This change aims to reduce accidental edits and make interactions more intentional, improving the overall user experience.
  2. Azure Boards integration with GitHub Copilot includes custom agent supportThis post announces the upcoming support for custom agents in the GitHub Copilot Coding Agent for Azure Boards. Custom agents are defined using Markdown profiles in GitHub repositories or organizations and can be selected when creating a pull request from an Azure Boards work item. This feature allows for specialized AI teammates that adhere to team-specific workflows and coding standards.
  3. Azure Boards integration with GitHub CopilotThis post announces the general availability of the Azure Boards integration with GitHub Copilot, which allows users to create pull requests directly from work items. It details the workflow, requirements (GitHub repos, Azure Boards/GitHub integration, Copilot coding agent enabled), and introduces new features: branch selection and Copilot status on Kanban cards. It also outlines upcoming features like custom agent/model selection and REST API support.
  4. Azure Boards + GitHub: Recent UpdatesIntroduced automatic linking of merge commits to associated work items. Enabled automatic linking of pull requests to work items when the source branch is linked. Implemented automatic removal of branch links from work items when the pull request is merged and the branch is deleted. Added display of build status from GitHub repositories (using Azure YAML pipelines) on associated work items. Increased the limit of GitHub repositories connectable to a single Azure DevOps project from 500 to 1,000. Expanded state transition support for GitHub pull requests to work items to include '{State or Category} AB#{ID}' keywords, allowing automatic state updates on merge based on recognized states or state categories. Announced upcoming support for '!' mentions to reference GitHub pull requests directly in work item comments.
  5. Markdown for large text fields (private preview)Introduces private preview for Markdown support in large text fields within Azure Boards work items. This allows users to opt-in to use a Markdown editor, with a best-effort conversion from existing HTML. Once converted, fields cannot be reverted to HTML. New work items can default to Markdown based on user preference. This feature is only available in the New Boards Hub.
  7. Azure Boards, September UpdateThis post introduces several new features for Azure Boards: 1. Area and Iteration Level Fields are now available for all organizations in New Boards Hub for use in queries and backlog columns. 2. A feature to permanently delete attachments from work items for users with the 'Permanently delete work items' permission. 3. Three new REST API endpoints to automate the addition and removal of GitHub repositories per Azure DevOps Project, increasing the repository limit per connection from 500 to 2,000. 4. AB# links now appear directly in the 'Development' section of GitHub pull requests when included in the PR description. 5. GitHub pull request details (draft, needs review, status checks) are now visible directly from the work item, requiring acceptance of new permissions for the Azure Boards app.
  8. Update on Azure Boards + GitHub IntegrationIntroduces the ability to create a GitHub branch directly from an Azure Boards work item. Enhances the connection process for Azure DevOps projects to GitHub organizations, optimizing for managing thousands of repositories. Adds AB# links to the Development section of GitHub pull requests when used in the PR description. Improves AB# validation notifications within the Azure Boards app. Shows GitHub pull request details (draft mode, review status, checks) directly from work item links (currently on hold due to bugs).
  9. AB links on GitHub pull request and scale improvements for large organizationsThis post announces the general availability of linking work items to GitHub commits or pull requests directly, improving the user experience by eliminating the need for multiple window changes and copy-pasting. It also introduces a private preview for GitHub connection improvements, addressing timeout issues for organizations with thousands of repositories, and a private preview for displaying AB# links directly within the Development section of GitHub pull requests.
  10. New Boards Hub on as defaultThis post announces the default rollout of the New Boards Hub experience, detailing the two-wave rollout plan (starting April, concluding late May) and how users will be notified. It also reiterates that the New Boards Hub largely retains existing functionality while introducing new features and improved Boards + GitHub integration, directing users to release notes for details. It also provides instructions for reporting issues.
  11. Azure Boards + GitHub improvements in private previewIntroduced a full search experience for linking work items to GitHub Pull Requests and Commits, reducing the need for manual copy-pasting and multiple window switches. Enhanced the display of GitHub Pull Request details on Azure Boards work items to include draft status, review requirements, and status checks, beyond just open/closed status. AB# validation, previously in private preview, is now generally available.
  12. New Boards Hub Update, January 2024This post details the progress made on the New Boards Hub, focusing on accessibility improvements (page reflow), performance enhancements (reducing backlog loading times from over twenty seconds to 2.5 seconds), and bug fixes (over a hundred implemented). It also announces the general availability of 'Team Automation Rules' and the continued private preview of 'Markdown for comments'. The post indicates that the New Boards Hub is being prepared to become the default experience for a new group of customers.
  13. Work Items in Visual StudioThis post details the transition from legacy SOAP APIs to REST APIs for work item management in Visual Studio, guiding users to the new default view and explaining how to link work items to commits via the Work Items hub, #mention in commit messages, or by creating a branch from a work item. It also covers managing queries and re-parenting work items through the web interface and backlog views.
  14. New Boards Hub, Fall UpdateThis post provides an update on the rollout of the New Boards Hub, announcing a pause to address quality and performance issues, with a revised tentative timeline for making it the default experience in early 2024. It also details a user choice between Markdown and HTML editors for comments, and indicates that the Team Automation Rules preview is nearing general availability.
  15. Azure Boards + GitHub Integration ImprovementsThis post details planned enhancements to the Azure Boards + GitHub integration. New features include improved AB#ID validation for invalid work item links, a search-based experience for linking GitHub commits/pull requests (instead of manual URL pasting), and richer display of pull request status (ID, creation date, status, checks) on work items. It also announces plans to enable creating a branch from a work item in GitHub and improve scalability to connect more than 500 GitHub repositories per Azure DevOps project.
  16. New Boards Hub Rollout UpdateThis post provides an update on the rollout of the New Boards Hub, indicating that over 30% of active organizations have been enabled and that the transition is expected to be complete by mid-to-late November. It also announces that the work item comments editor will transition to Markdown support concurrently with the New Boards Hub rollout. The post encourages users to report bugs rather than revert to old boards, and notes that some extensions may not work correctly in the new experience.
  17. New Boards Hub Path to GAThis post details the final steps and rollout plan for making the New Boards Hub the default experience in Azure Boards. It outlines the strategy for transitioning users, including enabling a 'Try the New Azure Boards' message for all organizations, followed by setting New Boards as the default for early adopters. The post also lists features that are exclusively available in the New Boards Hub and emphasizes the importance of user feedback for addressing any issues before removing the ability to revert to the old experience.
  18. New Boards Hub Update, Sprint 224This post details the bug fixes and rollout plan for the New Boards Hub. Over 40 bugs were fixed in the previous sprint, and the 'Try the New Boards Hub' message will be activated for all organizations in Sprint 225. The team anticipates dedicating two to three sprints to address feedback and will begin turning on the New Boards Hub as the default experience for early deployment rings. Notable bug fixes include issues with error banners, link statuses, keyboard navigation on the Task Board, pull request creation from commits, large text field expansion, numeric field input, file previews, work item link copying, task board behavior with parent/child items, chart creation for tree queries, filter persistence, work item type selection, comment creation, child item addition, template application, deleted query display, backlog ordering, bulk editing from CSV, disabled work item type visibility, !mention functionality, backlog column width persistence, copying work items to other projects, order number duplication on large backlogs, and the 'Copy link' functionality for work items.
  19. New Boards Hub Update, Sprint 223This post details bug fixes for Sprint 223 of the New Boards Hub, focusing on issues related to work item linking in comments, backlog item display and ordering, state color consistency, filter persistence, drag-and-drop functionality, scroll bar visibility, date/time formatting, time zone handling in history, REST API link rendering, query result details, task board loading timeouts, and the display of refnames instead of friendly names for rollup columns.
  20. New Boards Hub Update, Sprint 222This post details Sprint 222 updates for the New Boards Hub, including activating the 'Try the New Boards Hub' message for a larger customer base, significant performance improvements in the Recycle Bin functionality (to be implemented shortly), and numerous bug fixes. Notable bug fixes address issues with the 'Verify' option for bugs linked to test cases, the Cascading Lists extension, disabled work item types appearing on the sprint board, task board filters hiding tasks, error messages for backlogs exceeding 20,000 items, sprint backlog ordering with filters, tooltips for large text fields, missing icons, Assigned To updates on child annotations, dates on Delivery Plans, linking builds across projects, the Capacity Planning save button, moving tasks to invalid columns, CSV import errors, the 'Integration in Build' field during bulk edits, disabled fields when copying work items, ordering discrepancies between sprint taskboard and backlog, and missing icons for 'Do exploratory testing'.
  21. New Boards Hub Update, Sprint 221This post details bug fixes implemented in Sprint 221 for the New Boards Hub. Specific issues addressed include: incorrect link counts when traversing search results, incorrect extension registration names and async execution order, errors when using `removeWorkItemRelations`, board filters not applying when loading via direct link, excessive sprint display in the planning panel, incorrect display of before/after states in comment history, errors on the status badge settings page, inability to create queries from sprints, display of disabled work item types, tag flashing and performance issues in query results, and failures in the 'Move to iteration' functionality for incomplete items and moving items to the backlog.
  22. New Boards Hub Update, Sprint 220This post details bug fixes for Sprint 220 in the New Boards Hub, addressing issues such as date/time shifts, missing dashboard buttons, query filtering limitations, saving issues with sprint work items, incorrect team loading, backlog 'Add to Top' functionality, scroll bar issues on Kanban cards, missing delete icons on style settings, missing multiline field tooltips, extra fields in query column options, title annotation refresh issues, narrow dropdown values on cards, boolean fields showing 1/0, unsorted queries, errors when updating sprint board settings, stakeholders unable to move items on the task board, duplicate identities on Kanban filters, branch creation errors, and broken #/! mention links. A new usability feature is the sticky work item save button, remembering the user's preference between 'Save' and 'Save and Close'.
  23. New Boards Hub Update, Sprint 219This post details bug fixes for Sprint 219 related to the New Boards Hub, addressing issues with delivery plan tab names, work item comment anchors, picklist customization, bug creation from task boards, sprint backlog tab switching, attachment deletion, backlog hierarchy expansion, cascading picklist filtering, work item template loading, parent link display, column ordering on the links page, drag-and-drop re-ordering on large backlogs, task assignment on the sprint board, permissions for links, sprint backlog and task board order, handling of commas in numeric fields, search and work item link interaction, shortcut issues on the backlog, styles for empty date values, markdown styling for Definition of Done, area and iteration level field export to CSV. It also mentions upcoming preview features.
  24. New Boards Hub, Sprint 217 updateThis post details bug fixes for the New Boards Hub, addressing issues related to sorting of links (specifically TFVC changesets), sticky expansion of work item forms, parent link visibility on Kanban cards, accuracy of sprint work details, incorrect area path usage when adding tasks, 'load more' functionality on Kanban boards with filters, card contribution point for extensions, display of double-digit test counts, full page refreshes when toggling the planning panel, outdated child task links, and errors when setting test status from the card menu. It also lists new features released in the preceding sprints: new save comments permission, preventing edits of shareable picklists, swimlane colors, and delivery plans card resize logic.
  25. New Boards Hub, Sprint 216 updateThis post details bug fixes and progress updates for the New Boards Hub across two sprints (215 and 216). It highlights the rollout of the 'Try the New Boards Hub' message to more customers, moving it closer to becoming the default experience. The majority of the content consists of a list of specific bugs fixed, covering issues with sprint backlogs, shortcuts, work item creation and editing, UI elements in dark mode, extensibility points, templates, attachments, styles, and more.
  26. New Boards Hub, Sprint 214 UpdateThis post details bug fixes for the New Boards Hub in sprint 214, addressing issues with the Esc key on work item modals, the 'Found in Build' and 'Integrated in Build' fields, deployment control refresh, Kanban board styles for empty fields, stakeholder ability to move items on the sprint board, capacity calculation inaccuracies, days off calculation, missing banners for over a thousand work items, removal of bolding on hierarchy filters, ambiguous identity errors, missing history records for board column changes, column board split issues, and the application of a new date control to all date fields. The rollout of the 'Try New Boards Hub' message is continuing, but at a slower pace than initially expected due to ongoing feedback and the need to fix reported issues before making it the default experience.
  27. New Boards Hub, Sprint 213 UpdateThis post details bug fixes for the New Boards Hub in Sprint 213, addressing issues with templates, Kanban board styling, sprint taskboard syncing, capacity planning date ranges, drag-and-drop functionality in swim lanes and between parented/unparented work items, and hierarchy filters. It also introduces a new usability feature: the 'Copy link to comments' functionality, which allows users to copy a link to a specific work item comment and paste it into another work item comment or description. When clicked, the work item will be opened, and the comment will be highlighted.
  28. New Boards Hub, Sprint 212 UpdateThis post details bug fixes for the New Boards Hub in Sprint 212, addressing issues with organization-level search, duplicated cards in split columns, re-ordering work items, "work item has been changed by" errors, extension SDK errors, link order in the development control, field order on cards, recycle bin operations with many items, error banners on queries hub, disappearing tasks when filtered, incomplete work display, incorrect WIP counts, default iteration values on new work items, boards configuration requirements, getFullYear errors, "Move to Iteration" errors, card annotations with Firefox, and incorrect child item type detection. It also introduces a new usability feature allowing direct editing of work item link types, simplifying the process of changing link relationships.
  29. New Boards Hub, Sprint 211 UpdateThis post details bug fixes for the New Boards Hub, including issues with remote link types, user locale settings, missing 'Add existing item to parent' option, query renaming, favorite board behavior, parent ID display in 'Copy as HTML', limitations in 'Add Link' project list, sprint burndown chart scrolling, backlog panel extensibility, arrow key behavior on the Kanban board, saving work items when switching tabs, editing remaining work on bugs in the task board, and WEF fields for column options. It also introduces two new features: an option to maintain hierarchy when filtering on the backlog and the ability to copy the URL for a work item attachment.
  30. New Boards Hub, Sprint 210 UpdateThis post details bug fixes and accessibility improvements for the New Boards Hub in Azure DevOps, including issues with branch creation from cards, column resize bars, filter icon indication, parent link reversal, recycle bin item display, query result scrolling, new item link behavior, shared query deletion errors, definition of done saving, and Kanban board accessibility. It also announces the upcoming 'Try the New Boards Hub' banner and popup in the legacy experience.
  31. New Boards Hub, Sprint 208 UpdateThis post details bug fixes and improvements made to the New Boards Hub in Azure DevOps, addressing issues related to sprint boards, area path resets, empty boards due to invalid card conditions, date and time field display, style rules with macros, extension contribution points, the @TeamAreas macro in queries, boolean field default values, opening work items from search, the 'Move to position' feature for stakeholders, task board errors at work item limits, creating work items with filters, incorrect ordering when filters are applied, work item template issues, CSV import problems (parent-child relationships, save button disabled, opening unsaved items), planning pane errors (drag and drop to sprints/iterations, parent task inclusion), backlog re-ordering errors, keyboard shortcut functionality, and remaining work calculations on the sprint board.
  32. Copy a work item type using Azure DevOps API'sThis post details how to programmatically copy work item types using Azure DevOps APIs. It outlines the process of creating a new work item type, then iterating through the source work item type's pages, sections, groups, and controls to replicate them in the new work item type. Specific technical challenges and undocumented behaviors are addressed, including handling multi-line text fields (HTMLFieldControl) which require special group encapsulation, custom control extensions (like multi-select fields) that need unique IDs and reference names, and boolean fields that require a default value. The post provides code snippets demonstrating API calls for adding fields, groups, and controls, and highlights the need for careful handling of different control types and their specific API requirements.
  33. "New Boards Hub" Public PreviewThis post announces the "official" public preview of the New Boards Hub, following user feedback and bug fixes. It highlights that functionality remains the same, but the new experience offers a modern design, responsive reflows, accessibility compliance, and improved page performance. Users can opt-in via the Preview Features menu and provide feedback directly. The preview will remain opt-in for a few months before becoming the default experience.
  34. Copy Dashboard Public Preview Part 3This post announces the public preview of the 'Copy Dashboard' feature in Azure Boards, specifically the addition of the ability to select a folder to store queries and configuration carried over with the copy operation. It details the user flow for copying a dashboard, including selecting the new dashboard name, description, type (Team or Project), and importantly, the option to copy dashboard queries and choose a destination folder for these queries. It also mentions that widgets with Team configuration will be updated for the new team, and widgets copied from a Team dashboard to a Project Dashboard will retain their original configuration.
  35. Azure Boards Ux Modernization - Public PreviewThis post announces the public preview of the UX modernization for Azure Boards, highlighting a faster UX, consistency with other product parts, and accessibility compliance. It introduces rounded corners and more space between rows in the Queries Hub, Backlog View, and Kanban Board. Marketplace extension developers are encouraged to preview the feature to ensure compatibility.
  36. Azure Boards Fall UpdateIntroduced improvements to Delivery Plans 2.0, including visual indicators for work item dependencies (colored icons for issues/no issues), emphasis on tags using colors, filtering cards by boolean field types, and ensuring work item titles are always visible on cards. Also announced that Solidify AB will maintain several Azure DevOps extensions, including the Azure Boards Kanban Tool, Azure DevOps Extension Tasks, Branch Visualization, Color picklist control, Countdown Widget, Offline Test Execution, Terraform, Test Case Explorer, Work Item Details, Weighted Shortest Job First-WSJF, Work Item Visualization, Multi-value Control, Split!, and Estimate – Planning poker for Azure Boards.
  37. Delivery Plans Public Preview UpdateThis post details updates to the Delivery Plans experience, including the introduction of a 'rollup' feature to display progress of underlying child work items on cards, performance improvements for card rendering, resizing, and re-ordering, and a new 'collapsed card view' to condense fields and display more cards. It also outlines upcoming features like dependency tracking and support for more than ten teams.
  38. Delivery Plans 2.0 Public PreviewIntroduced the public preview of Delivery Plans 2.0, making it part of the core Azure Boards product. Key features include: spanning iteration boundaries using Start Date, Target Date, and Iteration Path dates; read-only access for stakeholders; and a compact view option by removing extra fields and zooming out. Existing plans can be used with the preview without data loss. Future features planned include child rollup information, dependency notifications, and parent display on cards. Known issues include a hard limit of 10 team backlogs per plan and card formatting issues with zoom.
  39. Azure DevOps Roadmap update for 2020 Q4Introduced Delivery Plans 2.0 as a core product feature, enhancing work item visualization with timeline display. Key improvements include: 1. Allowing work items to visually span sprint boundaries. 2. Supporting work items without iteration paths by using start and target dates. 3. Providing access to existing plans for stakeholders. 4. Tracking dependencies across work items. 5. Rolling up information to show the progress of child and grandchild work items.
  40. Removing Assigned To Rule from BugThis post announces the removal of a specific hidden system rule ('Assigned To' rule for Bugs moving to 'Resolved') from the Agile process in Azure DevOps. It explains the rule's original intent, its negative customer impact, and the planned deployment timeline. It also provides instructions on how to recreate this functionality using custom rules in inherited processes and solicits feedback for future rule removals.
  41. New in Azure Boards Sprint 174This post announces the general availability of adding system work item types to backlogs and boards, a new process audit log event for picklist changes, and a preview feature to customize work item state upon pull request merge. It also highlights a preview of stakeholders being able to move work items across board columns and an increase in the Azure Boards GitHub app repository limit.
  42. Azure DevOps Roadmap update for 2020 Q3This post announces the integration of Delivery Plans into the core Azure Boards product, detailing Q3 enhancements such as spanning work items across iteration boundaries, supporting a minimum of 25 team backlogs on a single delivery plan, filtering by Parent, and providing stakeholders with read-only access. It also outlines late Q3/early Q4 features including rollup information on work item cards, a condensed view for large plans, and dependency tracking across work items.
  43. Azure Boards Summer UpdateIntroduced state transition restriction rules, allowing users to restrict work items from moving between specific states, with options to enforce transitions based on group membership. Enhanced the logic for 'Activated By', 'Activated Date', 'Resolved By', and 'Resolved Date' fields to be triggered by state categories rather than hardcoded states, enabling custom states to correctly populate these fields. Added the ability to copy parent work items along with their children, with a limit of 100 children and requiring the destination to be in the same project and work item type. Preview for system work item types (Issue, Impediment, Change Request, Review, Risk) on backlogs and boards is now available.
  44. How to hide or edit the reason field in Azure DevOpsThis post provides two workarounds for customizing the 'Reason' field in Azure DevOps work items. The first workaround involves hiding the system 'Reason' field from the form using a REST API call to the system controls endpoint. The second workaround details how to create a custom 'Reason' field by adding a new picklist field, hiding the system 'Reason' field, and then using the Cascading Picklist extension to control the display of custom reason values based on the work item's state.
  45. What’s new in Azure DevOps Sprint 158Introduced a new rule to the inherited rules engine for Azure Boards that allows fields in a work item form to be hidden based on user group membership. Also added a preview of the Deployment control to the work item form, enabling users to link work items to releases and track deployments.
  46. Track the progress of work using Rollup columnsIntroduced the Rollup feature to Azure Boards backlog, allowing users to track the progress of parent work items (Epics, Features, User Stories) based on the state or aggregated fields of their descendant items. This includes out-of-the-box options for progress by work item count and sum of story points, as well as custom rollup configurations for numeric fields. Rollup calculations are based on parent-child relationships within the same project and leverage the Analytics service, with considerations for latency.
  47. What’s new in Azure DevOps Sprint 157This post introduces the Rollup feature for Azure Boards backlog, enabling tracking of parent item progress based on the closure percentage of descendant items. It also details enhancements for Azure Repos pull request reviewer policies, allowing multiple reviewers from a group and preventing self-approval. The ability to resolve work items via commits using keywords is now supported. For Azure Artifacts, SemVer wildcard syntax is available for getting the latest Universal Package. Azure Pipelines gains deeper service hook integration for YAML pipelines, enabling stage-specific triggers. Finally, Slack apps for Azure DevOps services now support @mentions in notifications.
  48. Get insights into your team’s health with Azure Boards ReportsIntroduced interactive Sprint Burndown, Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD), and Velocity reports within Azure Boards. The Sprint Burndown report now supports count of work items and displays additional metrics like percentage completed and average burndown. The CFD report offers control over time periods, board columns, and swimlines. The Velocity report allows monitoring across all backlog levels and configuration of the metric (e.g., sum of story points).
  49. What’s new in Azure DevOps Sprint 154Introduced instant search for work items, providing a list of recently accessed work items and full support for search syntax. Added live updates for work items, allowing immediate updates without refreshing when changes are made. Introduced the ability to view parent work item information as a configurable column on the backlog, allowing reordering of PBIs with Feature information in view.
  50. What’s new in Azure DevOps Sprint 153This post introduces the ability to embed queries with a tree of work items in a wiki page, allowing for the display of hierarchical work items like Epics and Features with their child Tasks and User Stories. It also adds GitHub annotations to the Kanban board, enabling quick viewing of linked GitHub commits, pull requests, or issues directly from the board. Furthermore, the functionality to copy work items has been enhanced to include attachments and links, and a preview for text files on work items is now available.
  51. Introducing Azure Boards to the GitHub MarketplaceThis post announces the availability of the Azure Boards app on the GitHub Marketplace, which simplifies the integration between Azure Boards and GitHub repositories. It details how to link GitHub commits, pull requests, and issues to Azure Boards work items using mention syntax (AB#[Work Item ID]) or manual linking. The integration aims to improve coordination and traceability for teams adopting Agile and DevOps practices.
  52. What’s new in Azure DevOps Sprint 150?Introduced a task assistant for editing YAML files in pipelines, providing a familiar experience for adding tasks similar to the classic editor. Also added the ability to share a team's board using a badge in Azure Boards, configurable to show 'In Progress columns' or 'all columns', and can be made public for open-source projects. General availability of Analytics features including Analytics Widgets (Burndown/Burnup, Cycle Time/Lead Time, Cumulative Flow Diagram, Velocity, Test Results Trend) and the top failing test report for pipelines.
  53. What’s new in Azure DevOps Sprint 149?This post introduces two new features for Azure Boards integration with GitHub: 1. The ability to navigate directly to Azure Boards work items from mentions in GitHub comments using the `AB#{work item ID}` syntax. 2. Support for connecting Azure Boards projects to repositories hosted in GitHub Enterprise Server instances, enabling linking between GitHub commits/pull requests and work items. Additionally, it mentions an increase in free tier pipeline run time to 60 minutes per job and optimizations for GitHub comment triggers.
  54. Edit and Delete Discussion Comments on the Work ItemThis post details the implementation of edit and delete functionality for comments within the work item discussion feature in Azure Boards. It highlights the user interface changes, including the appearance of edit and delete buttons on hover for owned comments, and the display of an '(edited)' watermark after an edit. The post also emphasizes that all edited and deleted comments are recorded in the work item's history tab for auditability.
  55. Azure Boards Project Paper CutsThis post introduces 'Project Paper Cuts' for Azure Boards, a focused initiative to address small usability issues and improve the day-to-day experience for users. Specific improvements shipped include: ordering states by process order instead of alphabetically, cleaning up inconsistent work item transition rules, auto-tagging of commenters and @mentions in work item comments, and enabling automatic live updates for all new boards by default. The post also invites user feedback via Developer Community and direct contact.
  56. New Basic Process Available in Azure DevOpsIntroduced a new 'Basic' process for Azure Boards, simplifying work item types to Epic, Issue, and Task, with a three-column state model (To Do, Doing, Done). Reduced the number of fields on work items to core essentials and simplified the hierarchy to two levels (Issues and Tasks, with optional Epics for grouping issues). This process retains core Azure DevOps functionality like Boards, Queries, Sprints, and Dashboards.
  57. New Advanced Text Editor on the Work Item Form in Azure DevOpsIntroduced a new rich text editor for work item forms in Azure Boards, replacing the previous basic text editor. This new editor supports advanced formatting such as bold, italics, underline, bulleted lists, numbered lists, highlighting, font color, emojis, indent control, strikethrough, headers, code snippets, and clearing formatting. It also supports inserting and resizing images, creating and removing links, and persists formatting when copying and pasting content from other sources like Excel. The editor auto-grows as text is typed and does not require full-screen mode. Additionally, it introduces @mentions for teammates, #mentions for work items, and !mentions for pull requests, along with new keyboard shortcuts for various formatting and linking actions. The underlying editor is open-source (roosterjs).
  58. Navigation Update for Azure DevOpsThis post details the transition of the new Azure DevOps navigation model from preview to the default experience. Key technical improvements include performance fixes, enhanced scrolling behaviors, stabilization of the left navigation, improved filtering and styling, and updates to the 'My Work' panel to include work items, pull requests, and favorites. A significant change is the direct navigation between Azure Boards artifacts (Boards, Backlogs, Sprints) for the same team, bypassing directory pages. Directory pages have been redesigned into four sections: 'Continue where you left off,' 'Favorites,' 'My,' and 'All' for improved organization and quick access. Dashboards will also adopt this directory page model. The rollout schedule indicates a mid-October 2018 enablement for all users, with an opt-out period until January 16th, 2019, after which the new model becomes mandatory. The next version of Azure DevOps Server will also ship with this new navigation as the default.
  59. The new work item formIntroduced a new work item form for Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) with a redesigned look and feel, improved readability, and a more structured layout. The new form provides more viewing area for History, Links, and Attachments. The discussion experience is now separate from history and supports @mentions and #id linking. Users can now delete work items via context menu or drag-and-drop to a recycle bin, with options to restore or permanently destroy them. The post also mentions upcoming features like integration with code (branches, pull requests, commits) and drag-and-drop for attachments.