Azure DevOps API Skill

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for working with the Azure DevOps REST API, enabling programmatic access to all Azure DevOps Services and Azure DevOps Server resources.

Overview

Azure DevOps REST API is a RESTful web API enabling you to access and manage work items, repositories, pipelines, test plans, artifacts, and more across all Azure DevOps services.

Base URL: https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/{area}/{resource}?api-version={version}

• Organization: Your Azure DevOps organization name
• Project: Project name (optional for org-level resources)
• API Version: Required on all requests (e.g., 7.1, 7.0, 6.0)
• Authentication: Personal Access Tokens (PAT), OAuth 2.0, or Azure AD

Quick Start

Authentication Requirements

Azure DevOps supports multiple authentication methods:

1. Personal Access Token (PAT) - Most common for scripts and integrations
2. OAuth 2.0 - For web applications
3. Azure Active Directory - For enterprise applications
4. SSH Keys - For Git operations only

Basic PAT Authentication

GET https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/_apis/projects?api-version=7.1
Authorization: Basic {base64-encoded-PAT}

To encode PAT: base64(":{PAT}") - Note the colon before the PAT.

Common Request Pattern

GET https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/{resource}?api-version=7.1
Authorization: Basic {encoded-PAT}
Content-Type: application/json

Core Services

Azure DevOps is organized into major service areas. Each area has its own set of REST APIs:

Azure Boards - Work Item Tracking

Work Items

• Create work item: POST /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/workitems/${type}?api-version=7.1
• Get work item: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/workitems/{id}?api-version=7.1
• Update work item: PATCH /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/workitems/{id}?api-version=7.1
• Delete work item: DELETE /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/workitems/{id}?api-version=7.1

Request body uses JSON Patch format:

[
  {
    "op": "add",
    "path": "/fields/System.Title",
    "value": "New bug report"
  },
  {
    "op": "add",
    "path": "/fields/System.AssignedTo",
    "value": "user@example.com"
  }
]

Queries

• Run stored query: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/wiql/{id}?api-version=7.1
• Run WIQL query: POST /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/wiql?api-version=7.1

  {
    "query": "SELECT [System.Id], [System.Title] FROM WorkItems WHERE [System.WorkItemType] = 'Bug' AND [System.State] = 'Active'"
  }
  

Boards & Backlogs

• Get boards: GET /{organization}/{project}/{team}/_apis/work/boards?api-version=7.1
• Get backlog items: GET /{organization}/{project}/{team}/_apis/work/backlogs/{backlogId}/workItems?api-version=7.1
• Get iterations: GET /{organization}/{project}/{team}/_apis/work/teamsettings/iterations?api-version=7.1
• Get capacity: GET /{organization}/{project}/{team}/_apis/work/teamsettings/iterations/{iterationId}/capacities?api-version=7.1

Work Item Types & Fields

• List work item types: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/workitemtypes?api-version=7.1
• List fields: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/fields?api-version=7.1
• Get field: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/fields/{fieldNameOrRefName}?api-version=7.1

Area & Iteration Paths

• Get areas: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/classificationnodes/areas?api-version=7.1
• Get iterations: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/classificationnodes/iterations?api-version=7.1
• Create area: POST /{organization}/{project}/_apis/wit/classificationnodes/areas?api-version=7.1

Azure Repos - Source Control

Git Repositories

• List repositories: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories?api-version=7.1
• Get repository: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}?api-version=7.1
• Create repository: POST /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories?api-version=7.1
• Delete repository: DELETE /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}?api-version=7.1

Commits

• Get commits: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}/commits?api-version=7.1
• Get commit: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}/commits/{commitId}?api-version=7.1
• Get commit changes: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}/commits/{commitId}/changes?api-version=7.1

Branches

• Get branches: GET /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}/refs?filter=heads/&api-version=7.1
• Create branch: POST /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}/refs?api-version=7.1
• Delete branch: `POST /{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{re

...