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Create child tasks automatically in Azure DevOps

  • Azure DevOps
  • Automation
  • Parent & Child
Create child tasks automatically flow overview
Overview of the flow for automatically creating child tasks.

When a User Story is created, create child Tasks via stacked Create Work Item steps in Azure DevOps.

Set the work item types and task titles to match your process before you enable it. You can start from this gallery template or rebuild the same three Create Work Item steps from scratch.

Prerequisite: Install Automations App on your Azure DevOps organization

Install from Marketplace Complete organization setup

Create an automation from the Create child tasks automatically template, or start from scratch
Go to Project → Automations → Create automation from template Create child tasks automatically or Start from scratch.
Trigger

Trigger — Work Item Created

This trigger activates when a new work item, specifically a User Story, is created in your project. It sets the automation in motion, prompting the creation of child tasks.

Configured in this template

  • Work item types: User Story

You can customize

  • Change the work item type to another type like Bug or Feature if needed.
  • Add conditions to trigger only for specific tags or areas.
Create child tasks automatically trigger
Trigger setup for when a User Story is created.
Action

Action — Create Work Item

This action creates a new work item, which is a child of the triggered User Story. It sets the title to 'Design' followed by the User Story's title.

Configured in this template

  • Work item type: all (no filter)
  • Link to trigger: Child of trigger
  • Field values: Title = Design: {trigger.Title}

You can customize

  • Modify the title to suit your project's naming conventions.
  • Set additional field values like priority or assigned user.
Create child tasks automatically action 1
Action to create a 'Design' task as a child of the User Story.
Action

Action — Create Work Item

This action generates another child work item titled 'Implement', linked to the original User Story.

Configured in this template

  • Work item type: all (no filter)
  • Link to trigger: Child of trigger
  • Field values: Title = Implement: {trigger.Title}

You can customize

  • Adjust the title to reflect different phases like 'Development'.
  • Include additional fields such as estimated time.
Create child tasks automatically action 2
Action to create an 'Implement' task as a child of the User Story.
Action

Action — Create Work Item

The final action creates a 'Test' task, completing the set of child tasks for the User Story.

Configured in this template

  • Work item type: all (no filter)
  • Link to trigger: Child of trigger
  • Field values: Title = Test: {trigger.Title}

You can customize

  • Rename the task to match specific testing phases.
  • Add fields like test environment or test cases.
Create child tasks automatically action 3
Action to create a 'Test' task as a child of the User Story.

Full automation

Create child tasks automatically full automation
Full view of the automation flow creating child tasks for a User Story.

Common questions

How do I create child tasks automatically in Azure DevOps?
When a User Story is created, create child Tasks via stacked Create Work Item steps in Azure DevOps. Use the Create child tasks automatically template in Documentero Automations: open Templates, pick this flow, fill the required fields, and enable it.
What fields are required to enable this automation?
You need to set the work item types and task titles for each 'Create Work Item' action.
Can I change the work item types for the child tasks?
Yes, you can customize the work item types to fit your project's needs, such as changing them to Bug or Feature.
How can I test this automation?
Create a User Story in your project to see if the child tasks are generated as expected. Adjust settings if necessary.
Is it possible to schedule when the tasks are created?
This template runs when a User Story is created. Use a Schedule trigger if you need it to run on a timer instead.

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When a child is created, add tags from its parent. Tags already on the child stay. Boards already inherit Area and Iteration — add other fields here if you need them.

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When a child leaves Completed (Closed or Done), set the parent back to In progress (Active, Committed, Doing, …). Pairs with Close parent when all children are completed.

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When a child moves to Completed (Closed or Done), if all siblings are also Completed, set the parent to Completed for its work item type.