With the Azure DevOps integration, you can:
Connect to your Azure DevOps organization(s).
Use filters to find work items you want to import. Or, use a query you’ve built in Azure DevOps to find work items.
Import work items as sticky notes on the canvas.
Create new work items from sticky notes.
Some common use cases are to import work items onto a template to help with sprint planning, user story mapping, PI (program increment) planning, roadmap planning, big room planning, retrospectives, and more.
This article walks you through the setup required in Mural and in Azure DevOps. If you’re an admin and would like to enable this integration, check out our Azure DevOps admin guide here.
Contents
FAQ.
Use the integration to import work items as sticky notes
Ready to import your Azure DevOps work items into a mural as sticky notes? Let’s get started.
To import your work items as sticky notes:
Right-click on the canvas.
Select Import Azure DevOps from the context menu.
If it’s your first time connecting your Azure DevOps organization, follow the flow to grant permissions between Azure DevOps and Mural.
Paste your Azure DevOps organization URL to connect to your Azure DevOps organization.
Click Continue.
If it’s your first time connecting your Azure DevOps organization, follow the steps to give Mural permission to access your Azure DevOps organization on your behalf.
Select the checkboxes for each work item you want to import.
Click Import work items.
Now your work items have been imported into Mural as sticky notes!
Use the integration to create new work items from sticky notes
To create work items from sticky notes:
Select one or more sticky notes on your canvas.
Right-click the sticky note(s) to open the context menu.
Select Send to Azure DevOps.
Select the Organization and Project where you want to create new work items.
Select the type of work you want to create in the Type dropdown.
Click Add more fields in the bottom left of the modal.
Select the additional fields for your work items (for example, Area Path or Iteration Path).
After completing the fields, click Create work items.
Work items will be created in Azure DevOps for each sticky note. The sticky notes will also be converted to Azure DevOps work item sticky notes.
Choose attributes from Azure DevOps to import as tags
To select which attributes will import as tags from Azure DevOps:
Right-click on the canvas.
Select Import Azure DevOps from the context menu.
From the Azure DevOps import window, click Edit import.
In the Select fields to import section, select which work item attributes you want to import as tags on sticky notes. (You can also choose which size sticky note you want to use.)
Click the back ( < ) arrow to return to the import window. Your selections will be saved for the next time you import work items.
From the import window, select the work items you want to import. The attributes you added when customizing your import will be imported as tags on your sticky notes.
Note: If the attribute doesn't exist for a work item, no tag will be created.
Find work items using a query
You can run a query in Azure DevOps to find specific work items.
To find Azure DevOps work items using a query:
Right-click on the canvas.
Select Import Azure DevOps from the context menu.
Click the Queries dropdown in the Import window.
Select the query you want to run. Only queries from the selected Azure DevOps project will be in the list.
Note: Only queries that are a “Flat list of work items” are supported.
After the query runs, select which work items you want to import.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Azure DevOps:
Why don’t I see the “Import Azure DevOps” option when I right-click on the canvas?
If you’re on an Enterprise plan with Mural, your company admin needs to enable the integration. If you’re on a Business plan with SSO (single sign-on) enabled, reach out to Mural customer support to enable the integration.
When I try to import work items, I see a “Something went wrong” message. What does that mean?
Most likely, the Azure DevOps integration needs to be enabled:
If you’re on an Enterprise plan: an Azure DevOps admin needs to enable "Third party application access via OAuth" for your Azure DevOps organization. Our Azure DevOps admin guide will walk them through exactly how to enable third-party application access.
If you’re on a Business plan with SSO: Reach out to Mural customer support to enable the integration.
Can I use a cross-project query?
Yes, cross-project queries are supported.
Will the integration work if I have a custom hierarchy in Azure DevOps?
Yes, the integration supports a custom work item hierarchy.
A custom hierarchy in Azure DevOps means you've customized how work item types are related to each other. You may also have custom work item types. For example, your top-most work item type might be
Product Line. Below that, you may have defined your own work items types that fit your team’s or company’s workflow such asFeature,Epic,User Story, and so on.
When I import many work items, they’re arranged in three columns. How can I rearrange them?
It’s easy to rearrange your sticky notes. Of course, you’re free to drag and drop the sticky notes to organize in a way that works for you. Or, you can use the Arrange option in the toolbar.
To rearrange your sticky notes:
Select all imported work item sticky notes.
Right-click the selected sticky notes.
Select the Arrange icon in the toolbar.
Select how you want your sticky notes arranged: By Type, Into a Row, Into a Column, or In a Grid.
Why can’t I see all of the tags I imported on the sticky note?
When there are too many tags on a sticky or the text of the tags is long, they will collapse under a three-dot icon for a better viewing experience. To view the tags, click the three-dot icon in the bottom corner of the sticky note.
You can also make the sticky notes larger so that more tags are visible.
How can I organize my sticky notes after importing them?
Aside from using the Arrange function in the toolbar, you can also organize your sticky notes from the Find panel. One popular option is to organize imported sticky notes by tags or work item titles.
To organize your sticky notes using the Find panel:
Click the Find icon in the top right of your mural.
Select the checkbox for the tag you want to filter by. (For this integration, State and Work item type are imported as tags on the sticky note.)
Alternatively, you can enter the work item title in the search bar.
You can now Shift + click + drag as if you're selecting all of your sticky notes; only the filtered sticky notes will be selected! From there, you can organize the sticky notes into an area, row, grid, smiley face, or whatever works best for you.
Can I connect to more than one Azure DevOps organization?
Yes! You can connect to as many Azure DevOps organizations as you’d like. Each time you import work items from Azure DevOps into your mural, you can open the drop-down menu to choose which Azure DevOps organization you’d like to import from.
To add and connect to another Azure DevOps organization:
Click your avatar to open user options.
Select Get apps.
Select Integrations in the left sidebar.
Click the three-dot icon on the Azure DevOps card.
Select Manage settings.
Click Add organization to add another Azure DevOps organization.
Enter the URL of the Azure DevOps organization you want to connect to.
Click Continue.
After authenticating with Azure DevOps, you’ll be connected to the organization.
How do I disconnect from an Azure DevOps organization?
To disconnect from an Azure DevOps organization:
Click your avatar to open user options.
Select Get apps.
Select Integrations in the left sidebar.
Click the three-dot icon on the Azure DevOps card.
Select Manage settings.
Click Disconnect next to the organization that you want to disconnect from. If you’d like to delete the organization permanently, click the trash bin icon.
What Mural plan do I need to be able to create new work items from sticky notes?
In order to create new work items from sticky notes, you'll need a paid Mural plan. Choose your Mural plan here.