Guides
Guides on pull requests, branch policies, code review and AI coding agents in Azure DevOps.
Coding agent for Azure DevOps: what matters
See what exists for Azure DevOps today, what Microsoft offers, and which criteria to use when choosing AI for pull requests.
AI coding agents in regulated companies
What to look for in AI coding agents in Azure DevOps: data path, identities, branch policies, review, logging and open compliance questions.
How to assess AI review comments correctly
How to assess AI review comments in Azure Repos: spot noise, triage false positives and build trust sensibly.
Measure PR cycle time without monitoring your team
Learn which PR metrics in Azure DevOps are useful, where the data comes from, and how to use it to improve processes rather than assess individuals.
Static analysis as a PR quality gate in Azure Pipelines
How to use analyzers, .editorconfig, Build Validation and status checks in Azure DevOps as a reliable quality gate for pull requests.
Code review checklist for .NET pull requests
A practical checklist for pull requests in .NET teams using Azure Repos and Azure Pipelines – from tests to branch policies.
AI code review for Azure Repos: options and costs
Find out which AI options exist for Azure Repos, where their limits lie, and which cost and review factors matter for pull requests.
Automating code reviews: what machines can check
Find out what tools and AI can reliably check in a pull request – and what should deliberately remain a human task in Azure DevOps.
Implementing the four-eyes principle in Azure Repos
How to implement segregation of duties for pull requests in Azure Repos in a practical, auditable way using Branch Policies.
Branch policies as code in Azure DevOps
Learn how to set, check and review changes to branch policies in Azure DevOps consistently using the CLI or REST API.
How to properly restrict bypass policies in Azure DevOps
Learn how to tightly restrict bypass permissions in Azure DevOps, handle emergencies properly and review policy overrides in a traceable way.
Reset reviewer votes on pushes
What options Azure Repos offers for reviewer votes on new pushes, how they work, and when each setting makes sense.
Open threads block the merge in Azure Repos
See when comment resolution blocks a merge, how thread statuses count, and which team rules make sense in Azure Repos.
Setting up build validation for pull requests
How to set up build validation for pull requests in Azure Pipelines: branch policy, triggers, process, expiration and practical guidance.
Using mandatory reviewers properly in Azure Repos
Learn how mandatory reviewers and automatically added reviewers work together in Azure Repos, and where the common pitfalls lie.
Branch Policies in Azure DevOps explained
Find out which branch policies Azure DevOps offers, how they work together, and which baseline often makes sense for main.
Using PR status in Azure DevOps as a policy
Learn how pull request status works as a policy in Azure DevOps, when it is mandatory and what it is suitable for.
Pull requests via REST API in Azure DevOps
Learn how to read pull requests in Azure DevOps via REST API, comment on threads and fit votes cleanly into existing rules.
Service Hooks for Pull Requests in Azure DevOps
See which pull request events Azure DevOps can send and how to connect recipients securely, robustly and idempotently.
Azure Repos: Who can push, merge and bypass rules
See which permissions in Azure Repos control push, merge and policy bypass, and how to keep rights, groups and automation cleanly separated.
Azure Repos or GitHub: decision criteria
Get practical decision criteria for Azure Repos or GitHub in Microsoft environments: governance, AI features, migration and operations.
Linking work items to pull requests
How to link work items, commits and pull requests in Azure DevOps clearly and traceably, with branch policies and notes on audit and reporting.
How large should a pull request be?
Learn how to spot pull requests that are too large, split changes sensibly, and understand the Azure DevOps limits that affect reviews.
Resolving merge conflicts in Azure Repos
How to resolve merge conflicts in Azure Repos in the browser or locally, and avoid them with small branches and frequent integration.