| title | Get Started as a Project Administrator |
|---|---|
| titleSuffix | Azure DevOps |
| description | Learn how to structure a project, manage users, and more to support your software development teams in Azure DevOps. |
| ms.subservice | azure-devops-new-user |
| ms.author | chcomley |
| author | chcomley |
| ms.topic | concept-article |
| monikerRange | <= azure-devops |
| ms.date | 05/05/2025 |
[!INCLUDE version-lt-eq-azure-devops.md]
With most Azure DevOps Services, you can start using the service and configure resources as you go. No up-front work is required. Most settings define defaults.
If you created a project or you're added to the Project Administrators group, get familiar with the administrative tasks you're charged with. There are a few tasks you might want to do to ensure a smooth operational experience.
[!INCLUDE prerequisites-project-administrator-only]
Note
This article provides an overview of tasks a member of the Project Administrators group should review and attend to. For information on tasks to be performed by members of the Project Collection Administrators group, see Manage your organization or project collection.
[!INCLUDE add-users-project]
[!INCLUDE share-project-vision]
[!INCLUDE enable-remove-services]
Permissions and security groups control access to specific tasks. To quickly understand the defaults configured for your project, see Default permissions and access.
[!INCLUDE project-level-permissions]
For more information about security and setting permissions at the project-level, review the following articles:
[!INCLUDE add-project-administrators]
Permissions are managed at the following three levels and through role-based assignments:
- object
- project
- organization or collection
As a member of the Project Administrators group, you can grant or restrict permissions for all objects at the project-level. To delegate specific tasks to others, a good approach is to add the users to a built-in or custom security group, or add them to a specific role. For more information, see the following articles:
- Use role-based permissions
- Add/remove users or groups, manage security groups
- Manage access to specific features and functions
- Set object-level permissions
[!INCLUDE review-notifications]
[!INCLUDE determine-traceability-requirements]
Set policies to support collaboration across your teams and automatically remove obsolete files. To set policies that govern Azure Repos, Azure Pipelines, and Azure Test Plans, review the following articles:
- Manage branch policies
- Add Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) check-in policies
- Set build and release pipeline retention policies
- Set test retention policies
You can configure and customize Azure Boards to support many business requirements for planning and tracking work. At a minimum, you should configure the following elements:
- Area paths to group work items by team, product, or feature area
- Iteration paths to group work into sprints, milestones, or other event-specific or time-related periods
If you're new to Azure Boards and want an in-depth overview of what you can configure and customize, see Configure and customize Azure Boards.
[!INCLUDE define-area-iteration-paths]
[!INCLUDE customize-work-tracking]
Azure DevOps supports integration with Azure, GitHub, and many other services. As a member of the Project Administrators group, you can configure integration with many of these services. For more information, see the following articles.
| Service integration | Resources |
|---|---|
| Azure DevOps and GitHub | Azure DevOps and GitHub integration overview |
| Azure Boards and GitHub | Azure Boards and GitHub integration |
| Microsoft Teams | - Azure Boards with Microsoft Teams - Azure Repos with Microsoft Teams - Azure Pipelines with Microsoft Teams |
| Slack | - Azure Boards with Slack - Azure Repos with Slack - Azure Pipelines with Slack |
| Azure DevOps service hooks | Integrate with service hooks |
[!INCLUDE add-teams-to-scale]