common-work-item-fields.md

ms.topic	include
ms.author	chcomley
author	chcomley
ms.date	06/07/2023

Definitions for common work tracking fields

The following fields and tabs appear in most work items. Each tab gets used to track specific information, such as :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-history-tab-wi.png" border="false"::: History, :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-links-tab-wi.png" border="false"::: Links, or :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-attachments-tab-wi.png" border="false"::: Attachments. These three tabs provide a history of changes, view of linked work items, and ability to view and attach files.

The only required field for all work item types is Title. When you save a work item, the system assigns it a unique ID. The form highlights required field in yellow. For information about other fields, see Work item field index.

Note

Additional fields may be required depending on customizations made to your process and project.

:::row::: :::column span="1"::: Field/tab :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Usage :::column-end::: :::row-end:::

:::row::: :::column span="1"::: Title :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Enter a description of 255 characters or less. You can always modify the title later. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Assigned To :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Assign the work item to the team member responsible for performing the work. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: State :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: When the work item is created, the State defaults to the first state in the workflow. As work progresses, update it to reflect the current state. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Reason :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Use the default first. Update it when you change state. Each State is associated with a default reason. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Area :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Choose the area path associated with the product or team, or leave blank until assigned during a planning meeting. To change the dropdown list of areas, see Define area paths and assign to a team. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Iteration :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Choose the sprint or iteration in which the work is to be completed, or leave it blank and assign it later, during a planning meeting. To change the drop-down list of iterations, see Define iteration paths (sprints) and configure team iterations. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: (History) :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Review the audit trail that the system captures and capture additional information.

Every time that the work item is updated, information is appended to the history. History includes the date of the change, who made the change, and which fields were changed. You can also add formatted text to the history field. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: (Links) :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Add all types of links, such as hyperlinks, changesets, source files, and so on.

This tab also lists all links defined for the work item. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: (Attachments) :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Share more detailed information by adding files to the work item, such as email threads, documents, images, log files, or other file types. :::column-end::: :::row-end:::