| ms.topic | include |
|---|---|
| ms.author | chcomley |
| author | chcomley |
| ms.date | 07/30/2025 |
The following fields and tabs appear in most work items. Each tab is used to track specific information. Commonly used tabs include :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-history-tab-wi.png"::: History, :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-links-tab-wi.png"::: Links, and :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-attachments-tab-wi.png"::: Attachments.
The only required field for all work item types is Title. When you save a work item, the system assigns a unique identifier, ID. The form highlights required fields in yellow. For information about other fields, see Work item field index.
Note
Other fields might be required depending on customizations made to your process and project.
:::row::: :::column span="1"::: Field or 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 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, or leave blank and complete the assignment later. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: State :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: When you first create a work item, the State field automatically shows the first state in the workflow, such as New or Unassigned. As work progresses, update the State to reflect the current status of the work item. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: Reason :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: When you first create a work item, set the default Reason value, such as Created or New work item. As the State changes for the work item, update the Reason value accordingly. Each State for the work item is associated with a default Reason value. :::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 and enter an appropriate value later. You can change the dropdown list of available areas. For more information, 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 to complete the work item, or leave blank and assign the value later. You can change the dropdown list of iterations. For more information, see Define iteration paths (sprints) and configure team iterations. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-history-tab-wi.png"::: History tab :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: View the work item History to see all changes made to the item, as captured by the system. Each time a work item is updated, the details are appended to the history. You see the change date, the change author, and the list of updated fields. You can also add formatted text to the History field. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-links-tab-wi.png"::: Links tab :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Add Links to create connections with other work items. Many kinds of links are supported, such as hyperlinks, changesets, source files, and more. Specify the relationship of the linked item to the work item, such as Parent, Found in Build, or Test Result. :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column span="1"::: :::image type="icon" source="../backlogs/media/icon-attachments-tab-wi.png"::: Attachments tab :::column-end::: :::column span="3"::: Use Attachments to include supporting information about the work item with the item. Attach email threads, documents, images, log files, or other file types. :::column-end::: :::row-end:::