🚀 Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with Work Item Twins in under 5 minutes.

📝 What This Extension Does: Synchronize work items between different Azure DevOps project boards. Create twins with one click, and changes sync automatically when you save either work item.

🎉 Free Trial: Start with a 7-day free trial to explore all features. No credit card required. After the trial, an annual subscription is required for continued use.

Before You Start

✅ Requirements

Azure DevOps: Services (cloud) or Server 2019+
Permissions: Contributor or higher on both source and target projects
Browser: Any modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
Installation: Extension must be installed by organization admin from Visual Studio Marketplace

Installation (For Admins)

Access Visual Studio Marketplace

Go to Work Item Twins on Visual Studio Marketplace

Install Extension

Click "Get it free"
Select your Azure DevOps organization
Click "Install"

Start Using

The extension is immediately available in all projects. Users can start creating twins right away.

Creating Your First Twin

Open a Work Item

Navigate to any work item in Azure DevOps that you want to sync with another project.

Open Work Item Twins Panel

Look for the "Work Item Twins" button in the work item toolbar (at the top of the work item form). Click it to open the panel.

Configure Twin Settings

Target Project: Select the project where you want to create the twin
Work Item Type: Select the work item type (same as source)
Parent (Optional): Search for a parent work item in the target project

Choose Fields to Sync

By default, all editable fields are selected
Optionally exclude State if you want different workflow states
Optionally exclude Assigned To if different people own each twin

Create the Twin

Click "Create Twin Work Item". The twin will be created in the target project, and both work items will be tagged with "Work Item Twin".

✓ Done! Your twin is now created. From now on, changes sync automatically when you save either work item. Use the "Manual Sync" button anytime for on-demand synchronization.

Daily Usage

Automatic Synchronization

Once twins are linked, synchronization happens automatically:

Edit either twin work item as normal
When you save, the extension detects the change
Fields are synchronized to the other twin automatically
A 5-second buffer prevents sync loops

Manual Synchronization

If you need to force a sync:

Open the Work Item Twins panel on either twin
Click the "Manual Sync" button
The extension compares timestamps and syncs from the newer to the older item

Navigate to Twin

To quickly jump to the linked twin:

Open the Work Item Twins panel
Click "Navigate to Twin"
The twin work item opens in a new tab

Tips & Best Practices

🎯 Same Type Required

Twins must be the same work item type (e.g., User Story to User Story, Bug to Bug).

📋 Check the Tag

Work items with twins are tagged "Work Item Twin" - use this in queries to find all twins.

⚙️ Exclude State Wisely

Exclude State if your projects have different workflows or you want independent status tracking.

🔄 Trust Auto-Sync

Let automatic sync do the work. Only use Manual Sync when you specifically need to force an update.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

📚 Read the full documentation
💡 Use the "Request a Feature" button in the extension panel
📧 Contact support at support@innovaapps.ai