How can I import tasks and link them to a user story

Question

How can I import tasks and link them to a user story

Bethanne Mcfadden 0

I want to import tasks via a .csv and link to an existing user story, how do I do it.

Pashikanti Kumar 1,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-26T19:08:46.66+00:00

Hi Bethanne Mcfadden,

I hope the provided answer is helpful, please "Upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.

Thanks
Pashikanti Kumar 1,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-29T20:07:58.03+00:00

Hi Bethanne Mcfadden,

I hope the provided answer is helpful, please "Upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.

Thanks
Pashikanti Kumar 1,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-30T19:28:06.08+00:00

Hi Bethanne Mcfadden,

I hope the provided answer is helpful, please "Upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.

Thanks

2 answers

Your answer

Pashikanti Kumar 1,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-26T19:08:46.66+00:00

Hi Bethanne Mcfadden,

I hope the provided answer is helpful, please "Upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.

Thanks
Pashikanti Kumar 1,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-29T20:07:58.03+00:00

Hi Bethanne Mcfadden,

I hope the provided answer is helpful, please "Upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.

Thanks
Pashikanti Kumar 1,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-30T19:28:06.08+00:00

Hi Bethanne Mcfadden,

I hope the provided answer is helpful, please "Upvote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.

Thanks

Answer 1

Hello Bethanne Mcfadden,

Thank you for your question. Importing tasks from a CSV file and automatically linking them to an existing user story is a powerful feature in Azure DevOps for managing your backlog efficiently.

The process involves creating a specifically formatted CSV file where you identify the existing user story and then list the new tasks directly beneath it. Azure DevOps interprets this structure as a parent-child relationship during the import process.

Here is a step-by-step guide to achieve this.

Step 1: Get the ID of the Existing User Story

First, you need the unique ID of the user story you want to link the new tasks to. You can find this ID by simply opening the user story in Azure DevOps Boards. Note this ID number down.

Step 2: Prepare Your CSV File

This is the most critical step. Your CSV file must be structured in a specific way to create the parent-child link.

The first row in your group will represent the existing parent User Story. You only need to provide its ID and Work Item Type.

The subsequent rows will be for the new Tasks you are importing. You do not need to provide an ID for these, as Azure DevOps will assign new ones. You only need to provide the Work Item Type and a Title for each new task.

Create a CSV file with the following columns and structure. Let's assume your existing User Story has an ID of 12345.

ID	Work Item Type	Title
12345	User Story
12345	User Story
	Task	Design the database schema
	Task	Create the API endpoints
	Task	Develop the user interface

Important Notes on the CSV Structure:

Parent First: The parent work item (User Story) must be the first item in the group.

Child Items Follow: The new child work items (Tasks) must immediately follow the parent.

Title Column: The Title for the parent User Story row can be left blank because you are only referencing it by its ID. You only need to provide titles for the new tasks you are creating.

Other Columns: You can add other columns as needed for your tasks, such as Assigned To, Area Path, Iteration Path, Description, and Activity (e.g., Development, Testing).

Example of a more detailed CSV:

ID	Work Item Type	Title	Assigned To	Activity
12345	User Story
12345	User Story
	Task	Design the database schema	******@company.com	Design
	Task	Create the API endpoints	******@company.com	Development
	Task	Develop the user interface	******@company.com	Development

Step 3: Import the CSV File into Azure DevOps

Once your CSV file is ready, you can import it through the Queries section of Azure DevOps.

Navigate to your project in Azure DevOps.

In the left-hand menu, go to Boards > Queries.

Click on the "Import Work Items" button, which is usually located near the top of the page.

In the dialog box that appears, click "Choose file" and select the CSV file you created.

Click Import.

Azure DevOps will show you a preview of the work items that will be created. You will see your new tasks listed.

Click the "Save items" button to complete the import.

Azure DevOps will now create the new tasks and automatically link them as children to the existing user story (ID 12345). You can verify this by opening the user story and checking the "Related Work" section.

This method allows you to quickly populate your backlog with a structured set of tasks for any existing user story.

Best Regards,

Jerald Felix

Espo 0 Reputation points

2026-10-13T17:45:40.82+00:00

I wanted this to work, but it didn't (for me). I get an error that Empty field value line 2 column 3.
If I populate just the title (in addition to the ID and type) for the parent item it seems to want to work (Import screen looks good) but it wants to wipe all of the fields for my existing Feature (In my case I am creating User Stories under an existing Feature)

If I use the Parent column (instead of the ID column) that doesn't seem to do anything for linking.

Answer 2

Hi Bethanne Mcfadden,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum

To import tasks from a .csv file and link them to an existing user story in Azure DevOps, you can follow these steps:

Steps to Import Tasks and Link Them to a User Story

1. Prepare Your CSV File

Ensure your .csv file contains the necessary columns for the tasks you want to import. Common columns include:

a. Title: The name of the task.

b. Work Item Type: Set this to Task.

c. Parent: The ID of the user story you want to link the task to.

d. Description: (Optional) A description of the task.

e. Assigned To: (Optional) The user to whom the task is assigned.

Example CSV structure:

Work Item Type Title Parent

Task Task 1 12345

Task Task 2 12345

Replace 12345 with the ID of the user story you want to link the tasks to.

2. Install the Azure DevOps Work Item Import Tool

Azure DevOps does not natively support CSV imports, but you can use the Excel Add-in or third-party tools like Azure DevOps Migration Tools

Alternatively, you can use the Excel integration provided by Azure DevOps

3. Import Using Excel

Open Excel and connect it to your Azure DevOps project:

a. Go to Team > New List (if the Azure DevOps plugin is installed).

b. Sign in to Azure DevOps and select your project.

Paste the contents of your .csv file into the Excel sheet.
Ensure the Parent column is correctly mapped to the ID of the user story.

Save and publish the changes back to Azure DevOps.

I hope the provided answer is helpful,

Please "Up Vote" if the information helped you. This will help us and others in the community as well.

Thanks