The Email to Work Item add-in revolutionizes how engineering teams, project managers, and support organizations handle email-based requests by enabling direct work item creation from Outlook emails with comprehensive project integration and complete context preservation.

📖 Getting Started: Quick Start Guide | 📚 Need Help? Help Documentation | 💬 Contact Us: Support

🚀 Core Capabilities

One-Click Work Item Creation - Transform emails into trackable Azure DevOps work items with a single button click

AI-Powered Email Analysis - Google Gemini AI automatically generates structured summaries and action items from email content

Complete User Control - Review and edit all AI-generated content before creating work items

Automatic Content Extraction - Email subject becomes work item title, body becomes description with preserved HTML formatting

Complete Email Preservation - Original email attached as .EML file maintaining full context, formatting, and thread history

Smart Organization - Automatic discovery of your Azure DevOps organizations and projects

Seamless Authentication - Microsoft Single Sign-On (SSO) with Nested App Authentication for secure access

🤖 AI Features & Safety Compliance

✅ Intelligent Summarization: AI creates structured work item descriptions with summaries and action items

✅ User Control: All AI-generated content is clearly labeled and can be reviewed/edited before submission

✅ Optional Usage: Skip AI processing and use basic email content if preferred

✅ In-App Reporting: Click "⚠️ Report Inappropriate Content" button to flag problematic AI output

✅ Privacy Protected: Secure AI processing with user privacy maintained throughout

✅ Continuous Monitoring: Reports reviewed to improve AI quality and safety

⚠️ Report Inappropriate AI Content: If you encounter inappropriate, offensive, biased, or inaccurate AI content, click the report button in the app or contact support.

Who Benefits from This Add-in:

Development Teams - Convert bug reports and feature requests from emails into trackable work items with complete context

Project Managers - Streamline intake processes by capturing stakeholder requests directly from email communications

Support Teams - Transform customer issues into actionable development tasks while maintaining the email audit trail

Product Owners - Capture stakeholder feedback and convert to well-formatted backlog items with preserved email context

DevOps Engineers - Maintain complete traceability from customer communication to development work

Key Features & Capabilities:

🔧 Complete Azure DevOps Integration

Multi-Organization Support - Seamlessly work across multiple Azure DevOps organizations

Multi-Project Access - Switch between projects within your organization

Dynamic Work Item Types - Support for Bug, Task, User Story, Feature, and Epic work items

Team Member Assignment - Assign work items to specific team members during creation

Area Path Organization - Organize work items within your project's hierarchical area structure

Iteration Planning - Assign work items to specific sprints or keep in backlog

📋 Advanced Work Item Management

Auto-Population - Email content automatically fills title and description fields (editable before creation)

Email Preservation - Original emails attached as .EML files with full formatting, headers, and metadata

Parent Work Item Linking - Create proper hierarchical relationships (link tasks to user stories, bugs to features)

HTML Formatting Preserved - Rich text formatting from emails maintained in work item descriptions

Direct Work Item Links - Instant access to created work items via direct Azure DevOps links

🔐 Enterprise-Ready Security

Microsoft SSO Authentication - Secure single sign-on using your existing Microsoft 365 credentials

Nested App Authentication (NAA) - Optimized security model specifically designed for Office add-ins

Delegated Permissions - Add-in acts on your behalf with your existing Azure DevOps permissions

No Data Storage - Email content is transmitted directly to Azure DevOps without local storage

HTTPS Encryption - All API communication uses secure HTTPS connections

⚡ Streamlined User Experience

One-Click Access - Single button in Outlook ribbon labeled "Create Work Item"

Contextual Interface - Side panel interface keeps email visible while creating work items

Smart Defaults - Remembers last used organization and project for faster access

Real-Time Validation - Form validation ensures all required fields are completed before submission

Success Confirmation - Immediate confirmation with direct link to created work item

Keyboard Navigation - Full keyboard support with Tab navigation and shortcuts

Common Use Cases:

Bug Reports: Customer emails about software issues become trackable bugs with complete context, proper assignment, and the original email preserved as evidence.

Feature Requests: Stakeholder suggestions transform into user stories with detailed descriptions, linked to appropriate parent features or epics for better organization.

Support Escalations: Critical customer issues become high-priority tasks with structured problem descriptions, assigned to the right team members, and linked to current sprint iterations.

Project Planning: Meeting follow-ups and action items from emails become organized tasks within sprint iterations with proper team assignments.

Customer Feedback: Email threads with customer suggestions are converted into backlog items with the complete email context preserved for future reference.

Compliance & Audit Trails: Maintain complete traceability from customer communication to delivered work items with preserved email attachments for regulatory compliance.

Technical Requirements:

Outlook Platform: Outlook Desktop (Windows/Mac) or Outlook Web - Mobile not supported

Microsoft 365: Business or Enterprise license (personal accounts not supported)

Azure DevOps: Active organization with Contributor or higher permissions

Internet Connection: Required for Azure DevOps API communication

Browser (Web Only): Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari (latest versions)

Admin Deployment: Must be deployed by Microsoft 365 administrator through Admin Center

Installation & Deployment:

This add-in requires deployment by your organization's Microsoft 365 administrator:

Admin Access: Microsoft 365 Admin Center → Settings → Integrated apps

Deploy Add-in: Search for "Email to Work Item" and deploy

Choose Scope: Deploy to entire organization or specific users/groups

Wait for Propagation: Allow 4-24 hours for deployment to complete

User Setup: Users sign in with Microsoft work account on first use

📖 Detailed Instructions: See our Quick Start Guide for complete deployment and setup instructions.

What the Add-in Does NOT Do:

❌ Does not edit existing work items (view/edit in Azure DevOps web interface)

❌ Does not extract individual email attachments (preserved in .EML file only)

❌ Does not support custom work item types (standard types only)

❌ Does not work on mobile devices (desktop/web only)

❌ Does not support on-premises Azure DevOps Server (cloud-only)

❌ Does not create work items in bulk (one email at a time)

Privacy & Data Security:

✅ Uses Microsoft's secure authentication (SSO with NAA)

✅ No email content stored locally by the add-in

✅ All communication encrypted via HTTPS

✅ Delegated permissions - add-in acts within your existing Azure DevOps access

✅ No telemetry or usage analytics collected

✅ Session-based authentication expires when Outlook closes

✅ Complies with enterprise data privacy and security requireme

Email to Work Item

Autor: Innova-Apps