1. How SQAI Searches Azure DevOps
A common misconception is that when you connect Azure DevOps, SQAI downloads and "memorizes" your entire organization. For enterprise environments with thousands of work items and constant updates, this would be inefficient and create security risks regarding stale data.
Instead, SQAI performs Live Retrieval using WIQL (Work Item Query Language). Here is a simplified breakdown of the process:
Intent Detection: You ask a question (e.g., "What are my active bugs in Azure Boards?").
Query Generation: The Azure Boards Agent in SQAI converts your natural language prompt into a WIQL query in the background.
Live Execution: It executes this query against your live Azure DevOps instance.
Data Retrieval: SQAI reads only the content of the work items returned by that specific query to formulate an answer.
⚠️ Warning: If the WIQL query doesn't find the work item or returns no results, SQAI's Agents cannot read or analyze its content.
2. Search Filters
Because of this workflow, your prompt acts as a search filter. If your prompt is too vague, the generated WIQL query might be too broad or miss the specific attributes needed to surface the right items. To ensure success, include specific "anchors" that help the Agent narrow down the search:
Work Item Types: Specify if you want
Bugs,User Stories,Tasks, orEpics.IDs: Reference a specific Work Item ID (e.g., #1234) for instant retrieval.
State: Filter by current status (e.g.,
New,Active,Closed).Assigned To: Specify the owner (e.g., "assigned to @me").
Area or Iteration Paths: Define the specific project team or sprint (e.g., "Sprint 5" or "Billing Team").
3. Effective Prompting Strategies
Use these scenarios to structure prompts that help SQAI generate high-quality WIQL queries.
Scenario A: Searching by Assigned User (Recommended) "Show me all Azure Boards work items where [System.AssignedTo] = @joshbrolin that haven't been updated this week."
Scenario B: Targeting a Specific Project and State "In Azure Boards, find all high-priority bugs in the 'Mobile' project that are currently in the 'Active' state."
Scenario C: Broad Keyword Retrieval "Retrieve all user stories from Azure Boards related to the 'onboarding flow' and summarize their current progress."
4. Advanced Troubleshooting: Mind Your "Domain Language"
WIQL is precise and searches for exact matches; it does not natively understand company-specific synonyms.
The Problem: Your team uses "Production Bug," "Live Issue," and "P0" interchangeably.
The Risk: If you ask: "Find Production Bugs," the Agent generates a query for that exact string and will miss items titled "Live Issue".
The Fix: Explicitly tell SQAI to look for synonyms by using "OR" logic in your prompt to broaden the generated WIQL scope.
Prompt: "Search Azure Boards for items with 'Production Bug' OR 'Live Issue' in the title and list the latest comments."
5. Still Stuck?
If you are still having trouble retrieving specific content:
Check Permissions: Ensure the SQAI integration user (or the service account used) has read access to the specific Project or Area Path in Azure DevOps.
Verify IDs: Does the Work Item ID actually exist in the connected instance?
Refresh the Agent: If you recently changed permissions or added data, use the 'New' button to start a fresh conversation and refresh the integration state.