What Are Azure DevOps Templates and How Do You Use Them?

What are Azure DevOps Templates?

Azure DevOps Templates are reusable pieces of configurations or predefined settings that help automate and standardize tasks across your DevOps workflows.
Depending on your focus—pipelines, work items, releases, or entire projects—templates simplify repetitive tasks and boost productivity.

They help implement the DRY principle (Don’t Repeat Yourself), ensuring consistency across different teams and projects.

What are Pipeline Templates (YAML) in Azure DevOps?

Pipeline Templates are pieces of YAML code designed to make CI/CD pipelines reusable and modular.

Instead of repeating the same steps in multiple pipelines, you define the tasks once in a .yml template and include it wherever needed.

parameters:
  - name: buildConfiguration
    default: 'Release'
jobs:
- job: Build
  pool:
    vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
  steps:
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      inputs:
        command: 'build'
        projects: '**/*.csproj'
        arguments: '--configuration ${{ parameters.buildConfiguration }}'

trigger:
- main

extends:
  template: build-template.yml
  parameters:
    buildConfiguration: 'Debug'

What are Work Item Templates in Azure DevOps?

Work Item Templates are used to prefill common fields when creating work items like:

• User Stories
• Bugs
• Tasks

You can preset fields like Title, Description, Tags, and Areas to standardize the backlog item creation process.

What are Release Templates in Azure DevOps (Classic Pipelines)?

If you’re still using the Classic Release Pipelines UI, Release Templates allow you to clone and reuse:

• Environments
• Stages
• Deployment tasks

By creating a Release Template, you avoid setting up each release manually, ensuring consistency in your deployment process.

Although YAML pipelines are the modern standard, many enterprises still use classic releases for older systems.

What are Project Templates in Azure DevOps?

Project Templates refer to setting up a baseline DevOps project that already includes:

1. Preconfigured Repositories
2. Work Item Types
3. Pipelines
4. Boards

Organizations often use automation scripts (like ARM or Bicep templates) to deploy these pre-built project structures for new teams.

This approach:

• Saves setup time
• Ensures all teams start with the same quality standards
• Reduces onboarding issues

What are the Common Benefits of Using Azure DevOps Templates?

Templates in Azure DevOps offer several critical advantages:

1. DRY Principle: Avoid redundant tasks by reusing templates.
2. Easier Updates: Update the template once, and all referencing pipelines/projects inherit the changes.
3. Consistency: Standardize workflows, processes, and deployment procedures across teams.
4. Speed: Accelerate onboarding and project setup with ready-made templates.

Can You Share Examples of Specific Azure DevOps Templates?

Sure! Here are some examples of what you might want to template:

• Deploying a .NET Application
• Building and Pushing a Docker Image
• Running Unit Tests Automatically
• Creating Predefined Work Item Templates (User Story, Bug, Feature)

Templates can be simple or complex, depending on the project’s needs.

Would you like me to create a ready-to-use template for any of these? 🚀