title	Create a bug using .NET client libraries in Azure DevOps
description	Use .NET client libraries to create a bug in Azure DevOps Services with modern authentication methods.
ms.assetid	ea2e5303-46b5-41d0-b6f5-b3d8ce515a64
ms.subservice	azure-devops-ecosystem
ai-usage	ai-assisted
ms.topic	how-to
monikerRange	<= azure-devops
ms.author	chcomley
author	chcomley
ms.date	07/16/2025
ms.custom	quickstart, devx-track-dotnet

Create a bug in Azure DevOps Services using .NET client libraries

[!INCLUDE version-lt-eq-azure-devops]

Creating work items programmatically is a common automation scenario in Azure DevOps Services. This article shows how to create a bug (or any work item) using .NET client libraries with modern authentication methods.

Prerequisites

Category	Requirements
Azure DevOps	- An organization - Access to a project where you can create work items
Authentication	Choose one of the following: - Microsoft Entra ID authentication (recommended) - Personal Access Token (PAT) (for testing)
Development environment	A C# development environment. You can use Visual Studio

Important

For production applications, we recommend using Microsoft Entra ID authentication instead of Personal Access Tokens. PATs are suitable for testing and development scenarios. For guidance on choosing the right authentication method, see Authentication guidance.

Authentication options

This article demonstrates multiple authentication methods to suit different scenarios:

Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Recommended for user apps)

For production applications with user interaction, use Microsoft Entra ID authentication:

<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client" Version="19.225.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.InteractiveClient" Version="19.225.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Identity.Client" Version="4.61.3" />

Service Principal authentication (Recommended for automation)

For automated scenarios, CI/CD pipelines, and server applications:

<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client" Version="19.225.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Identity.Client" Version="4.61.3" />

Managed Identity authentication (Recommended for Azure-hosted apps)

For applications running on Azure services (Functions, App Service, etc.):

<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client" Version="19.225.1" />
<PackageReference Include="Azure.Identity" Version="1.10.4" />

Personal Access Token authentication

For development and testing scenarios:

<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client" Version="19.225.1" />

C# code examples

The following examples show how to create work items using different authentication methods.

Example 1: Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Interactive)

// NuGet packages:
// Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client
// Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.InteractiveClient  
// Microsoft.Identity.Client
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi.Models;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Common;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch.Json;

public class EntraIdBugCreator
{
    private readonly Uri uri;

    /// <summary>
    /// Initializes a new instance using Microsoft Entra ID authentication.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="orgName">Your Azure DevOps organization name</param>
    public EntraIdBugCreator(string orgName)
    {
        this.uri = new Uri($"https://dev.azure.com/{orgName}");
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Create a bug using Microsoft Entra ID authentication.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="project">The name of your project</param>
    /// <param name="title">Bug title</param>
    /// <param name="reproSteps">Reproduction steps</param>
    /// <param name="priority">Priority level (1-4)</param>
    /// <param name="severity">Severity level</param>
    /// <returns>The created WorkItem</returns>
    public async Task<WorkItem> CreateBugAsync(string project, string title, string reproSteps, int priority = 2, string severity = "3 - Medium")
    {
        // Use Microsoft Entra ID authentication
        var credentials = new VssAadCredential();
        var patchDocument = new JsonPatchDocument();

        // Add required and optional fields
        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/System.Title",
            Value = title
        });

        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(reproSteps))
        {
            patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
            {
                Operation = Operation.Add,
                Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.ReproSteps",
                Value = reproSteps
            });
        }

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Priority",
            Value = priority.ToString()
        });

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Severity",
            Value = severity
        });

        using (var connection = new VssConnection(this.uri, new VssCredentials(credentials)))
        {
            var workItemTrackingHttpClient = connection.GetClient<WorkItemTrackingHttpClient>();

            try
            {
                var result = await workItemTrackingHttpClient.CreateWorkItemAsync(patchDocument, project, "Bug").ConfigureAwait(false);
                Console.WriteLine($"Bug successfully created: Bug #{result.Id}");
                return result;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Error creating bug: {ex.Message}");
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
}

Example 2: Service Principal authentication (Automated scenarios)

// NuGet packages:
// Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client
// Microsoft.Identity.Client
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.Identity.Client;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi.Models;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Common;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch.Json;

public class ServicePrincipalBugCreator
{
    private readonly Uri uri;
    private readonly string clientId;
    private readonly string clientSecret;
    private readonly string tenantId;

    /// <summary>
    /// Initializes a new instance using Service Principal authentication.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="orgName">Your Azure DevOps organization name</param>
    /// <param name="clientId">Service principal client ID</param>
    /// <param name="clientSecret">Service principal client secret</param>
    /// <param name="tenantId">Azure AD tenant ID</param>
    public ServicePrincipalBugCreator(string orgName, string clientId, string clientSecret, string tenantId)
    {
        this.uri = new Uri($"https://dev.azure.com/{orgName}");
        this.clientId = clientId;
        this.clientSecret = clientSecret;
        this.tenantId = tenantId;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Create a bug using Service Principal authentication.
    /// </summary>
    public async Task<WorkItem> CreateBugAsync(string project, string title, string reproSteps, int priority = 2, string severity = "3 - Medium")
    {
        // Acquire token using Service Principal
        var app = ConfidentialClientApplicationBuilder
            .Create(this.clientId)
            .WithClientSecret(this.clientSecret)
            .WithAuthority($"https://login.microsoftonline.com/{this.tenantId}")
            .Build();

        var scopes = new[] { "https://app.vssps.visualstudio.com/.default" };
        var result = await app.AcquireTokenForClient(scopes).ExecuteAsync();

        var credentials = new VssOAuthAccessTokenCredential(result.AccessToken);
        var patchDocument = new JsonPatchDocument();

        // Add work item fields
        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/System.Title",
            Value = title
        });

        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(reproSteps))
        {
            patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
            {
                Operation = Operation.Add,
                Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.ReproSteps",
                Value = reproSteps
            });
        }

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Priority",
            Value = priority.ToString()
        });

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Severity",
            Value = severity
        });

        using (var connection = new VssConnection(this.uri, new VssCredentials(credentials)))
        {
            var workItemTrackingHttpClient = connection.GetClient<WorkItemTrackingHttpClient>();

            try
            {
                var workItem = await workItemTrackingHttpClient.CreateWorkItemAsync(patchDocument, project, "Bug").ConfigureAwait(false);
                Console.WriteLine($"Bug successfully created: Bug #{workItem.Id}");
                return workItem;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Error creating bug: {ex.Message}");
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
}

Example 3: Managed Identity authentication (Azure-hosted apps)

// NuGet packages:
// Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client
// Azure.Identity
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Azure.Core;
using Azure.Identity;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi.Models;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Common;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch.Json;

public class ManagedIdentityBugCreator
{
    private readonly Uri uri;

    /// <summary>
    /// Initializes a new instance using Managed Identity authentication.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="orgName">Your Azure DevOps organization name</param>
    public ManagedIdentityBugCreator(string orgName)
    {
        this.uri = new Uri($"https://dev.azure.com/{orgName}");
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Create a bug using Managed Identity authentication.
    /// </summary>
    public async Task<WorkItem> CreateBugAsync(string project, string title, string reproSteps, int priority = 2, string severity = "3 - Medium")
    {
        // Use Managed Identity to acquire token
        var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
        var tokenRequestContext = new TokenRequestContext(new[] { "https://app.vssps.visualstudio.com/.default" });
        var tokenResult = await credential.GetTokenAsync(tokenRequestContext);

        var credentials = new VssOAuthAccessTokenCredential(tokenResult.Token);
        var patchDocument = new JsonPatchDocument();

        // Add work item fields
        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/System.Title",
            Value = title
        });

        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(reproSteps))
        {
            patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
            {
                Operation = Operation.Add,
                Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.ReproSteps",
                Value = reproSteps
            });
        }

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Priority",
            Value = priority.ToString()
        });

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Severity",
            Value = severity
        });

        using (var connection = new VssConnection(this.uri, new VssCredentials(credentials)))
        {
            var workItemTrackingHttpClient = connection.GetClient<WorkItemTrackingHttpClient>();

            try
            {
                var workItem = await workItemTrackingHttpClient.CreateWorkItemAsync(patchDocument, project, "Bug").ConfigureAwait(false);
                Console.WriteLine($"Bug successfully created: Bug #{workItem.Id}");
                return workItem;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Error creating bug: {ex.Message}");
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
}

Example 4: Personal Access Token authentication

// NuGet package: Microsoft.TeamFoundationServer.Client
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.WebApi.Models;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Common;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.WebApi.Patch.Json;

public class PatBugCreator
{
    private readonly Uri uri;
    private readonly string personalAccessToken;

    /// <summary>
    /// Initializes a new instance using Personal Access Token authentication.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="orgName">Your Azure DevOps organization name</param>
    /// <param name="personalAccessToken">Your Personal Access Token</param>
    public PatBugCreator(string orgName, string personalAccessToken)
    {
        this.uri = new Uri($"https://dev.azure.com/{orgName}");
        this.personalAccessToken = personalAccessToken;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Create a bug using Personal Access Token authentication.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="project">The name of your project</param>
    /// <param name="title">Bug title</param>
    /// <param name="reproSteps">Reproduction steps</param>
    /// <param name="priority">Priority level (1-4)</param>
    /// <param name="severity">Severity level</param>
    /// <returns>The created WorkItem</returns>
    public async Task<WorkItem> CreateBugAsync(string project, string title, string reproSteps, int priority = 2, string severity = "3 - Medium")
    {
        var credentials = new VssBasicCredential(string.Empty, this.personalAccessToken);
        var patchDocument = new JsonPatchDocument();

        // Add required and optional fields
        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/System.Title",
            Value = title
        });

        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(reproSteps))
        {
            patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
            {
                Operation = Operation.Add,
                Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.ReproSteps",
                Value = reproSteps
            });
        }

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Priority",
            Value = priority.ToString()
        });

        patchDocument.Add(new JsonPatchOperation()
        {
            Operation = Operation.Add,
            Path = "/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Severity",
            Value = severity
        });

        using (var connection = new VssConnection(this.uri, new VssCredentials(credentials)))
        {
            var workItemTrackingHttpClient = connection.GetClient<WorkItemTrackingHttpClient>();

            try
            {
                var result = await workItemTrackingHttpClient.CreateWorkItemAsync(patchDocument, project, "Bug").ConfigureAwait(false);
                Console.WriteLine($"Bug successfully created: Bug #{result.Id}");
                return result;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Error creating bug: {ex.Message}");
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
}

Usage examples

Using Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Interactive)

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var bugCreator = new EntraIdBugCreator("your-organization-name");
        
        var bug = await bugCreator.CreateBugAsync(
            project: "your-project-name",
            title: "Authorization Errors with Microsoft Accounts",
            reproSteps: "Our authorization logic needs to allow for users with Microsoft accounts (formerly Live IDs) - https://docs.microsoft.com/library/live/hh826547.aspx",
            priority: 1,
            severity: "2 - High"
        );
        
        Console.WriteLine($"Created bug with ID: {bug.Id}");
    }
}

Using Service Principal authentication (CI/CD scenarios)

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        // These values should come from environment variables or Azure Key Vault
        var clientId = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_CLIENT_ID");
        var clientSecret = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET");
        var tenantId = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_TENANT_ID");
        
        var bugCreator = new ServicePrincipalBugCreator("your-organization-name", clientId, clientSecret, tenantId);
        
        var bug = await bugCreator.CreateBugAsync(
            project: "your-project-name",
            title: "Automated Bug Report",
            reproSteps: "Issue detected by automated testing...",
            priority: 2,
            severity: "3 - Medium"
        );
        
        Console.WriteLine($"Automated bug created: #{bug.Id}");
    }
}

Using Managed Identity authentication (Azure Functions/App Service)

public class BugReportFunction
{
    [FunctionName("CreateBugReport")]
    public static async Task<IActionResult> Run(
        [HttpTrigger(AuthorizationLevel.Function, "post")] HttpRequest req,
        ILogger log)
    {
        var bugCreator = new ManagedIdentityBugCreator("your-organization-name");
        
        var bug = await bugCreator.CreateBugAsync(
            project: "your-project-name",
            title: "Function-detected Issue",
            reproSteps: "Issue reported via Azure Function...",
            priority: 3,
            severity: "4 - Low"
        );
        
        return new OkObjectResult($"Bug created: {bug.Id}");
    }
}

Using Personal Access Token authentication (Development/Testing)

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var pat = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_DEVOPS_PAT"); // Never hardcode PATs
        var bugCreator = new PatBugCreator("your-organization-name", pat);
        
        var bug = await bugCreator.CreateBugAsync(
            project: "your-project-name",
            title: "Sample Bug Title",
            reproSteps: "Steps to reproduce the issue...",
            priority: 2,
            severity: "3 - Medium"
        );
        
        Console.WriteLine($"Bug created successfully: #{bug.Id}");
    }
}

Work item field reference

When creating work items, you'll commonly use these fields:

Required fields

System.Title: The work item title (required for all work item types)
System.WorkItemType: Automatically set when specifying the type in the API call

Common optional fields

Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.ReproSteps: Detailed reproduction steps
Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Priority: Priority level (1=highest, 4=lowest)
Microsoft.VSTS.Common.Severity: Severity classification
System.Description: General description or additional details
System.AssignedTo: Person responsible for the work item
System.AreaPath: Area classification
System.IterationPath: Iteration/sprint assignment

Priority values

1: Critical/Highest priority
2: High priority
3: Medium priority (default)
4: Low priority

Common severity values

1 - Critical: System unusable, blocking progress
2 - High: Major functionality broken
3 - Medium: Some functionality broken (default)
4 - Low: Minor issues or cosmetic problems

Best practices

Authentication

Use Microsoft Entra ID for interactive applications with user sign-in
Use Service Principal for automated scenarios, CI/CD pipelines, and server applications
Use Managed Identity for applications running on Azure services (Functions, App Service, VMs)
Avoid Personal Access Tokens in production; use only for development and testing
Never hardcode credentials in source code; use environment variables or Azure Key Vault
Implement credential rotation for long-running applications
Ensure proper scopes: Work item creation requires appropriate permissions in Azure DevOps

Error handling

Implement proper exception handling for authentication and API failures
Validate field values before attempting to create work items
Handle field validation errors returned by the API
Use async/await patterns for better application responsiveness

Performance

Batch operations when creating multiple work items
Cache connections when making multiple API calls
Use appropriate timeout values for long-running operations
Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for transient failures

Data validation

Validate required fields before API calls
Check field permissions and work item type rules
Sanitize user input to prevent injection attacks
Follow project-specific field requirements and naming conventions

Troubleshooting

Authentication issues

Microsoft Entra ID authentication failures: Ensure the user has proper permissions to create work items
Service Principal authentication failures: Verify client ID, secret, and tenant ID are correct; check service principal permissions in Azure DevOps
Managed Identity authentication failures: Ensure the Azure resource has a managed identity enabled and proper permissions
PAT authentication failures: Verify the token has vso.work_write scope and hasn't expired
403 Forbidden errors: Check project permissions and work item type access

Field validation errors

Required field missing: Ensure all required fields are included in the patch document
Invalid field values: Verify field values match the expected format and allowed values
Field not found: Check field names are spelled correctly and exist for the work item type
Read-only field errors: Some fields cannot be set during creation (e.g., System.CreatedBy)

Common exceptions

VssUnauthorizedException: Authentication failed or insufficient permissions
VssServiceException: Server-side validation errors or API issues
ArgumentException: Invalid parameters or malformed patch document
JsonReaderException: Issues with JSON serialization/deserialization

Performance issues

Slow API responses: Check network connectivity and Azure DevOps service status
Memory usage: Dispose of connections and clients properly
Rate limiting: Implement appropriate delays between API calls

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Create a bug in Azure DevOps Services using .NET client libraries

Prerequisites

Authentication options

Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Recommended for user apps)

Service Principal authentication (Recommended for automation)

Managed Identity authentication (Recommended for Azure-hosted apps)

Personal Access Token authentication

C# code examples

Example 1: Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Interactive)

Example 2: Service Principal authentication (Automated scenarios)

Example 3: Managed Identity authentication (Azure-hosted apps)

Example 4: Personal Access Token authentication

Usage examples

Using Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Interactive)

Using Service Principal authentication (CI/CD scenarios)

Using Managed Identity authentication (Azure Functions/App Service)

Using Personal Access Token authentication (Development/Testing)

Work item field reference

Required fields

Common optional fields

Priority values

Common severity values

Best practices

Authentication

Error handling

Performance

Data validation

Troubleshooting

Authentication issues

Field validation errors

Common exceptions

Performance issues

Next steps

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Create a bug in Azure DevOps Services using .NET client libraries

Prerequisites

Authentication options

Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Recommended for user apps)

Service Principal authentication (Recommended for automation)

Managed Identity authentication (Recommended for Azure-hosted apps)

Personal Access Token authentication

C# code examples

Example 1: Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Interactive)

Example 2: Service Principal authentication (Automated scenarios)

Example 3: Managed Identity authentication (Azure-hosted apps)

Example 4: Personal Access Token authentication

Usage examples

Using Microsoft Entra ID authentication (Interactive)

Using Service Principal authentication (CI/CD scenarios)

Using Managed Identity authentication (Azure Functions/App Service)

Using Personal Access Token authentication (Development/Testing)

Work item field reference

Required fields

Common optional fields

Priority values

Common severity values

Best practices

Authentication

Error handling

Performance

Data validation

Troubleshooting

Authentication issues

Field validation errors

Common exceptions

Performance issues

Next steps