Export a backlog to Excel with parent and child rows

Export to CSV from a query gives one flat list. To see Epics, Features, Stories and Tasks as a tree in Excel, the rows need levels.

Steps

1. Save a Tree of work items query (or use a backlog), with the columns you want.
2. Open Boards, Excel Round-Trip, choose that query and the hierarchy layout. Or select items on a backlog and choose Export to Excel (Round-Trip).
3. Download the .xlsx. Each level gets its own title column: Title 1 for the top, Title 2 for its children, Title 3 below that.

Prefer one title column? Choose the flat layout, which adds a Parent ID column instead.

Change the tree in Excel

Move a row's title to another column, or under another parent, and the upload shows it as a parent change. Apply re-links it in Azure DevOps. Undo puts the old parent back.

Get Excel Round-Trip on the Visual Studio Marketplace (free up to 100 changed rows per import).

Excel Round-Trip is made by LeDuc Systems LLC and is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Guides

• Azure DevOps work items in Excel for Mac
• Bulk update Azure DevOps work items from Excel
• Open in Excel without the Office Integration add-in
• Import work items from Excel
• Export a backlog to Excel with parent and child rows