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Troubleshooting: “Release Notes” Tab Not Visible in Work Items (Azure DevOps Server)

Overview

After installing Release Notes Hub for Azure DevOps Server (on-premises), the Release Notes tab might not automatically appear in your work items. This behavior is expected — unlike Azure DevOps Services (Cloud), the Server version requires a manual integration of the extension into the work item layout.

This guide explains how to add the Release Notes tab manually for Azure DevOps Server environments (e.g., version 2020 or 2022).

⚙️ Prerequisites

  • Azure DevOps Server 2020 / 2022 or TFS 2018+
  • Project administrator or collection administrator permissions
  • Access to the Azure DevOps Command Line Tools (witadmin.exe)
  • Basic understanding of XML editing

Step 1: Locate the witadmin Tool

The witadmin utility is included with Azure DevOps Server and is typically located in one of the following directories:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\<Edition>\Common7\IDE

or

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\<Version>\Common7\IDE

💡 Tip: Use Command Prompt (not PowerShell) and navigate to this directory before running the following commands.

Step 2: Export the Work Item Type Definition

Run this command in Command Prompt as Administrator:

witadmin exportwitd /collection:http://<server>:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection /p:"<ProjectName>" /n:"<WorkItemTypeName>" /f:"C:\Temp\workitem.xml"

Example:

witadmin exportwitd /collection:http://devops-server:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection /p:"ProductX" /n:"User Story" /f:"C:\Temp\UserStory.xml"

This command exports the XML definition of the selected work item type.

Step 3: Edit the Work Item XML Layout

  1. Open the exported XML file (e.g., UserStory.xml) in Visual Studio Code or Notepad++.
  2. Locate the following section:
<FORM>
  <WebLayout>
    ...
  </WebLayout>
</FORM>
  • Inside <WebLayout>, insert one of the following lines:
<Page Label="Release Note" Id="SimovaGmbH.cfd-by-simova.release-note-page" />

Option B (alternative, depending on layout format)

<Extension Id="SimovaGmbH.cfd-by-simova.release-note-page" />
  • Save the file.

Step 4: Import the Updated Definition

Re-import the edited XML definition:

witadmin importwitd /collection:http://<server>:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection /p:"<ProjectName>" /f:"C:\Temp\workitem.xml"

Example:

witadmin importwitd /collection:http://devops-server:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection /p:"ProductX" /f:"C:\Temp\UserStory.xml"

Step 5: Refresh and Validate

  1. Log out and log back into Azure DevOps.
  2. Optionally, clear the TFS/IIS cache if the changes do not appear immediately.
  3. Open a work item of the modified type and confirm that the “Release Notes” tab is now visible.

Step 6: Optional Checks

If the tab still does not appear, verify the following:

  • Under Organization Settings › Process › [Your Process] › Work Item Types › [Your Type], ensure the “Release Notes” tab is not hidden via the Hide from layout option.
  • Check inside the Release Notes Hub extension settings: Settings › Work Item › Exclude Release Note – make sure no filters are excluding your work item type.

Reference

For detailed guidance on customizing and editing work item layouts, please refer to Microsoft’s official documentation: 👉 Customize the work item form in Azure DevOps