Getting Started

Getting Started

This guide will help you install and configure Effort Tracker for your Azure DevOps organization.

Prerequisites

• Azure DevOps Services (cloud) or Azure DevOps Server 2019+
• Organization administrator access for installation
• Project Collection Administrator or Project Administrator role

Installation

Step 1: Install from Marketplace

1. Navigate to the Visual Studio Marketplace
2. Search for "Effort Tracker" by Sinaware
3. Click Get it free
4. Select your Azure DevOps organization
5. Click Install

Step 2: Authorize Extension Permissions

During installation, you'll be asked to authorize the following permissions:

Scope	Purpose
vso.work	Read work items to display effort on work item forms
vso.work_write	Update work item fields (Completed Work, Remaining Work)
vso.project	Read project information for context and navigation
vso.graph	Read user/group membership for admin permission checks

These are the minimum permissions required for the extension to function.

Step 3: Verify Installation

After installation, verify that the extension is working:

1. Open any work item in Azure Boards
2. You should see a new Effort tab on the work item form

Step 3: Initialize Your Organization

The first time you use Effort Tracker, it will automatically initialize your organization's data tables and seed default activity types. This happens automatically when you:

1. Open the Effort tab on a work item
2. Navigate to any Effort Tracker hub

Default activity types are created automatically:

• Development
• Testing
• Documentation
• Code Review
• Meetings
• Support
• Research
• Design
• Deployment

Extension Hubs

After installation, you'll have access to these hubs under Boards:

Hub	Location	Purpose
Effort	Work Item Form Tab	Log and view effort on individual work items
Reports	Boards > Effort Reports	Query and export effort data
Settings	Project Settings > Effort Tracker	Manage activity types
Organization Settings	Organization Settings > Effort Tracker	License and org-wide settings

First Steps

1. Configure Activity Types (Optional)

Before logging effort, you may want to customize the activity types for your project:

1. Go to Project Settings > Effort Tracker
2. Add, edit, or remove activity types
3. Set display order as needed

See Admin Guide - Activity Types for details.

2. Log Your First Effort Entry

1. Open any work item
2. Click the Effort tab
3. Fill in the form:
   • Date: When the work was done
   • Hours: Time spent in HH:MM format (e.g., 1:30 for 1 hour 30 minutes)
   • Activity Type: Select from dropdown
   • Notes: Optional description
4. Click Add

Next Steps

• User Guide - Learn how to log and manage effort entries
• Reports Guide - Query and export effort data
• Admin Guide - Configure project settings