Software teams working on different platforms face a familiar challenge: keeping everyone aligned without forcing them into a single tool. Azure DevOps excels at project management and CI/CD, while GitHub dominates version control and open-source collaboration. When your organization uses both, you need integration that keeps work synchronized without creating bottlenecks.
This guide explains how to integrate Azure DevOps and GitHub, what features matter most when choosing integration tools, and how to avoid common pitfalls that create more problems than they solve.
Note: This guide uses Exalate as the integration platform. Exalate provides real-time bidirectional sync between Azure DevOps work items and GitHub issues, with AI-assisted configuration to handle complex mapping requirements.
Key Takeaways
- Azure DevOps and GitHub serve different team needs—integration lets you use both without creating information silos
- Bidirectional sync ensures changes made in either platform are automatically in the other
- AI-assisted integration configuration reduces setup time from weeks to hours
- Role-based sync control prevents teams from depending on each other’s workflows while maintaining visibility
- Real-time triggers control exactly when work items sync based on status, labels, assignees, or custom conditions
Why Integrate Azure DevOps and GitHub
Azure DevOps
Azure DevOps provides comprehensive DevOps capabilities: project management, version control, CI/CD pipelines, test management, and artifacts. It integrates tightly with Microsoft’s ecosystem and supports both agile and waterfall methodologies.
Teams using Visual Studio or Eclipse benefit from native integration, and the platform scales from small teams to enterprise deployments.
You can deploy Azure DevOps in the cloud (Azure DevOps Services) or on-premises (Azure DevOps Server). The marketplace offers thousands of extensions for custom workflows.
GitHub
GitHub leads in version control and distributed development. It handles code hosting, pull requests, code review, and project milestones.
GitHub’s collaboration features make it the default choice for open-source projects and distributed teams. Microsoft acquired GitHub in 2018, but it remains independent from Azure DevOps with distinct features and workflows.
GitHub Enterprise adds enterprise-grade security, compliance, and deployment options for organizations needing self-hosted solutions.
Why Teams Use Both
- Different teams need different tools. Backend developers might prefer Azure DevOps for its pipeline orchestration and test management, while frontend teams work in GitHub for its pull request workflow and community integrations. Product teams track work in Azure Boards, but engineering teams manage sprints in GitHub Projects.
- Using both platforms without integration creates silos. Backend teams lose visibility into frontend progress. Support tickets in Azure DevOps disconnect from the GitHub issues that engineering teams use. Updates get duplicated manually, leading to inconsistencies and wasted time.
- Integration solves this by syncing work items between platforms automatically. Your Azure DevOps sprint board shows GitHub issue status in real time. Comments made in GitHub appear in Azure DevOps work items. Engineers working in their preferred tool automatically keep stakeholders informed in the other system.
What to Consider When Choosing an Azure DevOps GitHub Integration Tool
Not all integration solutions work the same way. The right tool depends on your sync complexity, team size, security requirements, and how much customization you need. Here’s what matters:
Bidirectional Sync
Changes should flow in both directions automatically. When someone updates an Azure DevOps work item, the corresponding GitHub issue should update within seconds. When a developer closes a GitHub issue, the linked Azure DevOps item should close too. One-way sync forces teams to work in a specific platform, defeating the purpose of integration.
Field Mapping Flexibility
Different platforms use different field names and structures. Azure DevOps has “State” while GitHub uses “Status.” Azure DevOps work items have rich custom fields; GitHub issues have labels. Your integration tool needs to map these fields correctly, including custom fields your organization created.
AI-assisted configuration (like Exalate’s Aida) generates field mapping automatically from natural language descriptions, reducing setup time significantly.
Trigger-Based Control
Real-time sync is powerful, but you don’t always want to sync everything immediately. Triggers let you define conditions: sync only when a work item reaches “In Progress,” sync issues with specific labels, sync to certain repositories based on assignee. This prevents incomplete work from syncing prematurely and reduces noise.
Security and Compliance
Development data is sensitive. Your integration tool should use OAuth for authentication (never store passwords), encrypt data in transit with TLS 1.2 or higher, and ideally hold certifications like SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022.
Check whether the vendor publishes security documentation—Exalate maintains a Trust Center with current certifications and security practices. Role-based access control also prevents unauthorized users from syncing sensitive work items across platforms.
Scalability Across Platforms
Your tech stack will evolve. Today, you need Azure DevOps and GitHub; next quarter you might add Freshservice for support tickets or Asana for marketing project management.
Choose an integration platform that supports multiple connectors—Jira, ServiceNow, Freshdesk, Azure DevOps Server, Asana, GitHub Enterprise, and custom REST APIs. This prevents you from managing multiple integration tools as your stack grows.
Connection Reliability
Outages happen. Your integration should queue changes when one platform goes offline and replay them in order when connectivity returns. This prevents data loss and keeps teams working during downtime.
Common Azure DevOps GitHub Integration Use Cases
Development Team Visibility Across Platforms
Case: A company’s backend team uses Azure DevOps for sprint planning and pipeline management, while the frontend team works entirely in GitHub. Product managers track progress in Azure Boards but have no visibility into frontend work happening in GitHub issues.
Solution: Integrate Azure DevOps work items with GitHub issues bidirectionally. Map Azure DevOps “State” to GitHub “Status,” sync comments, and link pull requests to work items. Configure triggers to sync only when work items move to “In Progress” or “Done” to avoid syncing planning-stage work.
Cross-Functional Project Coordination
Case: An enterprise runs a multi-team project spanning DevOps (Azure DevOps), engineering (GitHub), and support (Freshservice). Each team works in its preferred platform, but dependencies create coordination overhead. Status meetings consume hours each week just to align on what’s completed.
Solution: Sync Azure DevOps work items with GitHub issues and Freshservice tickets in a unified integration setup. When support escalates a ticket, it creates a linked work item in Azure DevOps and a GitHub issue for engineering investigation. Updates in any platform sync to the others automatically.
Open Source and Internal Development Integration
Case: A software company maintains open-source projects on GitHub.com while managing internal enterprise development in Azure DevOps. External contributors submit pull requests on GitHub; internal teams need to track these contributions in Azure DevOps for release planning and compliance.
Solution: Set up one-way sync from GitHub to Azure DevOps for external contributions, and bidirectional sync for internal repositories. Use triggers to sync only pull requests with specific labels (e.g., “ready-for-review”) to avoid syncing every draft PR.
Multi-Repository Development Coordination
Case: A platform team maintains infrastructure code across 12 GitHub repositories. Product teams create feature requests in Azure DevOps, but the platform team doesn’t monitor Azure DevOps—they work exclusively in GitHub Projects. Feature requests get lost or delayed because the platform team never sees them.
Solution: Sync Azure DevOps feature requests tagged “platform-team” to GitHub issues in a central coordination repository. The platform team triages these issues in GitHub Projects and distributes work across their 12 repositories. Status updates sync back to Azure DevOps automatically.
How Exalate Handles Azure DevOps GitHub Integration
Exalate provides real-time bidirectional sync between Azure DevOps and GitHub with AI-assisted configuration, flexible field mapping, and trigger-based control.
If you’re on Exalate Classic, then you can import your existing nodes and connections using the “Import connection” feature.
This will help you retain existing configurations and sync rules as you move to New Exalate.
To get started with Exalate for GitHub or discuss your use case and requirements, please contact sales.
AI-Assisted Configuration
Instead of manually writing mapping rules, describe what you want in natural language. Aida, Exalate’s AI-assisted configuration assistant, generates the field mapping automatically.
Example prompt: “Sync Azure DevOps work item title to GitHub issue title, sync State to Status, and add Azure DevOps comments as GitHub comments.”
Aida generates the mapping code, highlights changes, and lets you review before applying. For complex mappings—like converting Azure DevOps tags to GitHub labels or syncing custom fields—Aida handles the transformation logic.
This reduces configuration time from days (writing and testing custom scripts) to minutes.
Field Mapping and Data Transformation
Exalate syncs standard fields (title, description, status, assignee) and custom fields. You control which fields sync and how they transform between platforms.
Common mappings:
- Azure DevOps “State” → GitHub “Status”
- Azure DevOps “Tags” → GitHub “Labels”
- Azure DevOps “Assigned To” → GitHub “Assignee”
- Azure DevOps “Description” → GitHub “Body”
- Azure DevOps “Comments” → GitHub “Comments”
Custom transformations handle differences in field format. For example, Azure DevOps stores priority as “1, 2, 3, 4” while GitHub uses labels like “priority: high.” Exalate maps these automatically if you specify the relationship.
Trigger-Based Sync Control
Triggers define when sync happens. You can sync based on:
- Status changes: Sync only when work items reach “In Progress” or “Done”
- Labels or tags: Sync GitHub issues with label “sync-to-azure” or Azure DevOps work items tagged “external-team”
- Assignee: Sync work assigned to specific users or teams
- Custom fields: Sync when a custom field meets certain conditions
Triggers prevent premature sync of draft work and reduce noise by syncing only relevant items.
Common Integration Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Syncing Too Much Too Soon
Teams often start by syncing every field, every work item, and every repository. This creates noise, slows down performance, and overwhelms teams with irrelevant updates.
Solution: Start small. Sync one project to one repository with basic field mapping. Add complexity gradually as you understand what your teams actually need. Use triggers to filter sync to relevant items only.
Unclear Ownership
When the same work item exists in two platforms, teams sometimes duplicate effort or both assume the other team is handling it.
Solution: Define ownership clearly. If a work item originates in Azure DevOps, the Azure DevOps assignee owns it. GitHub shows the work for visibility, but the owner makes decisions in Azure DevOps. Document this in your integration setup and communicate it to all teams.
Notification Overload
Every sync generates notifications in both platforms. Multiply this across hundreds of work items and you create alert fatigue.
Solution: Configure notification settings in both Azure DevOps and GitHub to reduce noise. Turn off notifications for automated updates or sync-related comments. Use digest notifications instead of real-time alerts. Let your integration tool handle the sync; your team doesn’t need to watch every update.
Ignoring Security Configuration
Default sync often syncs everything to everyone. This exposes sensitive work items to teams or users who shouldn’t see them.
Solution: Use role-based sync control. Configure triggers to sync only work items visible to specific users or teams. Review your connection permissions regularly and audit who can create or modify sync rules.
Treating Integration as “Set and Forget”
Team needs to change. New custom fields get added, workflows evolve, and new teams join the organization. Integration that worked six months ago might not fit current needs.
Solution: Schedule quarterly reviews of your integration setup. Check if new fields need mapping, if triggers still match current workflows, and if new teams need access. Integration is a living process, not a one-time setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Exalate integrate Azure DevOps and GitHub?
Exalate connects Azure DevOps work items and GitHub issues with real-time bidirectional sync. You authorize Exalate to access both platforms using OAuth (no passwords stored), then configure which projects and repositories sync.
Aida, Exalate’s AI-assisted configuration assistant, generates field mapping from natural language prompts—describe what you want synced, and Aida creates the rules automatically. Setup takes hours instead of days or weeks.
Can Exalate sync Azure DevOps work items with GitHub issues in real time?
Yes, Exalate provides real-time bidirectional sync. When someone creates or updates a work item in Azure DevOps, the corresponding GitHub issue updates within seconds. The same happens in reverse—changes in GitHub are reflected immediately in Azure DevOps. You control which fields sync (title, description, status, assignee, comments, custom fields) and define triggers to control when sync happens based on status, labels, or other conditions.
Does Exalate support GitHub Enterprise and Azure DevOps Server?
Yes, Exalate supports all deployment combinations: Azure DevOps Services with GitHub.com, Azure DevOps Server with GitHub Enterprise Server, and any cloud-to-server or server-to-server configuration. Whether you’re running entirely in the cloud or have on-premises requirements, Exalate handles the connection securely with the same features and performance.
How does Aida help configure Azure DevOps GitHub sync in Exalate?
Aida is Exalate’s AI-assisted configuration assistant. Instead of manually writing mapping rules, you describe what you want in natural language. For example: “Sync Azure DevOps State to GitHub Status, and add Azure DevOps comments as GitHub comments.” Aida generates the field mapping code, highlights suggested changes, and lets you review before applying. For complex transformations—like converting Azure DevOps tags to GitHub labels or handling custom fields—Aida writes the logic automatically.
What fields can Exalate sync between Azure DevOps and GitHub?
Exalate syncs standard fields like title, description, status, assignee, priority, and comments. It also handles custom fields you’ve created in either platform. Common mappings include Azure DevOps “State” to GitHub “Status,” “Tags” to “Labels,” “Assigned To” to “Assignee,” and “Description” to “Body.” Exalate handles format differences automatically—for example, converting Azure DevOps priority numbers to GitHub priority labels.
How much does Exalate cost for Azure DevOps GitHub integration?
Exalate pricing scales with the number of synced items. There’s a free plan for basic use cases and paid plans based on sync volume. Check out our pricing page to see which plan works best for your use case.
Can Exalate connect one Azure DevOps project to multiple GitHub repositories?
Yes, you can sync one Azure DevOps project to several GitHub repositories, multiple Azure DevOps projects to one GitHub organization, or any combination that fits your workflow. Each connection can have different field mappings and triggers, so one project might sync differently from another based on team requirements.
How secure is Exalate for Azure DevOps GitHub integration?
Exalate is ISO 27001:2022 certified and SOC 2 Type II compliant. It uses OAuth for authentication (never stores passwords), encrypts all data transfers with TLS 1.2 or higher, and implements role-based access control to restrict who can create connections and define sync rules. Exalate publishes detailed security documentation, certifications, and compliance information from our Trust Center.
Can Exalate integrate Azure DevOps and GitHub with other platforms simultaneously?
Yes. Exalate supports multi-platform ecosystems. You can integrate Azure DevOps with GitHub for engineering, Freshservice for support, Asana for marketing, Jira for product management, and ServiceNow for IT operations. This creates a unified view across your entire tech stack without managing multiple integration tools or learning different sync configurations for each platform.
Recommended Reading:
- Jira Azure DevOps Integration: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
- GitHub Salesforce Integration: How to Set up a Sync in 6 Steps
- How to Set up a Jira GitHub Integration
- How to Set up an Azure DevOps Salesforce Integration
- How to Set up a ServiceNow GitHub Integration
- How to Set Up an Azure DevOps ServiceNow Integration
- How to Set up a Zendesk GitHub Integration
- How to Set up a Zendesk Azure DevOps Integration
