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"'<' is an invalid start of a value" after signing in

You see this under the organization URL in the connection window, right after signing in, and the project list stays empty.

Why: every Azure DevOps organization belongs to one Microsoft Entra tenant, and a sign-in only works for the organization if that tenant issued it. The app asks Azure DevOps which tenant that is. Organizations that allow public projects didn't answer that question in older versions, so the app signed you in to your own tenant instead. Azure DevOps rejected that sign-in with a web page, which the app couldn't read.

Fix:

1. Update to the latest version.
2. Open the connection (Edit connection) and click Sign in again.
3. Check the line under the URL: it now ends in · tenant followed by an ID. That's the organization's tenant, and the projects load.

The "Signed in as" line is the quickest check for any sign-in problem: without a · tenant part, the app doesn't know the organization's tenant. That's only expected for organizations backed by personal Microsoft accounts.

"… has no access to …"

Azure DevOps accepted who you are, but your account isn't a user of the organization.

• Wrong account? Click Use another account in the connection window and pick the one the organization knows, for example the account a customer gave you.
• Guest in another company's tenant? That's fine, but you must also be added to the Azure DevOps organization itself (Organization settings › Users), and you must have accepted the guest invitation email once.
• Just added? It can take a few minutes. Sign in again afterwards.

"Sign-in failed: AADSTS…"

Microsoft's sign-in refused, and the code says why. The most common ones:

AADSTS50020

The account isn't in the organization's tenant. Ask for a guest invitation and accept it, or use Use another account.

AADSTS53003, AADSTS53000

Conditional Access blocked the sign-in, for example because the company only allows managed devices or certain locations. Only that company's IT department can allow it.

AADSTS65001, AADSTS90094

The app needs consent in that tenant. This only happens when you set your own app registration (ClientId); remove it to use the default, or ask the tenant's admin to grant consent.

AADSTS50076, AADSTS50079

Multi-factor authentication is needed. Sign in again and complete it in the browser.

Other codes: search for the code on Microsoft's list of sign-in error codes, or send it to us.

The browser opened, but the app keeps waiting

The app waits for the browser to send the sign-in back to it, on your own PC (http://localhost). After 5 minutes it gives up with "Sign-in took too long or was cancelled".

• Finish the sign-in in the browser tab until it says Signed in. You can close this tab. It may be behind other windows.
• Closed the tab too early? Click Sign in again.
• Does the browser show an error page on localhost? A security tool or proxy may block local addresses. Ask IT to allow http://localhost for the browser.

It signs in with the wrong account

Each connection remembers the account you used. Click Use another account in the connection window to choose again; the browser always shows the account picker then.

Sign-in opens in Windows' default browser. If you're signed in there with another account, choose Use another account on Microsoft's page as well.

"No Azure DevOps organization found"

Check the spelling of the organization. Any of these work: contoso, dev.azure.com/contoso, https://dev.azure.com/contoso/Project or contoso.visualstudio.com. Copying the address from your browser while you're in Azure DevOps is the safest.

"No projects you can access"

You're a user of the organization, but not a member of any of its projects. Ask a project administrator to add you to the project (Project settings › Teams or Permissions), then click Sign in again.

The work item type isn't found

The connection shows Feature by default, which the Agile, Scrum and CMMI processes have. The Basic process has no Features: its types are Epic, Issue and Task. Type a work item type your project's process has, exactly as Azure DevOps names it.

"Changes could not be saved"

The rows that failed keep your edits and get a red mark: hover it for Azure DevOps' reason. The common ones:

• "Someone else changed this work item." The app never overwrites newer edits. Copy what you typed, press F5 to refresh, and edit again.
• A field is required or has an invalid value. Your process may require a field when the State changes, for example. Fill it in, or open the work item's details (click its ID) to see all fields.
• No permission. You may be able to read but not edit in this area. Ask a project administrator.

A work item isn't in the list

• The list shows open work items: not Completed (Done, Closed) or Removed.
• When the connection has Only show area set, items in other areas are left out. Edit the connection to change it.
• Check the filter box in the title bar (Esc clears it).
• Created in the web meanwhile? Press F5 to refresh.
• The list loads up to 1,000 work items, most recently changed first. Use Only show area to narrow down a very large project.

The description editor doesn't show

The editor runs in Microsoft Edge WebView2, which is part of Windows 11 and most up-to-date Windows 10 PCs. If it's missing, the app says so where the editor should be. Install the WebView2 Runtime from Microsoft and restart the app. You can keep editing the lists meanwhile.

Links open in the wrong browser or profile

Edit the connection and choose a browser under Open links in. Add Browser arguments to pick a profile: --profile-directory="Profile 1" for Chrome and Edge, or -P "name" for Firefox. Handy when each customer's tenant is signed in to in its own profile. (This only applies to links; Microsoft's sign-in page always opens in the default browser.)

The API key or model isn't accepted

• Open AI settings in the AI window and click Load models. If that works, the key is fine; pick one of the models it lists.
• "did not accept the API key": copy the key again from Google AI Studio or the Anthropic Console, without spaces, and check it hasn't been revoked.
• "rate limit" or "busy": wait a minute and try again. Free plans have low limits.
• Slow or cut off: pick a faster model (Gemini Flash or Flash-Lite, Claude Haiku), or paste a shorter text.

What is sent to the AI provider?

Only the text you enter in the AI window and the titles of the open Features, sent directly from your PC to the provider you chose, with your own key. Nothing goes through our servers. Your keys are stored encrypted for your Windows account.

"Windows protected your PC"

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows this for programs it hasn't seen often. Click More info, check that the file is the one you downloaded from this site, and click Run anyway. If your company blocks this, ask IT to allow the app.

"This copy isn't licensed"

Click Enter license… in the banner (or the key button in the title bar) and paste the key from your email; it starts with DPM1-. Paste the whole key, including all its parts. Nothing is locked meanwhile. Lost the email? We'll send your key again.

"This version is newer" than your license

A license covers every version released within a year of the purchase. Newer versions work, but show a banner. Keep using the version you have, or renew for another year of updates.