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brandonmc909's avatar
brandonmc909
Copper Contributor
Aug 29, 2023

Crafting a Release Pipeline json to use as template

We are running Azure DevOps Server 2020 on-premise. My understanding is that YAML pipelines are not currently available for Release Pipelines. For the time being, I would like to craft a JSON template to use to create Release Pipelines (Definitions) using the API. I have exported an existing Release JSON and tried working with that to create a new Release with Environments/Tasks/Variables, etc., but haven't been able to get it work. When I do get it to create something, it only gets as far as creating a nearly empty Release, but does not configure an Agent Pool, as well as any Tasks. I do not see anything in the JSON I exported related to the Agent Pool and the lack of this may be causing the Tasks creation to fail. Also, when I try some different structures within the JSON, I sometimes get this error:
"Invalid property DeployPhases used in stage 'PROD'. Instead, use DeployStep for tasks."
I have tried moving tasks to the DeployStep node, but it makes no difference. Regardless, the tasks are all located within the DeployPhases node of the export JSON I am building a template from.

Anyone ever successfully build a Release Pipeline with Environments/Tasks, etc., using JSON through the Create Release API? https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/azure/devops/release/definitions/create?view=azure-devops-server-rest-6.0&tabs=HTTP

azure devops

1 Reply

  • Kidd_Ip's avatar
    Kidd_Ip
    MVP
    Aug 19, 2025

    How about this:

     

    {
  "name": "My Release Pipeline",
  "description": "Created via API",
  "environments": [
    {
      "name": "PROD",
      "deployPhases": [
        {
          "phaseType": "agentBasedDeployment",
          "name": "Run Tasks",
          "workflowTasks": [
            {
              "name": "Download Build Artifacts",
              "taskId": "6d15af64-176c-496d-b583-fd2ae21d4df4",
              "version": "1.*",
              "inputs": {
                "buildType": "specific",
                "project": "your-project-id",
                "definition": "your-build-definition-id"
              }
            },
            {
              "name": "Azure App Service Deploy",
              "taskId": "d2d5f1c2-3b5e-4b5b-9c1f-1b3f3f3f3f3f",
              "version": "4.*",
              "inputs": {
                "ConnectionType": "AzureRM",
                "WebAppName": "your-app-name"
              }
            }
          ],
          "deploymentInput": {
            "queueId": 123,  // Agent Pool ID
            "parallelExecution": {
              "parallelExecutionType": "none"
            }
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "variables": {
    "myVar": {
      "value": "someValue"
    }
  },
  "artifacts": [
    {
      "type": "Build",
      "definitionReference": {
        "project": {
          "id": "your-project-id"
        },
        "definition": {
          "id": "your-build-definition-id"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

     

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