Gets a list of all work item templates for a team. Use this tool when you need to: - Find available templates for creating work items - Get template IDs for use in other operations - Filter templates by work item type Args: team_context: Dictionary containing team information with keys: project: ...
AI agents call get_work_item_templates to retrieve information from MCP Azure DevOps Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves metadata about work item templates without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is purely informational, similar to other Read tools on the server like get_projects, get_teams, and get_process_details. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent could only discover what templates exist, which is low-sensitivity information.
From the tool's definition The tool description states it 'Gets a list of all work item templates for a team' and is used to 'Find available templates', 'Get template IDs', and 'Filter templates'. These are read-only query operations with no side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_work_item_templates gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP Azure DevOps Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_work_item_templates:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_work_item_templates": {}
}
}get_work_item_templates is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Gets a list of all work item templates for a team. Use this tool when you need to: - Find available templates for creating work items - Get template IDs for use in other operations - Filter templates by work item type Args: team_context: Dictionary containing team information with keys: project: Project name (Optional if project_id is provided) project_id: Project ID (Optional if project is provided) team: Team name (Optional if team_id is provided) team_id: Team ID (Optional if team is provided) work_item_type: Optional work item type name to filter templates Returns: A formatted table of all templates with names, work item types, and descriptions. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP Azure DevOps Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP Azure DevOps Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_work_item_templates: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches MCP Azure DevOps Server. Nothing to install.
get_work_item_templates is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_work_item_templates rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_work_item_templates. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
get_work_item_templates is provided by the MCP Azure DevOps Server MCP server (vortiago/mcp-azure-devops). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 21 MCP Azure DevOps Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
21 MCP Azure DevOps Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.