DoR & DoD Workflows
Automated Definition of Ready and Definition of Done checklist validation
Two Quality Gates
DoR validates story readiness before work begins. DoD validates deliverables after work completes.
Definition of Ready (DoR)
Validates that a user story has all the information needed to begin implementation. Checks title, description, acceptance criteria, design links, dialog fields, and more.
/dx-dor 12345
/dx-req delegates DoR validation to /dx-dor internally. Use /dx-dor for standalone DoR checks or batch mode (/dx-dor 12345 12346 12347).
Definition of Done (DoD)
Validates that actual deliverables (code, tests, PR, build) meet completion criteria. Works the same whether the story was implemented manually or via the AI workflow.
/dx-req-dod
Wiki-Driven Criteria
Both checklists are maintained as ADO wiki pages configured in .ai/config.yaml. Skills fetch criteria at runtime — editing the wiki immediately changes what gets checked. No code changes needed.
DoR Checklist Required
Teams must configure scm.wiki-dor-url in .ai/config.yaml or create .ai/rules/dor-checklist.md in checkbox format. The implicit hardcoded-fallback scorecard has been removed.
Configuration
Wiki URLs in .ai/config.yaml.
scm: wiki-dor-url: "https://myorg.visualstudio.com/MyProject/_wiki/wikis/MyWiki/12345/My-DoR-Page" wiki-dod-url: "https://myorg.visualstudio.com/MyProject/_wiki/wikis/MyWiki/12346/My-DoD-Page"
Both URLs Required
Skills will error if the corresponding URL is not configured. Add both to the scm: section of your config.
Definition of Ready Workflow
Iterative collaboration between the agent and the BA.
Agent Posts
/dx-dor evaluates the story against wiki criteria and posts a [DoRAgent] comment with interactive checkboxes. Passing items are pre-checked, failing items are unchecked.
BA Updates
The BA reads the comment, updates the story with missing data, and checks the corresponding checkboxes in the ADO comment.
Agent Re-validates
On re-run, the skill reads the ADO comment’s checkbox state. If new items are checked, it re-fetches the story, re-validates against the wiki, and posts a short update (not a full re-post).
Repeat
The loop continues until all items pass or remaining gaps are accepted.
Interactive Checkboxes
ADO comment checkboxes (- [x] / - [ ]) are interactive — any user can click to check or uncheck them, and the comment text updates accordingly.
What Gets Checked
| Check Type | Behavior |
|---|---|
required criteria | Evaluated programmatically — PASS or FAIL |
recommended criteria | WARN at most, never FAIL |
human criteria | Always WARN — agent cannot verify |
Output
The skill produces dor-report.md in the spec directory and posts a formatted comment to the ADO work item.
Definition of Done Workflow
Validates actual deliverables -- code, tests, PR, and build status.
What It Checks
The DoD validates real project state, not workflow artifacts:
- File existence (e.g.,
explain.mdexists) - ADO state (at least one linked PR exists)
- Codebase checks (test files exist for changed components)
- Step status (all steps in
implement.mdmarked done)
Auto-Fix
/dx-req-dod also auto-fixes what is possible — creates missing files, updates statuses, and fixes formatting issues.
/dx-req-dod
Manual vs AI Implementation
The DoD works the same whether a story was implemented manually or via the AI workflow. It checks actual deliverables, not how they were created.
Scoring and Verdicts
How pass/fail is determined from individual criteria results.
| Condition | Verdict |
|---|---|
| All automated criteria pass | PASS |
| 1-2 automated failures | PARTIAL |
| 3+ automated failures | FAIL |
Skip Triggers
Sections can define skip conditions (e.g., “Pure configuration or content-only changes”). When triggered, criteria in that section are marked SKIP instead of FAIL.
Maintaining the Checklists
Edit wiki pages directly in ADO to change criteria.
How to Update
- Edit the wiki page directly in ADO
- Changes take effect on the next skill run (no caching)
- Adding sections or criteria extends the check automatically
- Removing criteria removes them from the check
Wiki Format
DoR pages use checkbox format: numbered sections (## N. Title), criteria as checkboxes (- [ ] Name ), and optional skip triggers. DoD pages still use table format. See the Wiki Format page for full details.tag — Description
Automation Pipeline
DoR and DoD also run as automated ADO pipeline agents.
Automated DoR
Triggered by Lambda webhooks when work items are updated. Posts DoR results as comments and can transition work item state based on pass/fail.
Automated DoD
Triggered when PRs are created or updated. Validates deliverables and posts results. /dx-req-dod can auto-remediate failures.
Same Criteria, Two Modes
Both the interactive skills (/dx-dor, /dx-req, /dx-req-dod) and the automation pipelines read from the same wiki pages. Updating the wiki changes behavior for both local development and automated pipelines.