How to find an Azure Pipeline ID

BranchDeploy needs the ID of the Azure Pipeline it should queue when someone deploys from an Azure Boards work item. This is the pipeline definition ID, not a run number, build number, release definition ID, or work item ID.

If you copy the wrong number, BranchDeploy may fail to queue the run, or it may queue a different pipeline than the one your team expects. Use one of the checks below before saving the ID in Project Settings.

Which ID BranchDeploy needs

Use the ID for the Azure Pipeline that performs the deployment. In the Azure DevOps UI this is often shown in URLs as definitionId=42 or as the number in a pipeline route such as /_build?definitionId=42. In newer Azure Pipelines REST API documentation the same value is commonly referred to as the pipeline ID.

Do not use:

• A pipeline run ID from a specific run.
• A build number such as 20260730.4.
• A classic Release pipeline ID.
• The Azure Boards work item ID.
• The project ID or repository ID.

Method 1: copy it from the Azure Pipelines URL

1. Open your Azure DevOps project.
2. Go to Pipelines.
3. Select the pipeline you want BranchDeploy to queue.
4. Look at the browser URL.
5. Copy the number after definitionId=, or the numeric pipeline route segment if your URL uses the newer pipeline route format.

For example, if the URL contains definitionId=42, enter 42 in Project Settings -> BranchDeploy -> Pipeline ID.

Method 2: list pipelines with the Azure DevOps CLI

If your project has many pipelines or several similarly named deployment pipelines, the Azure DevOps CLI is usually clearer than the browser URL.

az pipelines list \
  --org https://dev.azure.com/YOUR_ORG \
  --project "YOUR_PROJECT" \
  --query "[].{name:name,id:id,path:path}" \
  --output table

Find the deployment pipeline in the output and use the value in the id column. You can then inspect the pipeline before saving it:

az pipelines show \
  --org https://dev.azure.com/YOUR_ORG \
  --project "YOUR_PROJECT" \
  --id 42

If the command shows the pipeline you expect, that is the ID BranchDeploy should use.

Method 3: check the run pipeline API path

The Azure DevOps Run Pipeline API uses a path that includes the project and pipeline ID. If an integration or script queues your deployment pipeline through the API, look for the number used in this shape:

POST https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/pipelines/{pipelineId}/runs

The pipelineId path value is the ID to use in BranchDeploy settings.

Verify the ID before saving it

Before you hand the workflow to QA or delivery users, queue the pipeline manually once with the branch you expect to deploy. Confirm:

• The pipeline deploys the selected branch, not the pipeline default branch.
• The pipeline has access to the service connections and environment resources it needs.
• The users who will deploy through BranchDeploy have permission to queue that pipeline.
• Any optional queue-time variables, such as environment or workItemId, match your YAML.

Common mistakes

Copying a run ID instead of a pipeline ID

A run ID identifies one execution of a pipeline. It changes every time the pipeline runs. BranchDeploy needs the stable pipeline ID so it can queue new runs.

Using a release pipeline ID

BranchDeploy is designed for Azure Pipelines build/YAML pipelines. If your deployment still uses classic Releases, create or select the Azure Pipeline that queues the deployment path you want BranchDeploy to use.

Choosing the wrong project

Pipeline IDs are scoped to an Azure DevOps project. A pipeline ID from one project is not a reliable identifier in another project. Check the organisation and project in the URL or CLI command before saving settings.

Using the display name

Azure DevOps lets you rename pipelines. The numeric ID is more stable than the display name and is the value BranchDeploy stores.

Where to save the ID in BranchDeploy

1. Open the Azure DevOps project where BranchDeploy is installed.
2. Go to Project Settings -> BranchDeploy.
3. Paste the numeric pipeline ID.
4. Set the environment name and optional queue-time variable names.
5. Save settings.
6. Open a work item linked to a branch or PR and test the deploy action.

For the full configuration flow, use the BranchDeploy setup documentation.

Official Azure DevOps references

• Run Pipeline REST API
• Azure DevOps CLI pipeline commands