Step by Step Rename Azure Devops Repo Guide

Renaming an Azure DevOps repository can be a straightforward process, but it does require some planning and attention to detail. First, it's essential to understand that renaming a repository will not change its URL, so you'll need to update any existing links or references to the repository.

To begin, navigate to your Azure DevOps project and click on the repository you want to rename. From there, click on the three dots at the top right corner and select "Rename repository". You will then be prompted to enter a new name for the repository and confirm the changes.

Make sure to update any existing links or references to the repository, such as in your project's configuration or in external tools. This will ensure that everything continues to work as expected after the rename.

To rename an Azure DevOps repository, you'll need to have the right permissions.

You must have Rename Repository permissions on your Git repo to proceed.

You can rename a repository using either a browser or the Azure DevOps CLI.

Here are the tools you can use to rename a repository:

Note that Azure DevOps CLI commands aren't supported for Azure DevOps Server.

You can rename an Azure DevOps repository using the web portal or the command line.

From the web portal, select Repos, Files, and then Manage repositories. Select the repository you want to rename and choose the ... menu to access the Rename repository option.

You can also use the az repos update command to rename a repository, specifying the repository name or ID, the new name, and the organization URL.

The az repos update command has several parameters, including repository, default-branch, detect, name, org, project, and subscription. The repository parameter specifies the name or ID of the repository, and the name parameter specifies the new name for the repository.

Here are the parameters you can use with the az repos update command:

Renaming an Azure DevOps repository can have a significant impact on your project's workflow and collaboration.

Renaming a repository can break existing links to the old name, which may require updating in the code, documentation, and other related systems.

In the article, we discussed the process of renaming an Azure DevOps repository, which involves updating the repository's name, updating the Git history, and updating any existing links or references to the old name.

This process can be complex and time-consuming, especially if your repository has a large number of commits or is used by multiple teams.

Updating TFVC server workspaces is a crucial step after renaming a project. If your project uses TFVC with server workspaces, these workspaces must be updated with the new project name.

To do this, you'll need to execute a get or check in on your Visual Studio clients. This will automatically correct the workspace mapping to use the new project name.

If you're unsure how to update your TFVC server workspaces, consider the following:

In Visual Studio, executing a get or check in is usually a straightforward process. Simply navigate to the project folder, right-click, and select "Get Latest Version" or "Check In" to update the workspace mapping.

Renaming a project can have a minor impact on your browser navigation experience.

After renaming a project, browsers that had the project opened might encounter some errors.

These errors are caused by caches held by the browser, which include the old project name.

Refreshing the browser can resolve these errors, as the cache gets repopulated with the new project name.

After renaming your Azure DevOps repository, you'll need to take some important steps to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Each user within your team must restart their clients. This is a crucial step to ensure all users have access to the updated repository.

To update your Git remotes, you'll need to perform some specific actions. This includes updating Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) server workspaces and local workspaces.

Here's a quick rundown of the required user actions:

To update your project after a rename, each team member needs to restart their clients. This is a crucial step to ensure that everyone is working with the new project name.

You'll need to update your Git remotes, which involves updating the remote repository URL in your local repository. This is necessary because the remote repository URL contains the project and repository name. Git uses remote references to fetch and push changes between your local repository and the remote version stored on the server.

To update your Git remotes, you'll need to update your local Git repositories. This is a team effort, and each member must update their local repositories to continue connecting from their dev machines.

You can find more information on updating your Git remotes on your dev machines in the relevant documentation.

If your project uses Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) with server workspaces, you'll need to update these workspaces with the new project name. For Visual Studio clients, executing a get or check-in will correct the workspace mapping to use the new project name.

If your team uses TFVC with local workspaces, you'll need to create a new local workspace mapped to the new project name. This is because local workspaces get managed locally and not on the server, and older clients without the updated rename logic can't update local workspaces to the new project name.

Here are the required user actions for working with the renamed project:

We recommend updating your clients to the latest update or release, if possible. This will ensure that you have the latest features and functionality to work with the renamed project.

When renaming a project, all artifacts that share the same name get renamed along with the project.

This means that if you rename a project, any other artifacts with the same name will also be updated. The default team and repo are exceptions to this rule, and their rename is performed as a best effort.

For example, if a project named Foo is renamed to Bar, the default team Foo won't be renamed if a team named Bar already exists in the project.