Authenticate to Azure DevOps with Microsoft Entra ID

Azure DevOps Services

This article explains the benefits of Microsoft Entra ID authentication and guides you through implementing it in your applications.

Overview

Microsoft Entra ID is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management platform that lets organizations:

• Manage user identities and control access to resources
• Implement enterprise security policies like multi-factor authentication and Conditional Access
• Integrate with thousands of applications including Azure DevOps Services
• Provide single sign-on (SSO) across Microsoft and non-Microsoft services

Many Azure DevOps enterprise customers connect their Azure DevOps organization to Microsoft Entra ID to use these capabilities and enhanced security features.

Authentication options

The Microsoft Identity platform provides two primary authentication patterns for Azure DevOps access:

User delegation (OAuth)

Best for: Interactive applications that act on behalf of users

• Users sign in with their Microsoft Entra ID credentials
• Applications receive delegated permissions to act as the signed-in user
• Supports multi-factor authentication and Conditional Access policies
• Ideal for web applications, desktop apps, and user-facing tools

Get started: Microsoft Entra ID OAuth implementation

Application identity (Service principals and managed identities)

Best for: Background services and automation scenarios

• Applications authenticate using their own identity (not user credentials)
• Suitable for CI/CD pipelines, background services, and automated tools
• More secure for service-to-service communication
• Supports both service principals and Azure managed identities

Get started: Service principals and managed identities

Benefits of Microsoft Entra ID authentication

Microsoft Entra ID authentication provides significant advantages over legacy Azure DevOps authentication methods:

Enhanced security

• Short-lived tokens (1 hour expiration) reduce risk from compromised credentials
• Conditional Access policies protect against token theft and unauthorized access
• Multi-factor authentication support for other security layers
• Advanced threat protection with real-time risk assessment

Enterprise integration

• Single sign-on across Microsoft and non-Microsoft applications
• Centralized identity management for users and applications
• Policy enforcement at the organizational level
• Audit and compliance capabilities for governance requirements

Developer experience

• Modern authentication libraries (MSAL) with automatic token refresh
• Consistent identity platform across all Microsoft services
• Rich documentation and samples for quick implementation
• Active support and development with regular feature updates

Comparison with legacy methods

Migration from legacy authentication

Organizations increasingly adopt security policies that restrict Personal Access Token (PAT) creation due to security risks. Microsoft Entra ID authentication provides secure alternatives for common PAT scenarios.