Changing status doesn't work when there is space in the name

Multi-word states are supported; they must match the Azure Boards work item state name or state category exactly, including spaces.

For GitHub → Azure Boards integration, the syntax is:

{State or StateCategory} AB#{ID}

Examples that should work if the process has such a state or category:

Ready For Deploy AB#1344
Resolved AB#1344
Closed AB#1344

Behavior is as follows:

1. Azure Boards first tries to match the full text before AB# to a state name on the work item type.
2. If no state name matches, it tries to match it to a state category (for example, Resolved or Completed).
3. If a category matches, the work item is moved to the first state in that category.
4. If neither a state nor a category matches, the keyword is ignored and the work item state is not updated.

Therefore, if Ready For Deploy AB#1344 is not changing the state, it means:

• The work item type does not have a state named exactly Ready For Deploy, and
• There is no state category named Ready For Deploy.

To make it work, either:

• Rename or add a state so its name is exactly Ready For Deploy, or
• Use a state/category name that already exists in the process (for example, Resolved AB#1344 or Closed AB#1344).

Also note: state transition rules only apply when the pull request is merged into the default branch.

References:

• Link GitHub commits, pull requests, branches, and issues to work items in Azure Boards
• Expanded security scanning and state transition support for GitHub pull requests
• Azure Boards - Sprint 255 Update
• Define, capture, triage, and manage bugs in Azure Boards
• Azure Boards FAQs