AZ-400 Practice Question: Design and implement build and release pipelines
Which TWO of the following are valid ways to trigger a release pipeline in Azure DevOps? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse manual release creation (an action) with a configured trigger (an automated event), and they may incorrectly assume that pull request triggers apply to release pipelines when they are only valid for build pipelines.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Continuous deployment trigger after a build completes.
Azure DevOps release pipelines can be triggered in multiple ways. A continuous deployment trigger (A) automatically creates a release whenever a build artifact is successfully produced. A scheduled release trigger (E) creates a release at a defined time (e.g., nightly). Manual release creation via the 'Create release' button (C) is a manual action, not an automated configured trigger. Pull request triggers (D) are valid only for build pipelines, not release pipelines. 'Source version trigger' (B) is not a standard release trigger type. Therefore, the two valid trigger types are A and E.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Continuous deployment trigger after a build completes.
Why this is correct
A continuous deployment trigger automatically creates a release as soon as an associated build artifact is produced by a successful build. This is a native, valid release pipeline trigger in Azure DevOps, enabling automated deployment pipelines.
- ✗
Source version trigger.
Why it's wrong here
There is no 'source version trigger' in Azure DevOps release pipelines. Release pipelines are triggered by artifact availability (such as a build or repository artifact), schedules, or manual actions, but not directly by source version changes, so this is not a valid trigger type.
- ✗
Manual trigger via the 'Create release' button.
Why it's wrong here
Clicking the 'Create release' button is a manual action performed by a user in the Azure portal or REST API, not an automated trigger. Triggers are events that automatically initiate a release without human intervention, so this does not qualify as a valid release trigger.
- ✗
Pull request trigger.
Why it's wrong here
Pull request triggers are configured for build pipelines to validate code changes in a PR by running a build; release pipelines deploy pre-built artifacts and do not support PR-based triggers, making this an invalid release trigger.
- ✓
Scheduled release trigger.
Why this is correct
A scheduled release trigger enables releases to be created automatically at predefined times, such as daily intervals or specific dates, using a cron-like schedule in the release pipeline settings. This is a legitimate automated trigger for release pipelines.
Visual reference
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to DevOps and Azure DevOps
Key term
Artifact
An artifact is any file or package produced during the software development process that is used to deploy, test, or run an application.
Key term
Release pipeline
A Release pipeline is an automated sequence of steps that takes software from code commit to production deployment, ensuring quality and consistency.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-400 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-400 exam.