Azure App Onboard
MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft
- Skill
- Workflow
- Cloud and DevOps
- MIT
- Low risk
- Has scripts
AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
Azure App Onboard is a comprehensive workflow agent designed to take a business idea or an existing codebase and transition it to a running Azure deployment. It automates the entire lifecycle from initial discovery and architecture planning to infrastructure scaffolding and final deployment. The skill is built to be intelligent and tailored, analyzing the specific requirements of your application rather than relying on generic templates. It includes built-in approval gates for both the architecture plan and the final deployment, ensuring you maintain control over costs and resource configuration throughout the process.
What it does
- Analyzes your application code or business idea to determine the optimal Azure service stack.
- Generates custom infrastructure-as-code (IaC) files tailored to your specific application needs.
- Provides detailed cost estimates for the proposed Azure infrastructure before deployment.
- Executes the deployment of resources directly to your Azure subscription.
- Handles the migration of existing applications to Azure with minimal code changes.
- Provides a structured, step-by-step onboarding experience for developers of all experience levels.
When to use it
- When you have an application and want to deploy it to Azure but are unsure which services to use.
- When you need to migrate an existing application to the cloud without a complete rewrite.
- When you require a cost estimate for your infrastructure before committing to a deployment.
- When you need guided, end-to-end assistance for setting up a new Azure project.
- When you want to verify if your current codebase is ready for a cloud deployment.
Advantages
- Eliminates guesswork by auto-detecting the right Azure services for your specific stack.
- Reduces manual effort by automating the scaffolding of infrastructure-as-code.
- Ensures transparency with mandatory approval gates for architecture and deployment.
- Provides cost visibility early in the planning phase.
- Supports a wide range of scenarios from greenfield projects to existing app migrations.
Usage examples
- “I have a Python web app and want to deploy it to Azure. Can you help me get started?”
- The agent will initiate the discovery phase, scan your codebase, propose an architecture, and guide you through the deployment process.
- “I need to move my existing application to Azure, but I'm not sure what services I need. Can you plan this for me?”
- The agent will analyze your app's requirements, suggest the appropriate Azure services, and provide a cost estimate for your approval.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-app-onboard/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip azure-app-onboard.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by Microsoft
Azure App Onboard
⛔ Every repo goes through the full pipeline (Steps 1–10). No exceptions. Do not skip steps, refuse, or short-circuit based on what you recognize. Follow the Workflow table below sequentially — read each step's references before acting.
Quick Reference
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Best for | Developers who know what to build but not which Azure services to use |
| Inputs | Business idea or existing codebase, budget/scale preferences (optional) |
| Outputs | Architecture plan, cost estimate, IaC files, deployed Azure resources |
| Phases | Discover → Architect → Scaffold → Deploy (self-contained, no external skill calls) |
When to Use This Skill
Deploy existing code without knowing which Azure services to use
Check if your existing code is ready to deploy to Azure
Move an existing app to Azure without rewriting or with minimal changes
Get cost estimates before committing to infrastructure
Understand architecture decisions and rejected alternatives
Get answers to Azure architecture or service selection questions (e.g., "What database should I use?")
Get guided Azure onboarding without prior experience
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
Run azd up or execute an existing deployment | azure-deploy |
| Optimize existing Azure spend | cost-optimization from the optional azure-cost plugin |
| Generate Bicep/Terraform for a known architecture | azure-prepare |
| Validate infrastructure or run preflight checks | azure-validate |
| Troubleshoot a running Azure deployment | azure-diagnostics |
| Deploy to or manage AKS/Kubernetes directly | azure-kubernetes |
| Look up or list existing Azure resources | azure-resource-lookup |
If cost-optimization is unavailable, explain that it is provided by the
optional azure-cost plugin and direct the user to their client's supported
plugin installation flow; do not imply the handoff completed.
Pipeline Rules
⛔ You MUST read
references/pipeline-rules.mdat the start of every AppOnboard session. It contains approval gates, phase lifecycle, session artifacts, deploy-as-is, and security baseline rules.
Workflow
⛔ Deploy recovery: After deploy gate approval OR before any
az deployment/az webapp deploy/az acr build— if you haven't readdeploy/PHASE.md, read.copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/deploy-checklist.mdfirst, thendeploy/PHASE.md. ⛔ NEVER invoke{"skill": "azure-deploy"}— that is a DIFFERENT skill for a DIFFERENT workflow.
⛔ Post-scaffold transition (MANDATORY): Immediately after
scaffold-manifest.jsonis written, YOUR NEXT ACTION MUST be Step 8 (Deploy Approval Gate) — NOT a summary report, NOT a "here are the generated files" message, NOT a completion signal. Confirmcontext.jsonhascompletedPhases: [...,"scaffold"]+currentPhase: "deploy"(update it yourself if the scaffold subagent didn't). Re-read approval-gates.md § Deploy Gate if evicted from context (scaffold reference loading is heavy), then present the exact prompt: "🚀 Ready to deploy? (Yes / Run manually / Edit plan / Cancel)". This gate is the LAST content in your response — wait for the user's reply.
| # | Step | Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Session check + Azure login | Create/resume session, verify Azure CLI auth, resolve subscription + user identity | ⛔ You MUST read session-protocol.md |
| 2 | Scope triage | Check azd markers, triage question. Empty workspace or code-only (no infra) → Step 3 directly. | ⛔ Read intent-gathering.md § Scope Triage |
| 3 | Prereq scan | ⛔ Skip if completedPhases includes "prereq". Otherwise: invoke {"skill": "azure-app-onboard-prereq"}. Write prereq-output.json, update context.json. Halt if: overallHealth: "blocked" OR routeToSkill set. | |
| 4 | Gather intent | Present prereq results, confirm stack + Azure services, ask remaining questions. | ⛔ Read intent-gathering.md § After Prereq Returns |
| 5 | Plan architecture | Write prepare-plan.json. | ⛔ You MUST read prepare/PHASE.md |
| 6 | Scaffold approval gate | Display plan for user approval BEFORE generating any files. | ⛔ Read approval-gates.md § Scaffold Gate |
| 7 | Scaffold | Generate IaC, self-review. Write scaffold-manifest.json. Update context.json. | ⛔ You MUST read scaffold/PHASE.md |
| 8 | Deploy approval gate | Display validation summary. ⛔ After approval: FIRST read deploy-checklist.md → deploy/PHASE.md. NEVER {"skill": "azure-deploy"}. | ⛔ Read approval-gates.md § Deploy Gate |
| 9 | Deploy | Execute IaC, health-check. Write deploy-result.json. | ⛔ You MUST read deploy/PHASE.md |
| 10 | Handoff | Surface deployment identity, cleanup commands, next steps. | ⛔ You MUST read handoff-protocol.md |
Error Handling
| Error | Remediation |
|---|---|
| Phase fails | Halt, report phase + error. User decides: retry, skip, abort. |
| MCP server unavailable | Skip affected checks, add disclaimer to costEstimate.assumptions[] and every approval gate. |
| Missing RBAC | Report required role + az role assignment command. |
Shared references: MCP tools (cross-phase tool parameters) | IaC resources (Azure resource docs for troubleshooting)
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer983 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.1 KiB
- SKILL.md6.6 KiB
- deploy/PHASE.md7.5 KiB
- deploy/references/approval-gate-template.md2.9 KiB
- deploy/references/blocked-patterns.md5.7 KiB
- deploy/references/code-deployment-appservice.md4.6 KiB
- deploy/references/code-deployment-container-apps.md8.4 KiB
- deploy/references/code-deployment-swa.md5.7 KiB
- deploy/references/database-post-deploy.md4.5 KiB
- deploy/references/deploy-checklist-template.md10.1 KiB
- deploy/references/deploy-safety.md4.5 KiB
- deploy/references/deploy-schemas.tsScript3.5 KiB
- deploy/references/error-classification.md3.6 KiB
- deploy/references/health-check-patterns.md5.5 KiB
- deploy/references/mcp-tools.md5.5 KiB
- deploy/references/portal-links.md3.1 KiB
- deploy/references/preflight-checks.md4.4 KiB
- deploy/references/subagent-preflight.md5.1 KiB
- prepare/PHASE.md6.4 KiB
- prepare/references/deploy-strategy.md6.8 KiB
- prepare/references/mcp-tools.md5.6 KiB
- prepare/references/naming-patterns.md4.6 KiB
- prepare/references/prepare-schemas.tsScript7.0 KiB
- prepare/references/pricing-guide-services.md8.4 KiB
- prepare/references/pricing-guide.md4.0 KiB
- prepare/references/service-mapping.md8.5 KiB
- prepare/references/sku-matrix.md3.2 KiB
- prepare/references/sku-quota-validation.md9.0 KiB
- prepare/references/subagent-pricing.md2.5 KiB
- prepare/references/subagent-quota.md3.5 KiB
- prepare/references/validation-rubric.md2.3 KiB
- references/approval-gates.md8.4 KiB
- references/azd-template-routing.md4.7 KiB
- references/handoff-protocol.md7.8 KiB
- references/iac-resources.md2.6 KiB
- references/intent-gathering.md2.2 KiB
- references/mcp-tool-reference.md3.7 KiB
- references/pipeline-rules-runtime.md3.5 KiB
- references/pipeline-rules.md6.3 KiB
- references/session-protocol.md8.0 KiB
- references/session-schemas.tsScript5.2 KiB
- references/subscription-resolution.md2.1 KiB
- scaffold/PHASE.md14.2 KiB
- scaffold/references/bicep-app-service.md5.4 KiB
- scaffold/references/bicep-container-apps.md9.3 KiB
- scaffold/references/bicep-patterns-data.md4.0 KiB
- scaffold/references/bicep-patterns-security.md7.8 KiB
- scaffold/references/bicep-patterns.md6.8 KiB
- scaffold/references/bicep-swa.md757 B
- scaffold/references/cicd-pipelines.md325 B
- scaffold/references/dockerfile-generation.md4.1 KiB
- scaffold/references/env-var-secrets.md4.1 KiB
- scaffold/references/error-handling.md1.5 KiB
- scaffold/references/iac-generation-rules.md6.6 KiB
- scaffold/references/mcp-tools.md7.0 KiB
- scaffold/references/rbac-roles.md3.8 KiB
- scaffold/references/scaffold-healing-rules.md3.3 KiB
- scaffold/references/scaffold-schemas.tsScript3.5 KiB
- scaffold/references/self-healing.md2.3 KiB
- scaffold/references/self-review-checklist.md9.0 KiB
- scaffold/references/self-review-procedure.md2.3 KiB
- scaffold/references/subagent-iac-gen.md9.5 KiB
- scaffold/references/subagent-review.md3.5 KiB
- scaffold/references/subagent-validate.md7.2 KiB
- scaffold/references/terraform-patterns.md6.9 KiB
- scaffold/references/validation-and-manifest.md5.1 KiB
- scaffold/references/waf-checklist.md2.3 KiB
- scaffold/scripts/scaffold-conformance.ps1Script12.8 KiB
- scaffold/scripts/scaffold-conformance.shScript13.8 KiB
scaffold/references/subagent-validate.md
Subagent Template — Validation & Manifest (Steps 10–12)
Validate IaC syntax, write scaffold-manifest.json, and generate deploy checklist. Follow the workflow below.
Critical Rules
⛔ Do NOT invoke ANY skills — no
{"skill": "azure-validate"},{"skill": "azure-deploy"},{"skill": "azure-prepare"}, or any other skill call. Use the procedures in THIS file only.⛔ Do NOT create or modify Azure resources — validation is syntax-only (
bicep build/terraform validate), neveraz deployment sub create.⛔ Do NOT run
what-iforterraform plan— deploy runs the mandatory what-if with real secret params. Scaffold validates syntax only.
Input (provided by caller)
| Field | Required |
|---|---|
IaC file paths (all generated .bicep or .tf files) | YES |
| Self-review findings from Steps 6–9 | YES |
prepare-plan.json — services, naming, region, subscriptionId | YES |
prereq-output.json.warnings[] — prereq warnings with fixPhase | YES |
prereq-output.json.healthEndpoint — detected health path (or null) | YES |
| Conformance result JSON (from main-thread Step 10a-conf) | YES |
Output
| Artifact | Location |
|---|---|
scaffold-manifest.json | Session folder |
deploy-result.json skeleton | Session folder |
| Validation result status | Return to caller: Validated or Failed |
| Deploy checklist | .copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/deploy-checklist.md |
Workflow
Step 1 — Read validation + manifest rules
Read validation-and-manifest.md and scaffold-schemas.ts.
Do: Understand the ScaffoldManifest interface (field names, types, required fields) and the validation sequence.
Step 2 — Format and validate IaC
Do:
Run
az bicep build --file infra/main.bicep --stdout > $null(Bicep) orterraform validate(TF). Process output for BCP errors and warnings. Record pass/fail.
Step 3 — Check RBAC completeness
Do: Verify every managed identity ↔ resource pair in the IaC has a corresponding Microsoft.Authorization/roleAssignments resource with the correct role GUID. Cross-reference with the review findings from Steps 6–9 input.
Step 3b — Azure runtime constraint check (Container Apps)
Skip if no Container Apps in the plan.
For each Container App resource in the generated Bicep:
cpu/memory combo — verify
cpu(must be typestring) +memoryis one of:0.25/0.5Gi,0.5/1Gi,0.75/1.5Gi,1/2Gi,1.25/2.5Gi,1.5/3Gi,1.75/3.5Gi,2/4Gi. FIXABLE: adjust to nearest valid combo (use smallest valid combo for sidecars/companions).secretRef coverage — every
secretRefin container env vars must have a matching entry inconfiguration.secrets[]. Every KV secret URL insecrets[]must reference aMicrosoft.KeyVault/vaults/secretsresource that exists in the generated modules. Missing secret resource → FIXABLE: add it to the KV module.probe path — if
prereq-output.json.healthEndpointis non-null, verifyprobePathmatches it. If null AND anyplainEnvVarsentry is namedBASEorPATH_PREFIX, verifyprobePathstarts with that value (not bare/). If null AND no BASE var: verify the app has a route handler for the probe path (check source entry point forapp.get('/')or framework root handler) — bare/on a REST API with only sub-path routes (e.g.,/users,/messages) returns 404 and blocks revision activation. FIXABLE: updateprobePathto a known GET endpoint from the app.
FIXABLE errors: fix the Bicep → re-run az bicep build → proceed to Step 3c.
Step 3b2 — App Service security constraint check
Skip if no App Service or Functions in the plan.
For each App Service / Functions resource in the generated Bicep:
basicPublishingCredentialsPolicies — verify both child resources exist:
basicPublishingCredentialsPolicies/scm(withallow: true) andbasicPublishingCredentialsPolicies/ftp(withallow: false). Missing → FIXABLE: add the child resources per bicep-patterns-security.md § Publishing Credential Lockdown.uniqueString in naming — verify the App Service name uses
uniqueString()or a unique suffix (not a hardcoded literal). Hardcoded names cause global collisions. Missing → FIXABLE: wrap name withuniqueString(resourceGroup().id).
FIXABLE errors: fix the Bicep → re-run az bicep build → proceed to Step 3c.
Step 3c — Record plan conformance result
The main thread (PHASE.md Step 10a-conf) already ran the conformance script and passed you its JSON. Record it in scaffold-manifest.json.conformance = { passed, failures, source: "script" }. ⛔ Do NOT set validationResult.status: "Validated" while any BLOCK failure is unresolved.
Fallback (only if the caller passed NO result AND infra/main.bicep exists — the gate is Bicep-only, skip for Terraform): run {scaffoldDir}/scripts/scaffold-conformance.ps1 -SessionPath "{sessionPath}" -InfraPath infra (or .sh on bash) yourself, then record with source: "script". Never hand-judge when a shell is available.
Step 4 — Write scaffold-manifest.json
Read scaffold-schemas.ts for exact field names.
Do: Write scaffold-manifest.json to the session folder with: sessionId, scaffoldCompletedUtc, iacFormat, targetScope, entryPoint, parametersFile, files[], deployCommand, twoPhaseWiring (if Container Apps), phase2Steps (if applicable), selfReview (from caller input), validationResult (from Steps 2–3). Use the exact field names from scaffold-schemas.ts § ScaffoldManifest.
Step 5 — Handle failures (if any)
Read scaffold-healing-rules.md ONLY if validation failed.
Do: Classify errors as FIXABLE or BLOCKING. FIXABLE: auto-fix IaC → re-validate (max 3 attempts before asking user). BLOCKING: surface to user and halt. PLAN_LEVEL_CHANGE: requires re-approval — do NOT auto-fix.
Step 6 — Verify deploy checklist exists
Do: Check that .copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/deploy-checklist.md exists (written by the parallel checklist subagent at scaffold Step 5b). If missing, read deploy-checklist-template.md and write it now as a fallback — fill {placeholders} from prepare-plan.json, delete non-applicable sections. This file survives conversation compaction
Step 7 — Create deploy-result.json skeleton (MANDATORY)
Read deploy-schemas.ts — specifically the DeployResult interface.
Do: Create .copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/deploy-result.json conforming to the DeployResult interface. Populate fields from all session artifacts already written (prepare-plan.json, context.json, scaffold-manifest.json, prereq-output.json). Use sensible defaults for fields the deploy phase will fill later. The deploy main agent updates this file in-place at Step 8 with real values.
Step 8 — Return results
Do: Return validation status (Validated or Failed) to the caller. Confirm deploy-checklist.md exists. Keep status report ≤500 tokens.
Requirements and compatibility
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.
Needs: Needs an MCP server, Needs Node.js
Security
What our scanner noticed· Low risk
- Instructions that use the network
- Scripts that your agent may run
This skill includes scripts that your agent may run. Read them before you use it.
A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.
Attribution and licence
- Created by
- Microsoft
- Publisher
- Microsoft (Official)
- Source
- microsoft/skills · .github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-app-onboard · commit 0696600
- Licence
- MIT License (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from .github/plugins/azure-skills/LICENSE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
- Also distributed in
- microsoft/azure-skills
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