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Azure Containerregistry Py

MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MIT
  • Low risk

From the author

Azure Container Registry SDK for Python. Use for managing container images, artifacts, and repositories. Triggers: "azure-containerregistry", "ContainerRegistryClient", "container images", "docker registry", "ACR".
— the description by Microsoft

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The azure-containerregistry-py skill provides the Python SDK for interacting with Azure Container Registry (ACR). It enables developers to programmatically manage container images, repositories, tags, and manifests. The skill includes support for both synchronous and asynchronous operations, authentication via Microsoft Entra ID, and patterns for cleaning up or maintaining registry content.

What it does

  • Lists and manages container repositories
  • Retrieves and updates metadata for images and manifests
  • Downloads container image manifests and blobs
  • Deletes specific tags, manifests, or entire repositories
  • Supports asynchronous operations for high-throughput tasks
  • Provides authentication patterns using DefaultAzureCredential

When to use it

  • When automating container image lifecycle management in Azure
  • When building scripts to clean up old or untagged container images
  • When integrating registry management into Python-based CI/CD pipelines
  • When needing to programmatically inspect or modify registry metadata

Advantages

  • Native support for Microsoft Entra ID authentication
  • Consistent API design for both sync and async workflows
  • Context manager support for deterministic resource cleanup
  • Granular control over manifest and tag operations

Usage examples

“How do I list all repositories in my Azure Container Registry using Python?”
The agent provides a code snippet using ContainerRegistryClient and the list_repository_names method to iterate through and print all repository names.
“Show me how to delete old untagged images in ACR.”
The agent provides a script that calculates a cutoff date, lists manifest properties, and deletes manifests that are older than the cutoff and lack associated tags.
“How can I download a specific container image manifest?”
The agent provides an example using the download_manifest method from the ContainerRegistryClient to retrieve manifest details.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-containerregistry-py/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip azure-containerregistry-py.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Microsoft

Azure Container Registry SDK for Python

Manage container images, artifacts, and repositories in Azure Container Registry.

Installation

pip install azure-containerregistry

Environment Variables

AZURE_CONTAINERREGISTRY_ENDPOINT=https://<registry-name>.azurecr.io  # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production

Authentication & Lifecycle

🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:

  1. Prefer DefaultAzureCredential. It works locally (Azure CLI / VS Code / Developer CLI) and in Azure (managed identity, workload identity) with no code change. Avoid connection strings, account/API keys — they bypass Entra audit and rotation.

    • Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential works as-is.

    • Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod (or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.

  2. Wrap every client in a context manager so HTTP transports, sockets, and token caches are released deterministically:

    • Sync: with <Client>(...) as client:

    • Async: async with <Client>(...) as client: and async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential: (from azure.identity.aio)

Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.

import os
from azure.containerregistry import ContainerRegistryClient
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential

# Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True)
# Or use a specific credential directly in production:
# See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
# credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()

with ContainerRegistryClient(
    endpoint=os.environ["AZURE_CONTAINERREGISTRY_ENDPOINT"],
    credential=credential
) as client:
    # Use client here (see following sections for operations)
    ...
Anonymous Access (Public Registry)
from azure.containerregistry import ContainerRegistryClient

with ContainerRegistryClient(
    endpoint="https://mcr.microsoft.com",
    credential=None,
    audience="https://mcr.microsoft.com"
) as client:
    # Use client here (see following sections for operations)
    ...

List Repositories

with ContainerRegistryClient(endpoint, DefaultAzureCredential()) as client:
    for repository in client.list_repository_names():
        print(repository)

Repository Operations

Get Repository Properties
properties = client.get_repository_properties("my-image")
print(f"Created: {properties.created_on}")
print(f"Modified: {properties.last_updated_on}")
print(f"Manifests: {properties.manifest_count}")
print(f"Tags: {properties.tag_count}")
Update Repository Properties
from azure.containerregistry import RepositoryProperties

client.update_repository_properties(
    "my-image",
    properties=RepositoryProperties(
        can_delete=False,
        can_write=False
    )
)
Delete Repository
client.delete_repository("my-image")

List Tags

for tag in client.list_tag_properties("my-image"):
    print(f"{tag.name}: {tag.created_on}")
Filter by Order
from azure.containerregistry import ArtifactTagOrder

# Most recent first
for tag in client.list_tag_properties(
    "my-image",
    order_by=ArtifactTagOrder.LAST_UPDATED_ON_DESCENDING
):
    print(f"{tag.name}: {tag.last_updated_on}")

Manifest Operations

List Manifests
from azure.containerregistry import ArtifactManifestOrder

for manifest in client.list_manifest_properties(
    "my-image",
    order_by=ArtifactManifestOrder.LAST_UPDATED_ON_DESCENDING
):
    print(f"Digest: {manifest.digest}")
    print(f"Tags: {manifest.tags}")
    print(f"Size: {manifest.size_in_bytes}")
Get Manifest Properties
manifest = client.get_manifest_properties("my-image", "latest")
print(f"Digest: {manifest.digest}")
print(f"Architecture: {manifest.architecture}")
print(f"OS: {manifest.operating_system}")
Update Manifest Properties
from azure.containerregistry import ArtifactManifestProperties

client.update_manifest_properties(
    "my-image",
    "latest",
    properties=ArtifactManifestProperties(
        can_delete=False,
        can_write=False
    )
)
Delete Manifest
# Delete by digest
client.delete_manifest("my-image", "sha256:abc123...")

# Delete by tag
manifest = client.get_manifest_properties("my-image", "old-tag")
client.delete_manifest("my-image", manifest.digest)

Tag Operations

Get Tag Properties
tag = client.get_tag_properties("my-image", "latest")
print(f"Digest: {tag.digest}")
print(f"Created: {tag.created_on}")
Delete Tag
client.delete_tag("my-image", "old-tag")

Upload and Download Artifacts

from azure.containerregistry import ContainerRegistryClient

with ContainerRegistryClient(endpoint, DefaultAzureCredential()) as client:
    # Download manifest
    manifest = client.download_manifest("my-image", "latest")
    print(f"Media type: {manifest.media_type}")
    print(f"Digest: {manifest.digest}")

    # Download blob
    blob = client.download_blob("my-image", "sha256:abc123...")
    with open("layer.tar.gz", "wb") as f:
        for chunk in blob:
            f.write(chunk)

Async Client

from azure.containerregistry.aio import ContainerRegistryClient
from azure.identity.aio import DefaultAzureCredential

async def list_repos():
    async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential:
        async with ContainerRegistryClient(endpoint, credential) as client:
            async for repo in client.list_repository_names():
                print(repo)

Clean Up Old Images

from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone

cutoff = datetime.now(timezone.utc) - timedelta(days=30)

for manifest in client.list_manifest_properties("my-image"):
    if manifest.last_updated_on < cutoff and not manifest.tags:
        print(f"Deleting {manifest.digest}")
        client.delete_manifest("my-image", manifest.digest)

Client Operations

OperationDescription
list_repository_namesList all repositories
get_repository_propertiesGet repository metadata
delete_repositoryDelete repository and all images
list_tag_propertiesList tags in repository
get_tag_propertiesGet tag metadata
delete_tagDelete specific tag
list_manifest_propertiesList manifests in repository
get_manifest_propertiesGet manifest metadata
delete_manifestDelete manifest by digest
download_manifestDownload manifest content
download_blobDownload layer blob

Best Practices

  1. Pick sync OR async and stay consistent. Do not mix azure.xxx sync clients with azure.xxx.aio async clients in the same call path. Choose one mode per module.

  2. Always use context managers for clients and async credentials. Wrap every client in with Client(...) as client: (sync) or async with Client(...) as client: (async). For async DefaultAzureCredential from azure.identity.aio, also use async with credential: so tokens and transports are cleaned up.

  3. Use Microsoft Entra ID for authentication in production

  4. Delete by digest not tag to avoid orphaned images

  5. Lock production images with can_delete=False

  6. Clean up untagged manifests regularly

  7. Use async client for high-throughput operations

  8. Order by last_updated to find recent/old images

  9. Check manifest.tags before deleting to avoid removing tagged images

Reference Files

FileContents
references/capabilities.mdAdditional non-hero capabilities, operation-group coverage, and production checklists.
references/non-hero-scenarios.mdDedicated non-hero examples for secondary/advanced scenarios.

Files

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 API key, Needs Python

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

  • Instructions that use the network

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-sdk-python/skills/azure-containerregistry-py · commit 0696600
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft or Microsoft.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download azure-containerregistry-py.zip