Azure Containerregistry Py
MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft
- Skill
- Tool integration
- Cloud and DevOps
- MIT
- Low risk
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
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-containerregistry-py/downloadUnzip 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-containerregistryEnvironment 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 productionAuthentication & Lifecycle
🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:
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:
DefaultAzureCredentialworks as-is.Production: set
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod(orAZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.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:andasync with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential:(fromazure.identity.aio)Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.
Entra ID (Recommended)
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
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
list_repository_names | List all repositories |
get_repository_properties | Get repository metadata |
delete_repository | Delete repository and all images |
list_tag_properties | List tags in repository |
get_tag_properties | Get tag metadata |
delete_tag | Delete specific tag |
list_manifest_properties | List manifests in repository |
get_manifest_properties | Get manifest metadata |
delete_manifest | Delete manifest by digest |
download_manifest | Download manifest content |
download_blob | Download layer blob |
Best Practices
Pick sync OR async and stay consistent. Do not mix
azure.xxxsync clients withazure.xxx.aioasync clients in the same call path. Choose one mode per module.Always use context managers for clients and async credentials. Wrap every client in
with Client(...) as client:(sync) orasync with Client(...) as client:(async). For asyncDefaultAzureCredentialfromazure.identity.aio, also useasync with credential:so tokens and transports are cleaned up.Use Microsoft Entra ID for authentication in production
Delete by digest not tag to avoid orphaned images
Lock production images with can_delete=False
Clean up untagged manifests regularly
Use async client for high-throughput operations
Order by last_updated to find recent/old images
Check manifest.tags before deleting to avoid removing tagged images
Reference Files
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
| references/capabilities.md | Additional non-hero capabilities, operation-group coverage, and production checklists. |
| references/non-hero-scenarios.md | Dedicated non-hero examples for secondary/advanced scenarios. |
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer989 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.1 KiB
- SKILL.md8.5 KiB
- references/capabilities.md1.7 KiB
- references/non-hero-scenarios.md2.5 KiB
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