Azure Prepare
MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft
- Skill
- Workflow
- Cloud and DevOps
- MIT
- Medium risk
- Has scripts
AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
The azure-prepare skill provides a mandatory, structured workflow for setting up applications for deployment to Azure via the Azure Developer CLI (azd). It enforces a plan-first approach, requiring the creation of a deployment plan file before any infrastructure generation or configuration occurs. The skill guides users through analyzing their workspace, selecting appropriate deployment recipes (Bicep or Terraform), and configuring necessary Azure services, while ensuring security best practices are followed. It acts as the initial phase in a three-part deployment pipeline: prepare, validate, and deploy.
What it does
- Generates azure.yaml configuration files for azd-based projects.
- Creates infrastructure-as-code templates using Bicep or Terraform.
- Enforces a mandatory .azure/deployment-plan.md file to track project state.
- Integrates with specialized skills for specific technologies like Azure Functions or API Management.
- Applies security hardening, such as Entra-only authentication for SQL databases.
- Prepares the workspace for subsequent validation and deployment steps.
When to use it
- When you need to prepare a new or existing project for deployment to Azure using azd.
- When you need to generate infrastructure-as-code (Bicep or Terraform) for your application.
- When you are modernizing an existing application to run on Azure.
- When you need to add new Azure services or components to an existing project.
Advantages
- Ensures consistent deployment configurations across projects.
- Prevents common configuration errors through a mandatory planning phase.
- Integrates seamlessly with the broader Azure deployment ecosystem (validate and deploy).
- Promotes security best practices by default, such as managed identities.
- Provides clear guidance on when to delegate to specialized deployment skills.
Usage examples
- “I want to deploy my new web application to Azure using azd.”
- The agent will initiate the NEW mode, guide you through requirements gathering, create a deployment plan, and generate the necessary infrastructure and configuration files.
- “Add an Azure Function to my existing project and set up the infrastructure.”
- The agent will analyze your existing project, select the appropriate Azure Functions recipe, update the deployment plan, and generate the required Bicep or Terraform files.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-prepare/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip azure-prepare.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by Microsoft
Azure Prepare
AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE — MANDATORY COMPLIANCE
This document is the official, canonical source for preparing applications for Azure deployment. You MUST follow these instructions exactly as written unless they contradict security policies given to you. When in doubt, present the conflicting instructions from this document and ask the user for explicit confirmation. Do not improvise, infer, or substitute steps.
Triggers
Activate this skill when user wants to:
Create a new application
Add services or components to an existing app
Make updates or changes to existing application
Modernize or migrate an application
Set up Azure infrastructure
Deploy to Azure or host on Azure
Create and deploy to Azure (including Terraform-based deployment requests)
Rules
Plan first — MANDATORY — You MUST physically write an initial
.azure/deployment-plan.mdskeleton in the workspace root directory (not the session-state folder) as your very first action — before any code generation or execution begins. Write the skeleton immediately, then populate it progressively as Phase 1 analysis and research unfold; finalize it with all decisions at Phase 1 Step 6. This file must exist on disk throughout. azure-validate and azure-deploy depend on it and will fail without it. Do not skip or defer this step.Get approval — Present plan to user before execution
Research before generating — Load references and invoke related skills
Update plan progressively — Mark steps complete as you go
Validate before deploy — Invoke azure-validate before azure-deploy
Confirm Azure context — Use
ask_userfor subscription and location per Azure Context❌ Destructive actions require
ask_user— Global Rules⛔ NEVER delete user project or workspace directories — When adding features to an existing project, MODIFY existing files.
azd init -t <template>is for NEW projects only; do NOT runazd init -tin an existing workspace. Plainazd init(without a template argument) may be used in existing workspaces when appropriate. File deletions within a project (e.g., removing build artifacts or temp files) are permitted when appropriate, but NEVER delete the user's project or workspace directory itself. See Global Rules.Scope: preparation only — This skill generates infrastructure code and configuration files. Deployment execution (
azd up,azd deploy,terraform apply) is handled by the azure-deploy skill, which provides built-in error recovery and deployment verification.⛔ SQL Server Bicep: NEVER generate
administratorLoginoradministratorLoginPassword— not in direct properties, not in conditional/ternary branches, not anywhere in the file. Always use Entra-only authentication (azureADOnlyAuthentication: true) unconditionally. See references/services/sql-database/bicep.md.Remove stale template IaC after conversion — If you converted Bicep templates from the selected
azdtemplate into Terraform templates, remove the Bicep templates that were introduced by thatazdtemplate and are now fully replaced by Terraform equivalents. Do not remove user-authored Bicep files. Only remove those template-provided Bicep files after the Terraform IaC is complete and Terraform has been selected as the deployment path. Before handing off to azure-validate skill, keep only the IaC templates required by the chosen deployment path.
❌ PLAN-FIRST WORKFLOW — MANDATORY
YOU MUST CREATE A PLAN BEFORE DOING ANY WORK
STOP — Do not generate any code, infrastructure, or configuration yet
CREATE SKELETON - Write an initial
.azure/deployment-plan.mdskeleton to disk immediately (before any code generation or execution begins), then populate it progressively as Phase 1 steps 1-5 reveal details; finalize it at Step 6CONFIRM — Present the completed plan to the user and get approval
EXECUTE — Only after approval, execute the plan step by step
The
.azure/deployment-plan.mdfile is the source of truth for this workflow and for azure-validate and azure-deploy skills. Without it, those skills will fail.⚠️ CRITICAL:
.azure/deployment-plan.mdmust be WRITTEN TO DISK inside the workspace root (e.g.,<workspace-root>/.azure/deployment-plan.md), not in the session-state folder. Use a file-write tool to create this file. This is the deployment plan artifact read by azure-validate and azure-deploy. You MUST create this file — do not proceed without it. ⚠️ CRITICAL: You must create the file with the name.azure/deployment-plan.mdas is. You must not use other names such as.azure/plan.md.⛔ Critical: Skipping the plan file creation will cause azure-validate and azure-deploy to fail. This requirement has no exceptions.
❌ STEP 0: Specialized Technology Check — MANDATORY FIRST ACTION
BEFORE starting Phase 1, check if the user's prompt OR workspace codebase matches a specialized technology that has a dedicated skill with tested templates. If matched, invoke that skill FIRST — then resume azure-prepare for validation and deployment.
Check 1: Prompt keywords
| Prompt keywords | Invoke FIRST |
|---|---|
| Python + App Service (e.g., "deploy Python to App Service", "Flask on Azure App Service", "publish Python web app to App Service") | python-appservice-deploy |
| Lambda, AWS Lambda, migrate AWS, migrate GCP, Lambda to Functions, migrate from AWS, migrate from GCP | azure-cloud-migrate |
| Azure Functions, function app, serverless function, timer trigger, HTTP trigger, func new | Stay in azure-prepare — prefer Azure Functions templates in Step 4; for plan choice/cold starts see hosting-plans.md and cold-start.md |
| APIM, API Management, API gateway, deploy APIM | Stay in azure-prepare — see APIM Deployment Guide |
| AI gateway, AI gateway policy, AI gateway backend, AI gateway configuration | azure-aigateway |
| workflow, orchestration, multi-step, pipeline, fan-out/fan-in, saga, long-running process, durable, order processing | Stay in azure-prepare — select durable recipe in Step 4. MUST load durable.md, DTS reference, and DTS Bicep patterns. |
⚠️ Check the user's prompt text — not just existing code. Critical for greenfield projects with no codebase to scan. See full routing table.
After the specialized skill completes, resume azure-prepare at Phase 1 Step 4 (Select Recipe) for remaining infrastructure, validation, and deployment.
Phase 1: Planning (BLOCKING — Complete Before Any Execution)
Create .azure/deployment-plan.md by completing these steps. Do NOT generate any artifacts until the plan is approved.
| # | Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | If the prompt matches a specialized technology with a dedicated skill, invoke that skill first | specialized-routing.md |
| 1 | Analyze Workspace — Determine mode: NEW, MODIFY, or MODERNIZE | analyze.md |
| 2 | Gather Requirements — Classification, scale, budget | requirements.md |
| 3 | Scan Codebase — Identify components, technologies, dependencies | scan.md |
| 4 | Select Recipe — Choose AZD (default), AZCLI, Bicep, or Terraform | recipe-selection.md |
| 5 | Plan Architecture — Select stack + map components to Azure services | architecture.md |
| 6 | Finalize Plan (MANDATORY) - Use a file-write tool to finalize .azure/deployment-plan.md with all decisions from steps 1-5. Update the skeleton written at the start of Phase 1 with the complete content. The file must be fully populated before you present the plan to the user. | plan-template.md |
| 7 | Present Plan — Show plan to user and ask for approval | .azure/deployment-plan.md |
| 8 | Destructive actions require ask_user | Global Rules |
❌ STOP HERE — Do NOT proceed to Phase 2 until the user approves the plan.
Phase 2: Execution (Only After Plan Approval)
Execute the approved plan. Update .azure/deployment-plan.md status after each step.
| # | Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Research Components — Load service references + invoke related skills | research.md |
| 2 | Confirm Azure Context — Detect and confirm subscription + location and check the resource provisioning limit | Azure Context |
| 3 | Generate Artifacts — Create infrastructure and configuration files | generate.md |
| 4 | Harden Security — Apply security best practices | security.md |
| 5 | Functional Verification — Verify the app works (UI + backend), locally if possible | functional-verification.md |
| 6 | ⛔ Update Plan (MANDATORY before hand-off) — Use the edit tool to change the Status in .azure/deployment-plan.md to Ready for Validation. You MUST complete this edit BEFORE invoking azure-validate. Do NOT skip this step. | .azure/deployment-plan.md |
| 7 | ⛔ MANDATORY Hand Off — Invoke azure-validate skill. Your preparation work is done. Do NOT run azd up, azd deploy, or any deployment command directly — all deployment execution is handled by azure-deploy after azure-validate completes. PREREQUISITE: Step 6 must be completed first — .azure/deployment-plan.md status must say Ready for Validation. | — |
Outputs
| Artifact | Location |
|---|---|
| Plan | .azure/deployment-plan.md |
| Infrastructure | ./infra/ |
| AZD Config | azure.yaml (AZD only) |
| Dockerfiles | src/<component>/Dockerfile |
SDK Quick References
Azure Developer CLI: azd
Azure Identity: Python | .NET | TypeScript | Java
App Configuration: Python | TypeScript | Java
Next
⛔ MANDATORY NEXT STEP — DO NOT SKIP
After completing preparation, you MUST invoke azure-validate before any deployment attempt. Do NOT skip validation. Do NOT go directly to azure-deploy. Do NOT run
azd upor any deployment command directly. The workflow is:
azure-prepare→azure-validate→azure-deploy⛔ BEFORE invoking azure-validate, you MUST use the
edittool to update.azure/deployment-plan.mdstatus toReady for Validation. If the plan status has not been updated, the validation will fail.This applies to ALL deployment scenarios including containerized apps, Container Apps, App Service, Azure Functions, static sites, and any other Azure target. No exceptions.
Skipping validation leads to deployment failures. Be patient and follow the complete workflow for the highest success outcome.
→ Update plan status to Ready for Validation, then invoke azure-validate
Files
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references/recipes/azd/terraform.md
AZD with Terraform
Use Azure Developer CLI (azd) with Terraform as the infrastructure provider.
When to Use
Choose azd+Terraform when you want:
Terraform's multi-cloud capabilities with azd's deployment simplicity
Existing Terraform expertise but want
azd upconvenienceTeam familiar with Terraform but needs environment management
Multi-cloud IaC with Azure-first deployment experience
Benefits
| Feature | Pure Terraform | AZD + Terraform |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy command | terraform apply | azd up |
| Environment management | Manual workspaces | Built-in azd env |
| CI/CD generation | Manual setup | Auto-generated pipelines |
| Service deployment | Manual scripts | Automatic from azure.yaml |
| State management | Manual backend setup | Configurable |
| Multi-cloud | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Configuration
1. azure.yaml Structure
Create azure.yaml in project root:
name: myapp
metadata:
template: azd-init
# Specify Terraform as IaC provider
infra:
provider: terraform
path: ./infra
# Define services as usual
services:
api:
project: ./src/api
language: python
host: containerapp
docker:
path: ./src/api/Dockerfile
web:
project: ./src/web
language: js
host: staticwebapp
dist: dist2. Terraform File Structure
Place Terraform files in ./infra/:
infra/
├── main.tf # Main resources
├── variables.tf # Variable definitions
├── outputs.tf # Output values
├── provider.tf # Provider configuration
└── modules/
├── api/
│ └── main.tf
└── web/
└── main.tf3. Provider Configuration
provider.tf:
terraform {
required_version = ">= 1.5.0"
required_providers {
azurerm = {
source = "hashicorp/azurerm"
version = "~> 4.2"
}
azurecaf = {
source = "aztfmod/azurecaf"
version = "~> 1.2"
}
}
# Optional: Remote state for team collaboration
backend "azurerm" {
resource_group_name = "rg-terraform-state"
storage_account_name = "tfstate${var.state_suffix}"
container_name = "tfstate"
key = "app.terraform.tfstate"
}
}
provider "azurerm" {
features {}
}⚠️ IMPORTANT: For Azure Functions Flex Consumption, use azurerm provider v4.2 or later:
terraform { required_providers { azurerm = { source = "hashicorp/azurerm" version = "~> 4.2" } } }See Terraform Functions patterns for Flex Consumption examples.
4. Variables and Outputs
⚠️ WARNING: Use
${VAR}syntax inmain.tfvars.json, NOT Go-style{{ .Env.* }}azd's template engine processes
azure.yamland service manifests — it does NOT interpolate Go-style{{ .Env.* }}template variables in.tfvars.jsonor any Terraform variable files. Literal strings like{{ .Env.AZURE_ENV_NAME }}will be passed directly to Terraform, causing deployment failures.azd reads
infra/main.tfvars.json, substitutes${VAR}references using its built-in envsubst, and passes the resolved file to Terraform via-var-file=. Use this pattern:{ "environment_name": "${AZURE_ENV_NAME}", "location": "${AZURE_LOCATION}", "subscription_id": "${AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID}" }For additional variables not in
main.tfvars.json, useTF_VAR_*environment variables:azd env set TF_VAR_myvar value
variables.tf:
variable "environment_name" {
type = string
description = "Environment name from azd"
}
variable "location" {
type = string
description = "Azure region"
default = "eastus2"
}
variable "principal_id" {
type = string
description = "User principal ID from azd auth"
default = ""
}outputs.tf:
# Required: Resource group name
output "AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP" {
value = azurerm_resource_group.main.name
}
# Service-specific outputs
output "API_URL" {
value = azurerm_container_app.api.latest_revision_fqdn
}
output "WEB_URL" {
value = azurerm_static_web_app.web.default_host_name
}💡 Tip: Output names in UPPERCASE are automatically set as azd environment variables.
5. Required Tags for azd
CRITICAL: Tag hosting resources with service names from azure.yaml:
resource "azurerm_container_app" "api" {
name = "ca-${var.environment_name}-api"
resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.main.name
# Required for azd deploy to find this resource
tags = merge(var.tags, {
"azd-service-name" = "api" # Matches service name in azure.yaml
})
# ... rest of configuration
}
resource "azurerm_static_web_app" "web" {
name = "swa-${var.environment_name}-web"
resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.main.name
# Required for azd deploy to find this resource
tags = merge(var.tags, {
"azd-service-name" = "web" # Matches service name in azure.yaml
})
# ... rest of configuration
}⚠️ WARNING: Without
azd-service-nametags,azd deploywill fail to find deployment targets.
6. Resource Group Tags
Tag the resource group with environment name:
resource "azurerm_resource_group" "main" {
name = "rg-${var.environment_name}"
location = var.location
tags = {
"azd-env-name" = var.environment_name
}
}Deployment Workflow
Initial Setup
# 1. Create azd environment
azd env new dev --no-prompt
# 2. Set required variables
azd env set AZURE_LOCATION eastus2
# 3. Provision infrastructure (runs terraform init, plan, apply)
azd provision
# 4. Deploy services
azd deploy
# Or do both with single command
azd upVariables and State
azd environment variables → Terraform variables
azd passes variables to Terraform through main.tfvars.json (with ${VAR} substitution) or
explicit TF_VAR_* environment variables. Define the variable in variables.tf and reference
it in main.tfvars.json.
infra/main.tfvars.json — azd substitutes ${VAR} references via envsubst:
{
"environment_name": "${AZURE_ENV_NAME}",
"location": "${AZURE_LOCATION}",
"database_name": "${DATABASE_NAME}"
}variables.tf — value provided via main.tfvars.json or TF_VAR_database_name:
variable "database_name" {
type = string
}For variables not in main.tfvars.json, use TF_VAR_* environment variables:
azd env set TF_VAR_custom_setting "my-value"⚠️ Use
${VAR}syntax inmain.tfvars.json, NOT Go-style{{ .Env.* }}. azd substitutes${VAR}references using its built-in envsubst. Go-style template variables are only processed inazure.yamland service manifests. See Variables and Outputs for details.
Remote state setup:
# Create state storage (one-time setup)
az group create --name rg-terraform-state --location eastus2
az storage account create \
--name tfstate<unique> \
--resource-group rg-terraform-state \
--sku Standard_LRS
az storage container create \
--name tfstate \
--account-name tfstate<unique>
# Set backend variables for azd
azd env set TF_STATE_RESOURCE_GROUP rg-terraform-state
azd env set TF_STATE_STORAGE_ACCOUNT tfstate<unique>Generation Steps
When preparing a new azd+Terraform project:
Generate azure.yaml with
infra.provider: terraformCreate Terraform files in
./infra/:main.tf- Core resources and resource groupvariables.tf- environment_name, location, tagsoutputs.tf- Service URLs and resource names (UPPERCASE)provider.tf- azurerm provider + backend config
Add required tags:
Resource group:
azd-env-nameHosting resources:
azd-service-name(matches azure.yaml services)
Research best practices - Call
mcp_azure_mcp_azureterraformbestpractices
AVM Terraform Module Priority
For Terraform module selection, enforce this order:
AVM Terraform Pattern Modules
AVM Terraform Resource Modules
AVM Terraform Utility Modules
Use mcp_azure_mcp_documentation (azure-documentation) for current guidance and AVM context first, then use Context7 only as supplemental examples if required. If Context7 is not available, instruct the user to install it:
npx @upstash/[email protected]Migration from Pure Terraform
Converting existing Terraform project to use azd:
Create
azure.yamlwith services andinfra.provider: terraformMove
.tffiles to./infra/directoryAdd
azd-service-nametags to hosting resourcesEnsure outputs include service URLs in UPPERCASE
Test with
azd provisionandazd deploy
CI/CD Integration
azd can auto-generate pipelines for Terraform:
# Generate GitHub Actions workflow
azd pipeline config
# Generate Azure DevOps pipeline
azd pipeline config --provider azdoGenerated pipelines will:
Install Terraform
Run
terraform init,plan,applyUse azd authentication
Deploy services with
azd deploy
Comparison: azd+Terraform vs Pure Terraform
| Aspect | Pure Terraform | azd + Terraform |
|---|---|---|
| IaC | Terraform | Terraform |
| Provision | terraform apply | azd provision (wraps terraform) |
| Deploy apps | Manual scripts | azd deploy (automatic) |
| Environment mgmt | Workspaces | azd env |
| Auth | Manual az login | azd auth login |
| CI/CD | Manual setup | azd pipeline config |
| Multi-service | Manual orchestration | Automatic from azure.yaml |
| Learning curve | Medium | Low |
When NOT to Use azd+Terraform
Use pure Terraform (without azd) when:
Multi-cloud deployment (not Azure-first)
Complex Terraform modules/workspaces that conflict with azd conventions
Existing complex Terraform CI/CD that's hard to migrate
Team has strong Terraform expertise but no bandwidth for azd learning
Azure Policy Compliance
Enterprise Azure subscriptions typically enforce security policies. Your Terraform must comply:
Storage Account (Required for Functions)
resource "azurerm_storage_account" "storage" {
name = "stmyapp${random_string.suffix.result}"
resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
account_tier = "Standard"
account_replication_type = "LRS"
# Azure policy requirements
allow_nested_items_to_be_public = false # Disable anonymous blob access
local_user_enabled = false # Disable local users
shared_access_key_enabled = false # RBAC-only, no access keys
}Function App with Managed Identity Storage
provider "azurerm" {
features {}
storage_use_azuread = true # Required when shared_access_key_enabled = false
}
resource "azurerm_linux_function_app" "function" {
name = "func-myapp"
resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
service_plan_id = azurerm_service_plan.plan.id
storage_account_name = azurerm_storage_account.storage.name
storage_uses_managed_identity = true # Use MI instead of access key
identity {
type = "SystemAssigned"
}
tags = {
"azd-service-name" = "api" # REQUIRED for azd deploy
}
depends_on = [azurerm_role_assignment.deployer_storage]
}
# RBAC for deploying user (create function with MI storage)
resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "deployer_storage" {
scope = azurerm_storage_account.storage.id
role_definition_name = "Storage Blob Data Owner"
principal_id = data.azurerm_client_config.current.object_id
}
# RBAC for function app after creation
resource "azurerm_role_assignment" "function_storage" {
scope = azurerm_storage_account.storage.id
role_definition_name = "Storage Blob Data Owner"
principal_id = azurerm_linux_function_app.function.identity[0].principal_id
}Services with Disabled Local Auth
# Service Bus
resource "azurerm_servicebus_namespace" "sb" {
local_auth_enabled = false # RBAC-only
}
# Event Hubs
resource "azurerm_eventhub_namespace" "eh" {
local_authentication_enabled = false # RBAC-only
}
# Cosmos DB
resource "azurerm_cosmosdb_account" "cosmos" {
local_authentication_disabled = true # RBAC-only
}Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
resource not found: unable to find a resource tagged with 'azd-service-name' | Add azd-service-name tag to hosting resource in Terraform |
RequestDisallowedByPolicy: shared key access | Set shared_access_key_enabled = false on storage |
RequestDisallowedByPolicy: local auth disabled | Set local_auth_enabled = false on Service Bus |
RequestDisallowedByPolicy: anonymous blob access | Set allow_nested_items_to_be_public = false on storage |
terraform command not found | Install Terraform CLI: brew install terraform or download from terraform.io |
| State conflicts | Configure remote backend in provider.tf |
| Variable not passed to Terraform | Ensure variable is set with azd env set and defined in variables.tf |
Literal {{ .Env.* }} in Terraform errors | Use ${VAR} syntax in main.tfvars.json, not Go-style {{ .Env.* }}. azd substitutes ${VAR} references via envsubst |
main.tfvars.json interpolation failure | Ensure main.tfvars.json uses ${VAR} syntax (e.g., ${AZURE_ENV_NAME}), not Go-style {{ .Env.* }} templates |
References
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 Python
Security
What our scanner noticed· Medium risk
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Attribution and licence
- Created by
- Microsoft
- Publisher
- Microsoft (Official)
- Source
- microsoft/skills · .github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-prepare · 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
AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft or Microsoft.
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The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download azure-prepare.zip