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/resources-limits-quotas.md
Azure Resource Limits and Quotas
Check Azure resource availability during azure-prepare workflow. Validate after customer selects region.
Types
Hard Limits - Fixed constraints that cannot be changed
Quotas - Subscription limits that can be increased via support request
CLI First: Always use az quota CLI for quota checks. Provides better error handling and consistent output. "No Limit" in REST/Portal doesn't mean unlimited - verify with service docs.
Hard Limits
Fixed service constraints (cannot be changed).
Check via: azure__documentation tool or azure-provisioning-limit skill
Examples: Cosmos DB item size (2 MB), Container Apps HTTP timeout (240s), App Service Free tier deployment slots (0)
Process:
Identify services and resource sizes needed
Look up limits in documentation
Compare plan vs limits
If exceeded: redesign or change tier
Quotas
Subscription/regional limits that can be increased via support request.
Check via: az quota CLI (install: az extension add --name quota)
Examples: AKS clusters (5,000/region), Storage accounts (250/region), Container Apps environments (50/region)
Key Concept: No 1:1 mapping between ARM resource types and quota names.
ARM:
Microsoft.App/managedEnvironments→ Quota:ManagedEnvironmentCountARM:
Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines→ Quota:standardDSv3Family,cores,virtualMachines
Process:
Install extension:
az extension add --name quotaDiscover quota names:
az quota list --scope /subscriptions/{id}/providers/{Provider}/locations/{region}Check usage:
az quota usage show --resource-name {name} --scope ...Check limit:
az quota show --resource-name {name} --scope ...Calculate: Available = Limit - Current Usage
If exceeded: Request increase via
az quota update
Unsupported Providers (BadRequest error):
Not all providers support quota API. If az quota list fails with BadRequest, use fallback:
Get current usage:
# Option A: Azure Resource Graph (recommended) az extension add --name resource-graph az graph query -q "resources | where type == '{type}' and location == '{loc}' | count" # Option B: Resource list az resource list --subscription "{id}" --resource-type "{Type}" --location "{loc}" | jq 'length'Get limit from service documentation
Calculate: Available = Documented Limit - Current Usage
Known Support Status:
❌ Microsoft.DocumentDB (Cosmos DB)
✅ Microsoft.Compute, Microsoft.Network, Microsoft.App, Microsoft.Storage, Microsoft.MachineLearningServices
Workflow
Phase 1: Identify & Check Hard Limits
Analyze app requirements and select Azure services
Determine resource counts, sizes, tiers, throughput
Check hard limits via azure-provisioning-limit skill or documentation
Validate plan against limits; redesign if needed
Phase 2: Check Quotas After Region Selection
Get customer subscription and region preference
For each service/region, check quota:
Use
az quota usage listandaz quota showCalculate available capacity
If quota exceeded: request increase or choose different region
Phase 3: Validate Region
Confirm sufficient quota in selected region
Request increases if needed
Only proceed after validation complete
Limit Scopes
| Scope | Example |
|---|---|
| Subscription | 50 Cosmos DB accounts (any region) |
| Regional | 250 storage accounts per region |
| Resource | 500 apps per Container Apps environment |
Service Patterns
| Service | Hard Limits (examples) | Quota Check | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmos DB | Item: 2MB, Partition key: 2KB, Serverless storage: 50GB | ❌ Not supported. Use Resource Graph + docs. Default: 50 accounts/region | Query: az graph query -q "resources | where type == 'microsoft.documentdb/databaseaccounts' and location == 'eastus' | count" |
| AKS | Pods/node (Azure CNI): 250, Node pools/cluster: 100 | ✅ az quota supported | Provider: Microsoft.ContainerService |
| Storage | Block blob: 190.7 TiB, Page blob: 8 TiB | ✅ Quota: StorageAccounts (limit: 250/region) | Provider: Microsoft.Storage |
| Container Apps | Revisions/app: 100, HTTP timeout: 240s | ✅ Quota: ManagedEnvironmentCount (limit: 50/region) | Provider: Microsoft.App |
| Functions | Timeout (Consumption): 10 min, Queue msg: 64KB | ✅ Check function apps quota | Provider: Microsoft.Web |
CLI Reference
Prerequisites: az extension add --name quota
Discovery: List quotas to find resource names
az quota list --scope /subscriptions/{id}/providers/{provider}/locations/{location}Check Usage:
az quota usage show --resource-name {quota-name} --scope /subscriptions/{id}/providers/{provider}/locations/{location}Check Limit:
az quota show --resource-name {quota-name} --scope /subscriptions/{id}/providers/{provider}/locations/{location}Request Increase:
az quota update --resource-name {quota-name} --scope /subscriptions/{id}/providers/{provider}/locations/{location} --limit-object value={new-limit} --resource-type {type}azure-prepare Integration
When to Check:
After selecting services - Check hard limits
After customer selects region - Check quotas
Before generating infrastructure code - Validate availability
Required Steps:
Phase 1 - Planning:
Select Azure services
Check hard limits (service documentation)
Create provisioning limit checklist (leave quota columns as "TBD")
Phase 2 - Execution:
Get subscription and region preference
Must invoke azure-quotas skill - Process ONE resource type at a time: a. Try
az quota listfirst (required) b. If supported: Useaz quota usage showandaz quota showc. If NOT supported (BadRequest): Use Resource Graph + service docs d. Calculate available capacity e. Document in checklist (no "TBD" entries allowed) f. If insufficient: Request increase or change region
Phase 3 - Generate Artifacts:
Only proceed after Phase 2 complete (all quotas validated)
Error Messages
| Error | Type | Action |
|---|---|---|
| "Quota exceeded" | Quota | Use azure-quotas to request increase |
| "(BadRequest) Bad request" | Unsupported provider | Use service limits docs |
| "Limit exceeded" | Hard Limit | Redesign or change tier |
| "Maximum size exceeded" | Hard Limit | Split data or use alternative storage |
| "Too many requests" | Rate Limit | Implement retry logic or increase tier |
| "Cannot exceed X" | Hard Limit | Stay within limit or use multiple resources |
| "Subscription limit reached" | Quota | Request quota increase using azure-quotas skill |
| "Regional capacity" | Quota | Choose different region or request increase |
Best Practices
MUST use Azure CLI quota API first:
az quotacommands are MANDATORY as the primary method for checking quotas - only use fallback methods (REST API, Portal, docs) when quota API returnsBadRequestDon't trust "No Limit" values: If REST API or Portal shows "No Limit" or unlimited, verify with official service documentation - it likely means the quota API doesn't support that resource type, not that capacity is unlimited
Always check after customer selects region: Validates availability and allows time for quota requests
Use the discovery workflow: Never assume quota resource names - always run
az quota listfirst to discover correct namesCheck both usage and limit: Run
az quota usage showANDaz quota showto calculate available capacityHandle unsupported providers gracefully: If you get
BadRequesterror, fall back to official documentation (Azure Resource Graph + docs)Request quota increases proactively: If selected region lacks capacity, submit request before deployment
Have alternative regions ready: If quota increase denied, suggest backup regions
Document capacity assumptions: Note quota availability and source in
.azure/deployment-plan.mdDesign for limits: Architecture should account for both hard limits and quotas
Monitor usage trends: Regular quota checks help predict future needs
Use lower environments wisely: Dev/test environments count against quotas
Quick Reference Limits
For complete quota checking workflow and commands, invoke the azure-quotas skill.
Note: These are typical default limits. Always verify actual quotas using
az quota showfor your specific subscription and region.
Common quotas to check:
Subscription Level
Cosmos DB accounts: 50 per region (check via docs - quota API not supported)
SQL logical servers: 250 per region
Service Bus namespaces: 100-1,000 (tier dependent)
Regional Level
Storage accounts: 250 per region (quota resource name:
StorageAccounts)AKS clusters: 5,000 per region (quota resource name: varies by configuration)
Container Apps environments: 50 per region (quota resource name:
ManagedEnvironmentCount)Function apps: 200 per region (Consumption)
Resource Level
Cosmos DB containers per account: Unlimited (subject to storage)
Apps per Container Apps environment: 500
Databases per SQL server: 500
Queues/topics per Service Bus namespace: 10,000
Related Documentation
azure-quotas skill - Complete quota checking workflow and CLI commands (invoke the azure-quotas skill)
Azure subscription limits - Official Microsoft documentation
Azure Quotas Overview - Understanding quotas and limits
azure-context.md - How to confirm subscription and region
architecture.md - Architecture planning workflow
Example: Complete Check Workflow
# Scenario: Deploying app with Cosmos DB, Storage, and Container Apps
# Customer selected region: East US
# 1. Check Hard Limits (from azure-provisioning-limit skill)
# Cosmos DB: Item size max 2 MB ✓
# Storage: Blob size max 190.7 TiB ✓
# Container Apps: Timeout 240 sec ✓
# 2. Get Customer's Region Preference
# Customer: "I prefer East US"
# 3. Check Quotas for Customer's Selected Region (East US)
# 3a. Cosmos DB - NOT SUPPORTED by quota API
az quota list \
--scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.DocumentDB/locations/eastus
# Error: (BadRequest) Bad request
# Fallback: Get current usage with Azure Resource Graph
# Install extension first (if needed)
az extension add --name resource-graph
az graph query -q "resources | where type == 'microsoft.documentdb/databaseaccounts' and location == 'eastus' | count"
# Result: 3 database accounts currently deployed
# Or use Azure CLI resource list
az resource list \
--subscription "abc-123" \
--resource-type "Microsoft.DocumentDB/databaseAccounts" \
--location "eastus" | jq 'length'
# Result: 3
# Get limit from documentation: 50 database accounts per region
# Calculate: Available = 50 - 3 = 47 ✓
# Document as: "Fetched from: Azure Resource Graph + Official docs"
# 3b. Storage Accounts
# Step 1: Discover resource name
az quota list \
--scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.Storage/locations/eastus
# Step 2: Check usage (use discovered name "StorageAccounts")
az quota usage show \
--resource-name StorageAccounts \
--scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.Storage/locations/eastus
# Current: 180
# Step 3: Check limit
az quota show \
--resource-name StorageAccounts \
--scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.Storage/locations/eastus
# Limit: 250
# Available: 250 - 180 = 70 ✓
# 3c. Container Apps
# Step 1: Discover resource name
az quota list \
--scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.App/locations/eastus
# Shows: "ManagedEnvironmentCount"
# Step 2: Check usage
az quota usage show \
--resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount \
--scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.App/locations/eastus
# Current: 8
# Step 3: Check limit
az quota show \
--resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount \
--scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.App/locations/eastus
# Limit: 50
# Available: 50 - 8 = 42 ✓
# 4. Validate Availability
# ✅ All services have sufficient quota in East US
# ✅ Proceed with deployment
# Alternative: If quotas were insufficient
# ❌ Container Apps: 49/50 (only 1 available, need 3)
# Action: Request quota increase
#
# az quota update \
# --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount \
# --scope /subscriptions/abc-123/providers/Microsoft.App/locations/eastus \
# --limit-object value=100 \
# --resource-type Microsoft.App/managedEnvironmentsRemember: Checking limits and quotas early prevents deployment failures and ensures smooth infrastructure provisioning.
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
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Needs: Needs Python
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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)
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