Azure App Onboard

MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft

Skill
Workflow
Cloud and DevOps
MIT
Low risk
Has scripts

From the author

End-to-end orchestrator: from a business idea, app idea, or existing app to running Azure deployment with cost estimates and pre-deploy approval. Analyzes your app, auto-detects the right Azure services, scaffolds infrastructure code, and deploys — tailored to your app, not a template. Handles moving existing apps to Azure without rewriting or with minimal changes. WHEN: bring your app to Azure, plan my app, cost to run, is my code ready to deploy, deploy my app to the cloud, deploy all my services, what Azure services do I need, plan my Azure deployment, deploy my new app to Azure, one-click deploy, I have an app and want it on Azure, migrate my app to Azure, help me get started, build an app, no code yet, starter project. DO NOT USE FOR: use azd for deployment(use azure-deploy), optimizing existing costs (use cost-optimization), code readiness checks only (use azure-app-onboard-prereq).

— the description by Microsoft

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://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-app-onboard/download

Unzip 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.md at 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 read deploy/PHASE.md, read .copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/deploy-checklist.md first, then deploy/PHASE.md. ⛔ NEVER invoke {"skill": "azure-deploy"} — that is a DIFFERENT skill for a DIFFERENT workflow.

⛔ Post-scaffold transition (MANDATORY): Immediately after scaffold-manifest.json is 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. Confirm context.json has completedPhases: [...,"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

deploy/references/blocked-patterns.md

Blocked Patterns

Commands the agent must NEVER execute. Block decisions are non-negotiable — user must run blocked commands manually outside AppOnboard.

Pattern	Action	Reason
`rm -rf` (any path outside a fresh temp dir)	⛔ Block	Prevents accidental deletion of IaC, app code, or session artifacts — especially `infra/`, `.azure/`, `.copilot-azure/`.
`git reset --hard`, `git checkout -- <path>`, `git restore`, `git clean`	⛔ Block	Discards uncommitted work. During region-fallback healing the agent edits Bicep/app config; these wipe the user's unstaged changes irrecoverably.
`git push --force` / `--force-with-lease` (any branch)	⛔ Block	Prevents force-push of generated code over remote history.
`--no-verify` (on `git commit` / `git push`)	⛔ Block	Bypasses hooks (secret-scan, lint) that guard the commit.
`DROP TABLE` / `DROP DATABASE`	⛔ Block	Prevents data loss
`terraform destroy`	⛔ Block	Prevents accidental teardown (user must run manually)
`az group delete`	⛔ HARD BLOCK	NEVER delete resource groups yourself. During healing: if switching regions/RGs, add the old RG to your `orphanedResourceGroups[]` list (per `OrphanResourceGroup` in `deploy-schemas.ts`) instead of deleting it. At handoff: emit `az group delete` commands in the handoff message for the USER to run — the agent never executes them. If you are about to type `az group delete` into a terminal command, STOP — you are violating this rule. Track it in `orphanedResourceGroups[]` instead.
`az containerapp up --source` / `az containerapp create`	⛔ Block	Creates ACR + CA Environment + Log Analytics imperatively — orphan resources invisible to `terraform destroy`, `az deployment sub delete`, and session tag-based bulk cleanup. State drift from IaC is unrecoverable. The Container App MUST be created via Bicep `az deployment sub create` — for code deploy on an existing CA use `az containerapp update --source` (Step 6d)
`az appservice plan update`	⛔ Block	Imperative SKU change — edit Bicep + redeploy
`az webapp update`	⛔ Block	Imperative resource modification — all changes via IaC
`az functionapp update`	⛔ Block	Imperative resource modification — all changes via IaC
`az webapp deployment source config-zip`	⛔ Block	Requires SCM basic auth — use `az webapp deploy` (Entra auth)
`az webapp deploy --track-status`	⛔ Block	`--track-status` flag does not exist. Remove it.
`az webapp up` / `az webapp create` / `az appservice plan create`	⛔ Block	Creates App Service Plan + App imperatively — bypasses IaC entirely
`az containerapp update` (config changes)	⛔ Block	Imperative resource modification — all changes via IaC
`az containerapp update --revision-suffix` (no config changes)	⚠️ ALLOWED	KV secret rotation only — when KV secrets were updated post-deploy and a new revision is needed to pick up cached values
`az webapp delete`	⛔ Block	Imperative resource deletion — destroys resources outside IaC
`az appservice plan delete`	⛔ Block	Imperative plan deletion — remove from Bicep + redeploy instead
`az containerapp update --image`	⛔ Block (during healing)	Imperative image swap causes IaC drift — update Bicep + redeploy
Inline secret values in CLI args	⛔ Block	`--parameters password=MyP@ss$word!` breaks shell escaping and leaks secrets in terminal history. Pass secrets via `main.parameters.json`, `terraform.tfvars`, or `az keyvault secret set --file`.
Writing secrets to temp files on disk	⛔ Block	⛔ NEVER write secrets to temp files on disk. Seed secrets into Key Vault via `az keyvault secret set`, then reference via SecretUri in IaC. Temp files risk exposure in crash dumps, logs, and unprotected storage.
`az group create` (during healing)	⛔ HARD BLOCK — one sanctioned exception	NEVER create resource groups imperatively during healing. All RG creation must go through `az deployment sub create` with Bicep `targetScope = 'subscription'`. If you need a new RG for region fallback, update the Bicep region parameter and redeploy. Sole exception: the documented 403 scope-fallback in `deploy-safety.md` § 403 Scope Fallback — when `az deployment sub create` returns 403, rescoping Bicep to RG-scope requires `az group create` (with all 5 AppOnboard tags). That path is allowed.
`az rest --method put/patch` (for individual resource creation)	⛔ HARD BLOCK	NEVER create individual Azure resources via REST API as a fallback for Bicep failures. After a deployment failure, the ONLY allowed remediation is: fix the Bicep parameters/template → re-run `az deployment sub create`. Compiling Bicep→ARM and deploying via REST is still imperative resource creation.
Disabling a security control to unblock — `require_secure_transport`/TLS → OFF, HTTPS-only off, KV purge protection off, auth off (via `az ... parameter set` OR editing the Bicep)	⛔ HARD BLOCK	NEVER weaken a security control to make a failing deploy pass. A DB TLS handshake failure means the client lacks SSL config — fix the client (prereq `W-MYSQL-SSL`/`W-PG-SSL`) or surface the tradeoff to the user. Downgrading the server control is forbidden.
`Compress-Archive -Path $files.FullName`	⛔ Block	Absolute paths flatten directory structure — app crashes on `./src/app` not found. Use `System.IO.Compression.ZipFile` with relative paths from workspace root. On Windows, normalize: `$entryName = $relativePath.Replace('\', '/')`.

Repos with existing azure.yaml: See pipeline-rules.md § azure.yaml prohibition. Deploy via az deployment sub create — do NOT run azd up.

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

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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

2026-11-08

Also distributed in

microsoft/azure-skills

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Download ZIP

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

From the author

AutoGineer summary

What it does

When to use it

Advantages

Usage examples

Install

Documentation by Microsoft

Azure App Onboard

Quick Reference

When to Use This Skill

When NOT to Use

Pipeline Rules

Workflow

Error Handling

Files

deploy/references/blocked-patterns.md

Blocked Patterns

Requirements and compatibility

Security

Attribution and licence

Related skills

Shipping And Launch

Quantized Export

Deployment Pipeline Design

Gitops Workflow

Spark Environment Setup

Cloud Infrastructure Deployment Engineer

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