Azure App Onboard
MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft
- Skill
- Workflow
- Cloud and DevOps
- MIT
- Low risk
- Has scripts
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/downloadUnzip 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.mdat 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 readdeploy/PHASE.md, read.copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/deploy-checklist.mdfirst, thendeploy/PHASE.md. ⛔ NEVER invoke{"skill": "azure-deploy"}— that is a DIFFERENT skill for a DIFFERENT workflow.
⛔ Post-scaffold transition (MANDATORY): Immediately after
scaffold-manifest.jsonis 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. Confirmcontext.jsonhascompletedPhases: [...,"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
scaffold/references/validation-and-manifest.md
Validation, Manifest & Approval — Steps 10–12.5
Step 10 — CI/CD
Do NOT auto-generate workflow files or create branches/PRs. Scaffold only writes IaC files. This step activates only when context.json.repo.remote is non-null AND user explicitly requests branch/PR creation. When repo.remote is absent or user declines, write IaC directly to working tree. If the user asks for CI/CD, or after deploy completes, suggest it as a follow-up: call mcp_azure_mcp_deploy → deploy_pipeline_guidance_get with is-azd-project: false, pipeline-platform: "github-actions", deploy-option: "provision-and-deploy" and present the guidance for the user to apply.
Step 11 — Validate Generated IaC
⛔ Validation MUST happen BEFORE the manifest is written. The manifest requires
validationResult— you cannot write it without completing validation first. Do NOT writescaffold-manifest.jsonuntil validation has run.
⛔ Do NOT call other skills during scaffold/deploy — see pipeline-rules.md.
Run these checks directly. All must pass.
11a. Bicep compilation:
az bicep build --file infra/main.bicep --stdout > $null(Bash: redirect to /dev/null instead of $null.) Pass: exit 0. Fail: fix errors and retry.
11b. Static RBAC review — review generated Bicep for correct role assignments per rbac-roles.md. Every managed identity ↔ resource pair must have a Microsoft.Authorization/roleAssignments resource with the correct role GUID.
11c. Write validationResult — after all checks pass, write:
{
"validationResult": {
"status": "Validated",
"checks": [
{ "name": "bicep build", "result": "PASS" },
{ "name": "RBAC review", "result": "PASS" }
]
}
}Terraform path: Replace 11a with terraform init -backend=false && terraform validate.
If validation finds FIXABLE errors: edit IaC → re-run self-review (L1–L4) → re-validate (max 3 attempts). ⛔ You MUST read scaffold-healing-rules.md before entering the healing loop — it defines error classification (FIXABLE vs BLOCKING) and auto-fix strategies.
If BLOCKING errors remain after 3 attempts: surface to user and halt.
Step 12 — Write scaffold-manifest.json
⛔ You MUST read scaffold-schemas.ts to get the exact ScaffoldManifest interface. Write to the session folder with ALL fields populated: files[], selfReview.findings[], AND validationResult (from Step 11). This is a single write — validation is already complete.
⛔ Phase exit gate:
scaffold-manifest.json.validationResultMUST NOT be null. If validation ran:{ status: 'Validated'/'Partial'/'Failed', details }(perValidationResultinscaffold-schemas.ts). Null = incomplete scaffold.
You MUST also update context.json per AppOnboardContext in session-schemas.ts: append "scaffold" to completedPhases, set currentPhase to "deploy", update lastModifiedUtc.
Step 12.5 — Deploy Approval Gate
Present the user with: files generated, selfReview findings, validation results (pass/fail per check from Step 11), services + SKUs, secure-defaults applied. End with: "Ready to deploy? (Yes / Run manually / Edit plan / Cancel)" — do not continue until the user approves.
⛔ Self-check before presenting the deploy gate. Does
scaffold-manifest.jsoncontain avalidationResultfield withstatusset? If NO → you skipped Step 11. Go back and run validation. Do NOT present the deploy gate withvalidationResult: null.
⛔ Quota gate — MANDATORY. Read
prepare-plan.json.quotaValidation. Ifverified == false,method == "unverifiable", ormethodis not"cli"for quota-constrained services: readsku-quota-validation.md§ Deploy Gate Re-Validation and follow the procedure. ⛔ Do NOT useaz vm list-usage,az appservice list-locations, ormcp_azure_mcp_quotafor quota checks — see Anti-Patterns insku-quota-validation.md.
⛔ Azure service compatibility warnings. Read
prereq-output.json.warnings[]for any warnings withfixPhase: "deploy-gate". Surface EACH at the deploy gate: "⚠️ Azure compatibility: {warning.summary}. Fix: {warning.fix}. Approve? (Yes / Skip / Cancel)". If the user skips, add topostDeployRecommendations[].
⛔ Phase exit — NOT complete until ALL done:
scaffold-manifest.jsonwritten withfiles[],selfReview.findings[], ANDvalidationResult
context.json:"scaffold"appended tocompletedPhases,currentPhase→"deploy",lastModifiedUtcupdated
deploy-checklist.mdexists in session folder — written by the parallel checklist subagent at scaffold Step 5b (before IaC gen completes). Verify it exists. If missing (subagent failed), write it now fromdeploy-checklist-template.md— fill in real values fromprepare-plan.json, delete unrelated compute sections.
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
What our scanner noticed· Low risk
- Instructions that use the network
- Scripts that your agent may run
This skill includes scripts that your agent may run. Read them before you use it.
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
- Also distributed in
- microsoft/azure-skills
AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.
Download ZIP
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