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Azure Keyvault Py

MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MIT
  • Low risk

From the author

Azure Key Vault SDK for Python. Use for secrets, keys, and certificates management with secure storage. Triggers: "key vault", "SecretClient", "KeyClient", "CertificateClient", "secrets", "encryption keys".
— the description by Microsoft

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The azure-keyvault-py skill provides the Python SDK components necessary to interact with Azure Key Vault. It enables developers to programmatically store, retrieve, and manage sensitive information such as secrets, encryption keys, and certificates. The skill emphasizes secure authentication practices using DefaultAzureCredential and provides both synchronous and asynchronous client implementations for various vault operations.

What it does

  • Provides clients for managing secrets, keys, and certificates.
  • Supports cryptographic operations including encryption, decryption, signing, and verification.
  • Offers both synchronous and asynchronous API patterns.
  • Integrates with Azure Identity for secure authentication.
  • Includes lifecycle management for secrets and keys, such as creation, listing, and deletion.
  • Provides patterns for error handling and resource cleanup.

When to use it

  • When you need to store and retrieve application secrets securely.
  • When your application requires cryptographic operations like signing or encryption.
  • When managing X.509 certificates programmatically.
  • When building Python applications that require integration with Azure Key Vault services.

Advantages

  • Supports both sync and async programming models.
  • Facilitates secure authentication via DefaultAzureCredential.
  • Provides granular control over secrets, keys, and certificates.
  • Includes built-in support for soft-delete and recovery operations.

Usage examples

“How do I retrieve a secret from Azure Key Vault using Python?”
The agent provides a code snippet using SecretClient and DefaultAzureCredential to securely fetch a secret value from a specified vault URL.
“Show me how to encrypt data using a key in Azure Key Vault.”
The agent demonstrates the use of CryptographyClient to perform encryption operations with a specific key stored in the vault.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-keyvault-py/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip azure-keyvault-py.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Microsoft

Azure Key Vault SDK for Python

Secure storage and management for secrets, cryptographic keys, and certificates.

Installation

# Secrets
pip install azure-keyvault-secrets azure-identity

# Keys (cryptographic operations)
pip install azure-keyvault-keys azure-identity

# Certificates
pip install azure-keyvault-certificates azure-identity

# All
pip install azure-keyvault-secrets azure-keyvault-keys azure-keyvault-certificates azure-identity

Environment Variables

AZURE_KEYVAULT_URL=https://<vault-name>.vault.azure.net/  # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production

Authentication & Lifecycle

🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:

  1. 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: DefaultAzureCredential works as-is.

    • Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod (or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.

  2. 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: and async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential: (from azure.identity.aio)

Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.

Secrets

SecretClient Setup
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
from azure.keyvault.secrets import SecretClient

# 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()
vault_url = "https://<vault-name>.vault.azure.net/"

with SecretClient(vault_url=vault_url, credential=credential) as client:
    # All secret operations go inside this block (see examples below)
    ...
Secret Operations
# Set secret
secret = client.set_secret("database-password", "super-secret-value")
print(f"Created: {secret.name}, version: {secret.properties.version}")

# Get secret
secret = client.get_secret("database-password")
print(f"Value: {secret.value}")

# Get specific version
secret = client.get_secret("database-password", version="abc123")

# List secrets (names only, not values)
for secret_properties in client.list_properties_of_secrets():
    print(f"Secret: {secret_properties.name}")

# List versions
for version in client.list_properties_of_secret_versions("database-password"):
    print(f"Version: {version.version}, Created: {version.created_on}")

# Delete secret (soft delete)
poller = client.begin_delete_secret("database-password")
deleted_secret = poller.result()

# Purge (permanent delete, if soft-delete enabled)
client.purge_deleted_secret("database-password")

# Recover deleted secret
client.begin_recover_deleted_secret("database-password").result()

Keys

KeyClient Setup
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.keyvault.keys import KeyClient

credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
vault_url = "https://<vault-name>.vault.azure.net/"

with KeyClient(vault_url=vault_url, credential=credential) as client:
    # All key operations go inside this block (see examples below)
    ...
Key Operations
from azure.keyvault.keys import KeyType

# Create RSA key
rsa_key = client.create_rsa_key("rsa-key", size=2048)

# Create EC key
ec_key = client.create_ec_key("ec-key", curve="P-256")

# Get key
key = client.get_key("rsa-key")
print(f"Key type: {key.key_type}")

# List keys
for key_properties in client.list_properties_of_keys():
    print(f"Key: {key_properties.name}")

# Delete key
poller = client.begin_delete_key("rsa-key")
deleted_key = poller.result()
Cryptographic Operations
from azure.keyvault.keys.crypto import CryptographyClient, EncryptionAlgorithm

# Get crypto client for a specific key
# crypto_client = CryptographyClient(key, credential=credential)
# Or from key ID
with CryptographyClient(
    "https://<vault>.vault.azure.net/keys/<key-name>/<version>",
    credential=credential
) as crypto_client:
    # Encrypt
    plaintext = b"Hello, Key Vault!"
    result = crypto_client.encrypt(EncryptionAlgorithm.rsa_oaep, plaintext)
    ciphertext = result.ciphertext

    # Decrypt
    result = crypto_client.decrypt(EncryptionAlgorithm.rsa_oaep, ciphertext)
    decrypted = result.plaintext

    # Sign
    from azure.keyvault.keys.crypto import SignatureAlgorithm
    import hashlib

    digest = hashlib.sha256(b"data to sign").digest()
    result = crypto_client.sign(SignatureAlgorithm.rs256, digest)
    signature = result.signature

    # Verify
    result = crypto_client.verify(SignatureAlgorithm.rs256, digest, signature)
    print(f"Valid: {result.is_valid}")

Certificates

CertificateClient Setup
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.keyvault.certificates import CertificateClient, CertificatePolicy

credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
vault_url = "https://<vault-name>.vault.azure.net/"

with CertificateClient(vault_url=vault_url, credential=credential) as client:
    # All certificate operations go inside this block (see examples below)
    ...
Certificate Operations
# Create self-signed certificate
policy = CertificatePolicy.get_default()
poller = client.begin_create_certificate("my-cert", policy=policy)
certificate = poller.result()

# Get certificate
certificate = client.get_certificate("my-cert")
print(f"Thumbprint: {certificate.properties.x509_thumbprint.hex()}")

# Get certificate with private key (as secret)
from azure.keyvault.secrets import SecretClient
with SecretClient(vault_url=vault_url, credential=credential) as secret_client:
    cert_secret = secret_client.get_secret("my-cert")
    # cert_secret.value contains PEM or PKCS12

# List certificates
for cert in client.list_properties_of_certificates():
    print(f"Certificate: {cert.name}")

# Delete certificate
poller = client.begin_delete_certificate("my-cert")
deleted = poller.result()

Client Types Table

ClientPackagePurpose
SecretClientazure-keyvault-secretsStore/retrieve secrets
KeyClientazure-keyvault-keysManage cryptographic keys
CryptographyClientazure-keyvault-keysEncrypt/decrypt/sign/verify
CertificateClientazure-keyvault-certificatesManage certificates

Async Clients

from azure.identity.aio import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.keyvault.secrets.aio import SecretClient

async def get_secret():
    async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential:
        async with SecretClient(vault_url=vault_url, credential=credential) as client:
            secret = await client.get_secret("my-secret")
            print(secret.value)

import asyncio
asyncio.run(get_secret())

Error Handling

from azure.core.exceptions import ResourceNotFoundError, HttpResponseError

try:
    secret = client.get_secret("nonexistent")
except ResourceNotFoundError:
    print("Secret not found")
except HttpResponseError as e:
    if e.status_code == 403:
        print("Access denied - check RBAC permissions")
    raise

Best Practices

  1. Pick sync OR async and stay consistent. Do not mix azure.xxx sync clients with azure.xxx.aio async clients in the same call path. Choose one mode per module.

  2. Always use context managers for clients and async credentials. Wrap every client in with Client(...) as client: (sync) or async with Client(...) as client: (async). For async DefaultAzureCredential from azure.identity.aio, also use async with credential: so tokens and transports are cleaned up.

  3. Use DefaultAzureCredential for code that runs locally. Use a specific token credential for code that runs in Azure.

  4. Use managed identity in Azure-hosted applications

  5. Enable soft-delete for recovery (enabled by default)

  6. Use RBAC over access policies for fine-grained control

  7. Rotate secrets regularly using versioning

  8. Use Key Vault references in App Service/Functions config

  9. Cache secrets appropriately to reduce API calls

  10. Use async clients for high-throughput scenarios

Reference Files

FileContents
references/capabilities.mdAdditional non-hero capabilities, operation-group coverage, and production checklists.
references/non-hero-scenarios.mdDedicated non-hero examples for secondary/advanced scenarios.

Files

LICENSE

    MIT License

    Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.

    Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
    of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
    in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
    to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
    copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
    furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

    The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
    copies or substantial portions of the Software.

    THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
    IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
    AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
    LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
    OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
    SOFTWARE

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-keyvault-py · commit 0696600
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

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Download ZIP

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