Azure Prepare

MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft

Skill
Workflow
Cloud and DevOps
MIT
Medium risk
Has scripts

From the author

Prepare azd-based Azure projects for deployment: generates azure.yaml, infrastructure (Bicep/Terraform), and Dockerfiles for the Azure Developer CLI (azd) workflow. USE ONLY when the user explicitly wants to use azd as the deployment tool, or the project already has an azure.yaml file. DO NOT USE FOR: non-azd deployments, Python App Service code-only deploys (use python-appservice-deploy), or cross-cloud migration (use azure-cloud-migrate). WHEN: prepare app for azd, create azure.yaml, set up azd infrastructure, modernize app for Azure with azd, deploy with azd, function app, timer trigger, service bus trigger, event-driven function, managed identity, generate Bicep, generate Terraform, create and deploy to Azure.

— the description by Microsoft

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

Unzip 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.md skeleton 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_user for 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 run azd init -t in an existing workspace. Plain azd 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 administratorLogin or administratorLoginPassword — 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 azd template into Terraform templates, remove the Bicep templates that were introduced by that azd template 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.md skeleton 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 6
CONFIRM — Present the completed plan to the user and get approval
EXECUTE — Only after approval, execute the plan step by step
The .azure/deployment-plan.md file 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.md must 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.md as 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

⛔ 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 up or any deployment command directly. The workflow is:
azure-prepare → azure-validate → azure-deploy
⛔ BEFORE invoking azure-validate, you MUST use the edit tool to update .azure/deployment-plan.md status to Ready 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

references/recipes/azd/aspire.md

.NET Aspire Projects with AZD

⛔ MANDATORY: For .NET Aspire projects, NEVER manually create azure.yaml. Use azd init --from-code instead.

Detection

Indicator	How to Detect
`*.AppHost.csproj`	`find . -name "*.AppHost.csproj"`
`Aspire.Hosting` package	`grep -r "Aspire\.Hosting" . --include="*.csproj"`
`Aspire.AppHost.Sdk`	`grep -r "Aspire\.AppHost\.Sdk" . --include="*.csproj"`

Workflow

⛔ DO NOT (Wrong Approach)

# ❌ WRONG - Missing services section
name: aspire-app
metadata:
  template: azd-init
# Results in: "Could not find infra\main.bicep" error

✅ DO (Correct Approach)

# Generate environment name
ENV_NAME="$(basename "$PWD" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | tr ' _' '-')-dev"

# Use azd init with auto-detection
azd init --from-code -e "$ENV_NAME"

Generated azure.yaml:

name: aspire-app
metadata:
  template: azd-init
services:
  app:
    language: dotnet
    project: ./MyApp.AppHost/MyApp.AppHost.csproj
    host: containerapp

💡 AddDockerfile services: If the AppHost uses AddDockerfile() (e.g., builder.AddDockerfile("ginapp", "./ginapp")), do NOT add separate service entries for those resources. Aspire handles container builds for AddDockerfile resources at runtime through the AppHost. The azure.yaml should contain only the single app service pointing to the AppHost.

⛔ BEFORE continuing: Complete the mandatory AddParameter + WithBuildArg scan below. Skipping this step is the #1 cause of failed Aspire container-build deployments.

Command Flags

Flag	Required	Purpose
`--from-code`	✅	Auto-detect AppHost, no prompts
`-e <name>`	✅	Environment name (non-interactive)
`--no-prompt`	Optional	Skip all confirmations

Why --from-code is critical:

Without: Prompts "How do you want to initialize?" (needs TTY)
With: Auto-detects AppHost, no interaction needed
Essential for agents and CI/CD

⛔ After `azd init`: Fix AddParameter Used with WithBuildArg Before Build/Deploy

MANDATORY — After running azd init --from-code, but before azd package, azd up, or any Docker image build/deploy step, scan the AppHost source for AddParameter calls that are passed to WithBuildArg or WithBuildSecret. This pattern triggers an azd bug that causes Docker builds to fail.

.NET Aspire external parameters let apps request values from the deployment environment. Each AddParameter() call generates a Bicep parameter in the deployment manifest. However, azd cannot resolve these Bicep parameters during the Docker image build phase, producing the error parameter infra.parameters.<name> not found. This bug has been present across all azd versions tested (including 1.24.0).

Scan for the pattern

Bash:

grep -RIn --include="*.cs" -E "AddParameter|WithBuildArg|WithBuildSecret" <path/to/AppHost>

PowerShell:

Get-ChildItem -Path "<path/to/AppHost>" -Recurse -Filter "*.cs" |
  Select-String -Pattern "AddParameter|WithBuildArg|WithBuildSecret"

Problematic pattern:

// ❌ azd cannot resolve AddParameter values during Docker builds
var goVersion = builder.AddParameter("goversion", "1.25.4", publishValueAsDefault: true);
builder.AddDockerfile("ginapp", "./ginapp")
    .WithBuildArg("GO_VERSION", goVersion);

Fix Option A: Replace AddParameter with a constant (preferred)

For every AddParameter(name, defaultValue, ...) whose result is used only as a WithBuildArg argument, replace it with a const string (or string) constant:

// ✅ Use a constant instead
const string goVersion = "1.25.4";
builder.AddDockerfile("ginapp", "./ginapp")
    .WithBuildArg("GO_VERSION", goVersion);

Why: This eliminates the parameter from Bicep output entirely, so azd never attempts to resolve it during Docker builds. Use this when the build arg value does not need to vary per deployment environment.

Fix Option B: Pre-set parameter in azd environment config

If the value must remain an external parameter (e.g., it varies per environment), pre-set it in the azd environment config immediately after azd init:

azd env config set infra.parameters.<name> <value>

Example:

azd env config set infra.parameters.goversion 1.25.4

Why: This writes the parameter value into .azure/<env>/config.json so azd can find it during Docker builds without modifying AppHost source code. Use this when the build arg value must be configurable per environment.

⚠️ Do NOT skip this step for container-build projects. If the AppHost passes an AddParameter result to WithBuildArg, apply one of these fixes before running azd up.

Troubleshooting

Error: "Could not find infra\main.bicep"

Cause: Manual azure.yaml without services section

Fix:

Delete manual azure.yaml
Run azd init --from-code -e <env-name>
Verify services section exists

Error: "no default response for prompt"

Cause: Missing --from-code flag

Fix: Always use --from-code for Aspire:

azd init --from-code -e "$ENV_NAME"

Error: "parameter infra.parameters.<name> not found"

Cause: The AppHost uses AddParameter() as a WithBuildArg argument. azd cannot resolve Aspire external parameters during Docker builds, regardless of azd version.

Example error:

ERROR: building service 'ginapp': parameter infra.parameters.goversion not found

Fix (Option A — preferred): In the AppHost source, replace the AddParameter(...) call with a constant:

// ❌ Before (causes the error)
var goVersion = builder.AddParameter("goversion", "1.25.4", publishValueAsDefault: true);
builder.AddDockerfile("ginapp", "./ginapp")
    .WithBuildArg("GO_VERSION", goVersion);

// ✅ After (fix)
const string goVersion = "1.25.4";
builder.AddDockerfile("ginapp", "./ginapp")
    .WithBuildArg("GO_VERSION", goVersion);

Fix (Option B): Pre-set the parameter in azd environment config:

azd env config set infra.parameters.goversion 1.25.4

AppHost Not Detected

Solutions:

Verify: find . -name "*.AppHost.csproj"
Build: dotnet build
Check package references in .csproj
Run from solution root

Error: "unsupported resource type" — Custom Aspire Resources

Symptoms: azd init --from-code fails with unsupported resource type for one or more resources in the AppHost (e.g., custom child resources, ClockHand, or other custom Aspire integration types).

Cause: The AppHost contains custom Aspire resource types designed for local development tooling only. These resources have no Azure equivalent and are not deployable.

Resolution:

⛔ Stop — do NOT fix this error by modifying source code. Do not add .ExcludeFromManifest() to suppress the error.
⛔ Do NOT proceed with deployment.
✅ Inform the user: the application uses custom Aspire resource authoring patterns intended for local tooling, not cloud deployment.
✅ Record a deployment blocker: "AppHost contains custom Aspire resource types (unsupported resource type) with no Azure deployment target."

⚠️ Adding .ExcludeFromManifest() to work around this error violates the application's design intent and may produce an incomplete or incorrect deployment.

Infrastructure Auto-Generation

Traditional	Aspire
Manual infra/main.bicep	Auto-gen from AppHost
Define in IaC	Define in C# code
Update IaC per service	Add to AppHost

How it works:

AppHost defines services in C#
azd provision analyzes AppHost
Generates Bicep automatically
Deploys to Azure Container Apps

Validation Steps

⛔ Fix AddParameter used with WithBuildArg — see Post-Init: Fix AddParameter Used with WithBuildArg
Verify azure.yaml has a non-empty services section
Do NOT add separate service entries for AddDockerfile() resources — Aspire handles container builds at runtime through the AppHost
Run azd package to validate Docker build succeeds
Review generated infra/ (don't modify)

Next Steps

Set subscription: azd env set AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID <id>
Proceed to azure-validate
Deploy with azure-deploy (azd up)

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

Instructions that use the network
Downloads piped into a shell
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-prepare · 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

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.

Download ZIP

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

From the author

AutoGineer summary

What it does

When to use it

Advantages

Usage examples

Install

Documentation by Microsoft

Azure Prepare

Triggers

Rules

❌ PLAN-FIRST WORKFLOW — MANDATORY

❌ STEP 0: Specialized Technology Check — MANDATORY FIRST ACTION

Check 1: Prompt keywords

Phase 1: Planning (BLOCKING — Complete Before Any Execution)

Phase 2: Execution (Only After Plan Approval)

Outputs

SDK Quick References

Next

Files

references/recipes/azd/aspire.md

.NET Aspire Projects with AZD

Detection

Workflow

⛔ DO NOT (Wrong Approach)

✅ DO (Correct Approach)

Command Flags

⛔ After azd init: Fix AddParameter Used with WithBuildArg Before Build/Deploy

Scan for the pattern

Fix Option A: Replace AddParameter with a constant (preferred)

Fix Option B: Pre-set parameter in azd environment config

Troubleshooting

Error: "Could not find infra\main.bicep"

Error: "no default response for prompt"

Error: "parameter infra.parameters.<name> not found"

AppHost Not Detected

Error: "unsupported resource type" — Custom Aspire Resources

Infrastructure Auto-Generation

Validation Steps

Next Steps

References

Requirements and compatibility

Security

Attribution and licence

Related skills

Modal

Cloud Infrastructure Network Engineer

Deployment Validation Cloud Architect

Airflow Dag Patterns

Cost Optimization

Hybrid Cloud Networking

Download ZIP

⛔ After `azd init`: Fix AddParameter Used with WithBuildArg Before Build/Deploy