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azure-deploy▌

microsoft/azure-skills · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills --skill azure-deploy
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summary

Execute Azure deployments for prepared applications with built-in error recovery and validation.

  • ›Requires .azure/plan.md with Validated status from azure-validate and azure-prepare skills; will not proceed without both prerequisites
  • ›Executes azd up , azd deploy , terraform apply , and az deployment commands with error handling and post-deployment verification
  • ›Includes pre-deploy checklist, recipe-based deployment workflows, and post-deploy configuration for SQL managed identity and E
skill.md

Azure Deploy

AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE — MANDATORY COMPLIANCE

PREREQUISITE: The azure-validate skill MUST be invoked and completed with status Validated BEFORE executing this skill.

⛔ STOP — PREREQUISITE CHECK REQUIRED Before proceeding, verify BOTH prerequisites are met:

  1. azure-prepare was invoked and completed → .azure/deployment-plan.md exists
  2. azure-validate was invoked and passed → plan status = Validated

If EITHER is missing, STOP IMMEDIATELY:

  • No plan? → Invoke azure-prepare skill first
  • Status not Validated? → Invoke azure-validate skill first

⛔ DO NOT MANUALLY UPDATE THE PLAN STATUS

You are FORBIDDEN from changing the plan status to Validated yourself. Only the azure-validate skill is authorized to set this status after running actual validation checks. If you update the status without running validation, deployments will fail.

DO NOT ASSUME the app is ready. DO NOT SKIP validation to save time. Skipping steps causes deployment failures. The complete workflow ensures success:

azure-prepare → azure-validate → azure-deploy

Triggers

Activate this skill when user wants to:

  • Execute deployment of an already-prepared application (azure.yaml and infra/ exist)
  • Push updates to an existing Azure deployment
  • Run azd up, azd deploy, or az deployment on a prepared project
  • Ship already-built code to production
  • Deploy an application that already includes API Management (APIM) gateway infrastructure

Scope: This skill executes deployments. It does not create applications, generate infrastructure code, or scaffold projects. For those tasks, use azure-prepare.

APIM / AI Gateway: Use this skill to deploy applications whose APIM/AI gateway infrastructure was already created during azure-prepare. For creating or changing APIM resources, see APIM deployment guide. For AI governance policies, invoke azure-aigateway skill.

Rules

  1. Run after azure-prepare and azure-validate
  2. .azure/deployment-plan.md must exist with status Validated
  3. Pre-deploy checklist required — Pre-Deploy Checklist
  4. ⛔ Destructive actions require ask_user — global-rules
  5. Scope: deployment execution only — This skill owns execution of azd up, azd deploy, terraform apply, and az deployment commands. These commands are run through this skill's error recovery and verification pipeline.

Steps

# Action Reference
1 Check Plan — Read .azure/deployment-plan.md, verify status = Validated AND Validation Proof section is populated .azure/deployment-plan.md
2 Pre-Deploy Checklist — MUST complete ALL steps Pre-Deploy Checklist
3 Load Recipe — Based on recipe.type in .azure/deployment-plan.md recipes/README.md
4 Execute Deploy — Follow recipe steps. For Container Apps with managed identity + ACR, watch for RBAC propagation delays (see Container App Revision Timeout) Recipe README
5 Post-Deploy — Configure SQL managed identity and apply EF migrations if applicable Post-Deployment
6 Handle Errors — See recipe's errors.md —
7 Verify Success — Confirm deployment completed and endpoints are accessible Verification
8 Live Role Verification — Query Azure to confirm provisioned RBAC roles are correct and sufficient live-role-verification.md
9 Report Results — Present deployed endpoint URLs to the user as fully-qualified https:// links Verification

⛔ URL FORMAT RULE

When presenting endpoint URLs to the user, you MUST always use fully-qualified URLs with the https:// scheme (e.g. https://myapp.azurewebsites.net, not myapp.azurewebsites.net). Many Azure CLI commands return bare hostnames without a scheme — always prepend https:// before presenting them.

⛔ VALIDATION PROOF CHECK

When checking the plan, verify the Validation Proof section (Section 7) contains actual validation results with commands run and timestamps. If this section is empty, validation was bypassed — invoke azure-validate skill first.

SDK Quick References

MCP Tools

Tool Purpose
mcp_azure_mcp_subscription_list List available subscriptions
mcp_azure_mcp_group_list List resource groups in subscription
mcp_azure_mcp_azd Execute AZD commands
azure__role List role assignments for live RBAC verification (step 8)

References

how to use azure-deploy

How to use azure-deploy on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

1

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

  • ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
  • ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
  • ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add azure-deploy
2

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills --skill azure-deploy

The skills CLI fetches azure-deploy from GitHub repository microsoft/azure-skills and configures it for Cursor.

3

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│ • Amp
│ • Antigravity
│ • Cline
│ • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│ • Cursor
│ • Windsurf
4

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/azure-deploy

Reload or restart Cursor to activate azure-deploy. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /azure-deploy) or your agent's skill management interface.

⚠

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

Additional Resources

›View source code on GitHub›Skills CLI documentation›Learn more about Cursor›What are agent skills?

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Use Cases▌

Task Automation & Efficiency

Automate repetitive workflows and reduce manual effort

Example

Generate reports, summarize documents, draft communications

✓

Save 3-5 hours per week on routine tasks

Knowledge Enhancement

Learn new skills, understand complex topics, get expert guidance

Example

Explain concepts, provide examples, suggest learning resources

✓

Accelerate learning and skill development by 2x

Quality Improvement

Enhance output quality through reviews, suggestions, and refinements

Example

Review drafts, suggest improvements, catch errors

✓

Improve work quality by 30-40% with less effort

Implementation Guide▌

Prerequisites

  • ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client with skill support
  • ›Clear understanding of task or problem to solve
  • ›Willingness to iterate and refine outputs

Time Estimate

15-45 minutes depending on use case complexity

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install skill using provided installation command
  2. 2.Test with simple use case relevant to your work
  3. 3.Evaluate output quality and relevance
  4. 4.Iterate on prompts to improve results
  5. 5.Integrate into regular workflow if valuable

Common Pitfalls

  • ⚠Expecting perfect results without iteration
  • ⚠Not providing enough context in prompts
  • ⚠Using skill for tasks outside its intended scope
  • ⚠Accepting outputs without review and validation

Best Practices▌

✓ Do

  • +Start with clear, specific prompts
  • +Provide relevant context and constraints
  • +Review and refine all outputs before using
  • +Iterate to improve output quality
  • +Document successful prompt patterns

✗ Don't

  • −Don't use without understanding skill limitations
  • −Don't skip validation of outputs
  • −Don't share sensitive information in prompts
  • −Don't expect skill to replace human judgment

💡 Pro Tips

  • ★Be specific about desired format and style
  • ★Ask for multiple options to choose from
  • ★Request explanations to understand reasoning
  • ★Combine AI efficiency with human expertise

When to Use This▌

✓ Use When

Use when skill capabilities match your task, clear ROI on time saved, and you can validate outputs. Best for repetitive tasks, learning, and quality improvement.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid when task requires deep expertise you can't validate, involves sensitive decisions, or when learning process is more valuable than speed of completion.

Learning Path▌

  1. 1Familiarize yourself with skill capabilities and limitations
  2. 2Start with low-risk, non-critical tasks
  3. 3Progress to more complex and valuable use cases
  4. 4Build expertise through regular use and experimentation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
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general reviews

Ratings

4.5★★★★★68 reviews
  • ★★★★★Diya Iyer· Dec 28, 2024

    I recommend azure-deploy for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • ★★★★★Aisha Thomas· Dec 24, 2024

    Useful defaults in azure-deploy — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • ★★★★★Hassan Rao· Dec 24, 2024

    azure-deploy fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.

  • ★★★★★Fatima Sethi· Dec 20, 2024

    azure-deploy is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

  • ★★★★★Aisha Anderson· Dec 4, 2024

    Keeps context tight: azure-deploy is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • ★★★★★Nikhil Bansal· Nov 27, 2024

    azure-deploy has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • ★★★★★Hassan Singh· Nov 23, 2024

    I recommend azure-deploy for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • ★★★★★Neel Torres· Nov 19, 2024

    Keeps context tight: azure-deploy is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Nov 15, 2024

    azure-deploy has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • ★★★★★Aisha Li· Nov 15, 2024

    azure-deploy is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

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