Azure Deploy
OfficialFreeStreamline Azure application deployments with ease.
Free · Opens the source repo
What Azure Deploy does
Azure Deploy is a specialized skill designed for executing deployments of applications that have already been prepared using the Azure ecosystem. This skill is particularly useful for developers and DevOps engineers who need to push updates or deploy existing applications to Azure without the overhead of creating new infrastructure or applications. It requires a well-defined deployment plan, which must be validated beforehand to ensure that all prerequisites are met. The skill effectively runs commands such as azd up, azd deploy, and terraform apply, incorporating built-in error recovery to enhance deployment reliability.
To use Azure Deploy, users must first ensure that the azure-prepare skill has been invoked, resulting in the creation of a .azure/deployment-plan.md file. Additionally, the azure-validate skill must be completed successfully, confirming that the deployment plan is validated. This strict workflow ensures that deployments are executed under the right conditions, minimizing the risk of failure due to unvalidated plans or missing prerequisites. The skill also includes a pre-deploy checklist to verify that all necessary steps are completed before executing the deployment commands.
The Azure Deploy skill is particularly suited for scenarios where developers need to push updates to existing applications or deploy applications that already include API Management infrastructure. It is not intended for creating new applications or setting up new infrastructure, making it essential to follow the correct sequence of skills: azure-prepare, azure-validate, and finally, azure-deploy. By adhering to this workflow, users can ensure a smooth and efficient deployment process, reducing the likelihood of errors and deployment failures.
When to use it
Use this skill when you need to execute deployments for applications that have already been prepared and validated, ensuring a smooth update or deployment process.
When not to use it
This skill is not suitable for creating new applications or setting up infrastructure; use the azure-prepare skill for those tasks.
What you can build with it
Updating an Existing Application
Use Azure Deploy to push updates to an existing application that has been previously prepared and validated.
Deploying with API Management
Deploy applications that include API Management infrastructure already set up during the preparation phase.
Executing Terraform Deployments
Run Terraform apply commands for applications that have their infrastructure defined and validated.
How to install Azure Deploy
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add microsoft/azure-skills/azure-deploy --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by microsoftAzure Deploy
AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE — MANDATORY COMPLIANCE
PREREQUISITE: The azure-validate skill MUST be invoked and completed with status
ValidatedBEFORE executing this skill.
⛔ STOP — PREREQUISITE CHECK REQUIRED Before proceeding, verify BOTH prerequisites are met:
- azure-prepare was invoked and completed →
.azure/deployment-plan.mdexists- azure-validate was invoked and passed → plan status =
ValidatedIf 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
Validatedyourself. 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, oraz deploymenton 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
- Run after azure-prepare and azure-validate
.azure/deployment-plan.mdmust exist with statusValidated- Pre-deploy checklist required — Pre-Deploy Checklist
- ⛔ Destructive actions require
ask_user— global-rules - Scope: deployment execution only — This skill owns execution of
azd up,azd deploy,terraform apply, andaz deploymentcommands. 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 | RBAC Health Check — For Container Apps + ACR with managed identity: run azd provision --no-prompt, then verify AcrPull role has propagated before proceeding (see checklist) | Pre-Deploy Checklist — Container Apps RBAC |
| 5 | Execute Deploy — Follow recipe steps | Recipe README |
| 6 | Post-Deploy — Configure SQL managed identity and apply EF migrations if applicable | Post-Deployment |
| 7 | Handle Errors — See recipe's errors.md | — |
| 8 | Verify Success — Confirm deployment completed and endpoints are accessible | Verification |
| 9 | Live Role Verification — Query Azure to confirm provisioned RBAC roles are correct and sufficient | live-role-verification.md |
| 10 | 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, notmyapp.azurewebsites.net). Many Azure CLI commands return bare hostnames without a scheme — always prependhttps://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
- Azure Developer CLI: azd
- Azure Identity: Python | .NET | TypeScript | Java
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 9) |
References
- Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
- Post-Deployment Steps - SQL + EF Core setup
Frequently asked questions about Azure Deploy
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