Azure work is not just a code problem. It is a decision problem: which service fits this app, what needs to be validated before deployment, which tools should run, and what guardrails matter. The Azure Skills Plugin packages Azure expertise and MCP-backed execution together so compatible coding agents can do real Azure work instead of giving generic cloud advice.

Install the plugin

This plugin ships 20 curated Azure skills that teach an agent how Azure work gets done. They provide workflows, decision trees, and guardrails for scenarios such as:

• Build and deploy with azure-prepare, azure-validate, and azure-deploy
• Troubleshoot and operate with azure-diagnostics, azure-observability, and azure-compliance
• Optimize and design with azure-cost-optimization, azure-compute, and azure-resource-visualizer
• Work across data, AI, and platform services with azure-ai, azure-aigateway, azure-storage, azure-kusto, azure-rbac, azure-cloud-migrate, entra-app-registration, and microsoft-foundry

The plugin wires in the Azure MCP Server, which gives your agent 200+ structured tools across 40+ Azure services. That is the execution layer for listing resources, checking prices, querying logs, diagnosing issues, and driving real Azure workflows.

The plugin also includes Foundry MCP for Microsoft Foundry scenarios such as model discovery, model deployment, and agent workflows.

This is not a prompt pack. It is a packaged Azure capability layer:

• Skills teach the agent when to use Azure workflows and what to avoid.
• MCP tools let the agent act on live Azure and Foundry resources.
• The plugin keeps the guidance layer and execution layer aligned in one install.
• Multi-host support lets you use the same Azure capability across environments such as GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Copilot CLI, Claude Code, and other compatible hosts.

The plugin payload lives in .github/plugins/azure-skills/, and the included MCP configuration shows how Azure and Foundry connectivity are wired for compatible hosts.

Before you install, make sure you have:

• An Azure account or subscription
• Node.js 18+ available on your PATH (npx is used to start the MCP servers)
• Azure CLI installed and authenticated with az login
• Azure Developer CLI installed and authenticated with azd auth login if you plan to use deployment workflows

Add the marketplace (first time only):

/plugin marketplace add microsoft/azure-skills

Install the plugin:

/plugin install azure@azure-skills

Update the plugin:

/plugin update azure@azure-skills

Install the Azure MCP extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace:

👉 Azure MCP Extension

The Azure MCP extension will also install a companion extension that brings the Azure skills into VS Code. Together they configure the Azure MCP Server, Foundry MCP, and the full skills layer automatically.

Note: The skills extension requires Git CLI to be installed on your machine. If you don't have it, ask Copilot to help you install Git for your OS.

Add the marketplace (first time only):

/plugin marketplace add microsoft/azure-skills

Install the plugin:

/plugin install azure@azure-skills

Update:

/plugin marketplace update azure-skills

After install, try three quick checks.

Ask:

What Azure services would I need to deploy this project?

You should get structured Azure guidance, not just a generic cloud answer.

Ask:

List my Azure resource groups.

You should see a real tool-backed response from your Azure account.

Ask:

What AI models are available in Microsoft Foundry?

You should get a Foundry-backed response rather than a generic summary.

The recommended authentication path is Azure CLI:

az login

If you plan to deploy with azd, also run:

azd auth login

You can also authenticate with service principal credentials:

Bash/Zsh

export AZURE_TENANT_ID="your-tenant-id"
export AZURE_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
export AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"

PowerShell

$env:AZURE_TENANT_ID = "your-tenant-id"
$env:AZURE_CLIENT_ID = "your-client-id"
$env:AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET = "your-client-secret"

When the agent runs inside Azure, the Azure MCP Server can also use managed identity.

Once the plugin is installed, try prompts like these:

• Prepare this app for Azure.
• Validate my Azure deployment files before I run azd up.
• Deploy this project to Azure Container Apps.
• List my Azure storage accounts.
• Find cost savings across my Azure subscription.
• Troubleshoot why my container app is failing health probes.
• What role should I assign to let this managed identity read blobs?
• What AI models are available in Microsoft Foundry?

If you are exploring or customizing the plugin source, the key pieces are:

• .github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/ - the Azure skill definitions
• .github/plugins/azure-skills/.mcp.json - included MCP configuration for Azure and Foundry
• README.md - high-level overview and install guide for the plugin

• Make sure the plugin installed successfully in your host
• Confirm the Azure skills directory is present
• Reload or restart your host so it re-indexes plugins and MCP configuration

• Verify Node.js is installed and npx works
• Check that the Azure and Foundry MCP entries were added for your host
• Restart MCP servers or reload the host after configuration changes

• Re-run az login
• Re-run azd auth login for deployment scenarios
• Make sure the correct Azure subscription is selected

• Azure MCP Server documentation
• Azure documentation
• Azure CLI reference

To disable Azure MCP telemetry collection, set:

export AZURE_MCP_COLLECT_TELEMETRY=false

This repository is automatically sync'ed from https://github.com/microsoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure. If you would like to contribute to Azure skills, please open PR's there. Thank you!