---
name: Azure App Onboard
slug: azure-app-onboard
category: DevOps
description: Azure App Onboard guides you from a business idea or existing codebase to a running Azure deployment, detecting the right services, scaffolding infrastructure code, and providing cost estimates and approval gates. Use it when bringing an app to Azure without knowing which Azure services to choose.
github: "https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills/tree/main/skills/azure-app-onboard"
language: Python
stars: 1390
forks: 231
install: "npx degit https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills/tree/main/skills/azure-app-onboard ~/.claude/skills/azure-app-onboard"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/azure-app-onboard
source_path: skills/azure-app-onboard/SKILL.md
collection_size: 25
category_size: 798
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/microsoft/azure-skills"
added: 2026-08-19T07:27:37.241Z
last_synced: 2026-08-19T07:27:37.241Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/azure-app-onboard"
---

# Azure App Onboard

Azure App Onboard guides you from a business idea or existing codebase to a running Azure deployment, detecting the right services, scaffolding infrastructure code, and providing cost estimates and approval gates. Use it when bringing an app to Azure without knowing which Azure services to choose.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills/tree/main/skills/azure-app-onboard ~/.claude/skills/azure-app-onboard
```

## README

# Azure App Onboard

> ⛔ **Every repo goes through the full pipeline (Steps 1–10). No exceptions.** Do not skip steps, refuse, or short-circuit based on what you recognize. Follow the Workflow table below sequentially — read each step's references before acting.

## Quick Reference

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Best for | Developers who know what to build but not which Azure services to use |
| Inputs | Business idea or existing codebase, budget/scale preferences (optional) |
| Outputs | Architecture plan, cost estimate, IaC files, deployed Azure resources |
| Phases | Discover → Architect → Scaffold → Deploy (self-contained, no external skill calls) |

## When to Use This Skill

- Deploy existing code without knowing which Azure services to use
- Check if your existing code is ready to deploy to Azure
- Move an existing app to Azure without rewriting or with minimal changes
- Get cost estimates before committing to infrastructure
- Understand architecture decisions and rejected alternatives
- Get answers to Azure architecture or service selection questions (e.g., "What database should I use?")
- Get guided Azure onboarding without prior experience

## When NOT to Use

| Scenario | Use Instead |
|----------|-------------|
| Run `azd up` or execute an existing deployment | `azure-deploy` |
| Optimize existing Azure spend | `azure-cost` |
| Generate Bicep/Terraform for a known architecture | `azure-prepare` |
| Validate infrastructure or run preflight checks | `azure-validate` |
| Troubleshoot a running Azure deployment | `azure-diagnostics` |
| Deploy to or manage AKS/Kubernetes directly | `azure-kubernetes` |
| Look up or list existing Azure resources | `azure-resource-lookup` |

## Pipeline Rules

> ⛔ **You MUST read [`references/pipeline-rules.md`](references/pipeline-rules.md) at the start of every AppOnboard session.** It contains approval gates, phase lifecycle, session artifacts, deploy-as-is, and security baseline rules.

## Workflow

> ⛔ **Deploy recovery:** After deploy gate approval OR before any `az deployment`/`az webapp deploy`/`az acr build` — if you haven't read `deploy/SKILL.md`, read `.copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/deploy-checklist.md` first, then `deploy/SKILL.md`. ⛔ NEVER invoke `{"skill": "azure-deploy"}` — that is a DIFFERENT skill for a DIFFERENT workflow.

> ⛔ **Post-scaffold transition (MANDATORY):** Immediately after `scaffold-manifest.json` is written, YOUR NEXT ACTION MUST be Step 8 (Deploy Approval Gate) — NOT a summary report, NOT a "here are the generated files" message, NOT a completion signal. Confirm `context.json` has `completedPhases: [...,"scaffold"]` + `currentPhase: "deploy"` (update it yourself if the scaffold subagent didn't). Re-read [approval-gates.md § Deploy Gate](references/approval-gates.md) if evicted from context (scaffold reference loading is heavy), then present the exact prompt: **"🚀 Ready to deploy? (Yes / Run manually / Edit plan / Cancel)"**. This gate is the LAST content in your response — wait for the user's reply.

| # | Step | Action | Reference |
|---|------|--------|-----------|
| 1 | **Session check + Azure login** | Create/resume session, verify Azure CLI auth, resolve subscription + user identity | ⛔ **You MUST read [session-protocol.md](references/session-protocol.md)** |
| 2 | **Scope triage** | Check azd markers, triage question. Empty workspace or code-only (no infra) → Step 3 directly. | ⛔ Read [intent-gathering.md](references/intent-gathering.md) § Scope Triage |
| 3 | **Prereq scan** | ⛔ Skip if `completedPhases` includes `"prereq"`. Otherwise: invoke `{"skill": "azure-app-onboard-prereq"}`. Write `prereq-output.json`, update `context.json`. **Halt if:** `overallHealth: "blocked"` OR `routeToSkill` set. | |
| 4 | **Gather intent** | Present prereq results, confirm stack + Azure services, ask remaining questions. | ⛔ Read [intent-gathering.md](references/intent-gathering.md) § After Prereq Returns |
| 5 | **Plan architecture** | Write `prepare-plan.json`. | ⛔ **You MUST read [prepare/SKILL.md](prepare/SKILL.md)** |
| 6 | **Scaffold approval gate** | Display plan for user approval BEFORE generating any files. | ⛔ Read [approval-gates.md](references/approval-gates.md) § Scaffold Gate |
| 7 | **Scaffold** | Generate IaC, self-review. Write `scaffold-manifest.json`. Update `context.json`. | ⛔ **You MUST read [scaffold/SKILL.md](scaffold/SKILL.md)** |
| 8 | **Deploy approval gate** | Display validation summary. ⛔ After approval: FIRST read deploy-checklist.md → deploy/SKILL.md. NEVER `{"skill": "azure-deploy"}`. | ⛔ Read [approval-gates.md](references/approval-gates.md) § Deploy Gate |
| 9 | **Deploy** | Execute IaC, health-check. Write `deploy-result.json`. | ⛔ **You MUST read [deploy/SKILL.md](deploy/SKILL.md)** |
| 10 | **Handoff** | Surface deployment identity, cleanup commands, next steps. | ⛔ **You MUST read [`handoff-protocol.md`](references/handoff-protocol.md)** |

## Error Handling

| Error | Remediation |
|-------|-------------|
| Phase fails | Halt, report phase + error. User decides: retry, skip, abort. |
| MCP server unavailable | Skip affected checks, add disclaimer to `costEstimate.assumptions[]` and every approval gate. |
| Missing RBAC | Report required role + `az role assignment` command. |

> **Shared references:** [MCP tools](references/mcp-tool-reference.md) (cross-phase tool parameters) | [IaC resources](references/iac-resources.md) (Azure resource docs for troubleshooting)