CLOUD OPERATIONS / Microsoft
Azure Deploy
Pins Microsoft's Azure deploy skill, which stops unless a separate validation skill has already marked the deployment plan validated.
“Execute Azure deployments for ALREADY-PREPARED applications that have existing .azure/deployment-plan.md and infrastructure files. DO NOT use this skill when the user asks to CREATE a new application — use azure-prepare instead. This skill runs azd up, azd deploy, terraform apply, and az deployment commands with built-in error recovery. Requires .azure/deployment-plan.md from azure-prepare and validated status from azure-validate. WHEN: "run azd up", "run azd deploy", "execute deployment", "push to production", "push to cloud", "go live", "ship it", "bicep deploy", "terraform apply", "publish to Azure", "launch on Azure". DO NOT USE WHEN: "create and deploy", "build and deploy", "create a new app", "set up infrastructure", "create and deploy to Azure using Terraform" — use azure-prepare for these.”
01 / THE REASONING
Why this made the selection.
- The file forbids the agent from marking a plan Validated and says to stop when that status or the Validation Proof section is missing.
- It limits itself to executing deployment commands and says destructive actions require ask_user, rather than creating the application.
02 / THE REVIEW RECORD
What we actually inspected.
Source review has boundaries.
A clear record is more useful than a “safe” badge.
Material inspected
- .github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-deploy/SKILL.md
- .github/plugins/azure-skills/README.md
- README.md
- LICENSE
Our findings
- The skill says to stop immediately unless azure-prepare has written .azure/deployment-plan.md and azure-validate has set the plan status to Validated.
- It forbids the agent from setting that Validated status itself, and it says an empty Validation Proof section means validation was bypassed.
- It says the skill executes deployments and does not create applications, generate infrastructure, or scaffold projects, and that destructive actions require ask_user.
- Its command scope names azd up, azd deploy, terraform apply, and az deployment, and a Container Apps plus ACR step names azd provision --no-prompt before an AcrPull check.
- The validation proof check requires recorded commands and timestamps in the plan, beyond a status value of Validated; an empty section routes back to azure-validate.
Not established by this review
- The resource was not executed and its tools were not called.
- azd, az, terraform, and the Azure MCP tools named in the file were not run.
- references/global-rules.md and the pre-deploy checklist were not fetched.
- Not executed: it was not installed or run.
The review applies to the material and revision named here. A newer upstream release can change its behavior.
03 / PUT IT TO WORK
Add a skill to your workflow.
DOCUMENTED COMMAND
/plugin install azure@skillsCopying does not execute this command. It may retrieve a newer version than the reviewed source.
- The repository README tells Copilot CLI to add the microsoft/skills marketplace and then run /plugin install azure@skills.
- That command installs the Azure plugin group named in the README table, not this skill file by itself.
- The azure-skills plugin README instead prints /plugin marketplace add microsoft/azure-skills and /plugin install azure@azure-skills. This review did not resolve that second marketplace name.
Before you start
- Node.js 22 or later, which the plugin README requires for the Azure MCP server
- Azure authentication by Azure CLI login, service-principal environment variables, or managed identity, as the plugin README lists
- A host that can run the Copilot CLI plugin slash command
04 / FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The source trail.
Our notes are separate from the original resource.
Check upstream before adopting a new version.
- azure-deploy SKILL.md ↗Checked
https://github.com/microsoft/skills/blob/fc164ba1d7a0c10377dbcc1c9ac07253b9329fdb/.github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-deploy/SKILL.md
Supports: validated-plan stop rule, forbidden status edit, and destructive-action ask
- Repository README ↗Checked
https://github.com/microsoft/skills/blob/fc164ba1d7a0c10377dbcc1c9ac07253b9329fdb/README.md
Supports: MIT licence heading and the azure plugin install line
- Azure plugin README ↗Checked
https://github.com/microsoft/skills/blob/fc164ba1d7a0c10377dbcc1c9ac07253b9329fdb/.github/plugins/azure-skills/README.md
Supports: Azure authentication options, Node.js 22, and a different plugin install line
- Repository LICENSE ↗Checked
https://github.com/microsoft/skills/blob/fc164ba1d7a0c10377dbcc1c9ac07253b9329fdb/LICENSE
Supports: MIT License, copyright Microsoft Corporation
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/skills/fc164ba1d7a0c10377dbcc1c9ac07253b9329fdb/.github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-deploy/SKILL.md
Supports: upstreamDescription, review.findings, review.notTested