Discover Azure Skills

---
name: discover-azure-skills
description: "Searches the Azure skills catalog and recommends installable agent skills by matching an Azure task to skill metadata and plugin installation guidance. WHEN: before starting any task that involves an Azure or Microsoft-cloud service, product, or data source, when no currently loaded skill or tool already covers it."
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: Microsoft
  version: "1.0.1"
---

Follow these steps to discover the available azure skill matching the given task description.

1. List plugins

List Azure plugin directories from the GitHub Contents API: https://api.github.com/repos/microsoft/azure-skills/contents/.github/plugins?ref=main

In the result, each entry whose `type` is `dir` is a plugin directory. Skills are organized by plugins.

2. List skills

For each plugin, list their skills from the GitHub Contents API: https://api.github.com/repos/microsoft/azure-skills/contents/.github/plugins/{plugin-dirname}/skills?ref=main

In the result, each entry whose `type` is `dir` is a skill directory. Each skill has a SKILL.md file that explains what this skill should be used for.

3. Discover relevant skills

Eliminate the skills that obviously aren't relevant by their names. Then for each remaining skill, read their description from the API: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/azure-skills/main/.github/plugins/{plugin-dirname}/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md

Use the descriptions to further eliminate skills that aren't relevant.

4. Discover the plugin name of the relevant skills

For each relevant skill, discover their plugin name by reading the `plugin.json` from the GitHub Contents API: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/azure-skills/main/.github/plugins/{plugin-dirname}/.plugin/plugin.json

This is important because a plugin's name may be different from its directory name. The installation commands depend on the plugin's name.

5. Report the matched skills

Report the matched skills and offer instructions to install them. Skills can be installed by installing their plugin. Read the installation instructions matching the agent client to offer the installation instructions.

- [Copilot CLI](./references/install/copilot-cli.md)
- [Claude Code](./references/install/claude-code.md)
- [Other](./references/install/other.md)

# Steps

1. Add `azure-skills` marketplace

Run this slash command in Claude Code

```
/plugin marketplace add microsoft/azure-skills
```

2. Install the target plugin

Run this slash command in Claude Code

```
/plugin install {plugin-name}@azure-skills
```

> Note: {plugin-name} is the discovered plugin's name, not its directory name.

# Steps

1. Add `azure-skills` marketplace

Run this slash command in Copilot CLI

```
/plugin marketplace add microsoft/azure-skills
```

2. Install the target plugin

Run this slash command in Copilot CLI

```
/plugin install {plugin-name}@azure-skills
```

> Note: {plugin-name} is the discovered plugin's name, not its directory name.

# Steps

1. Install each skill using `skills` package

```
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/{plugin-dirname}/skills/{skill-name}
```

The skills package installs the skill into the `.agents/skills` directory, which is a universal location recognized by many agent clients.