How do I install the Azure Observability skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add idexal/azure-observability in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Azure Observability safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Azure Observability?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Azure Observability free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under MIT.

Who published Azure Observability?

idexal (@idexal) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Azure Observability by idexal — Agent Skill

Name: Azure Observability
Author: idexal

Azure Observability

Azure Observability Services including Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics, Alerts, and Workbooks. Provides metrics, APM, distributed tracing, KQL queries, and interactive reports. USE FOR: Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics, Alerts, Workbooks, metrics, APM, distributed tracing, KQL queries, interactive reports, observability, monitoring dashboards. DO NOT USE FOR: instrumenting apps with App Insights SDK (use appinsights-instrumentation), querying Kusto/ADX clusters (use azure-kusto), cost analysis (use azure-cost-optimization).

idexal Updated Sep 21, 2026

File contents

Azure Observability Services

Services

Service	Use When	MCP Tools	CLI
Azure Monitor	Metrics, alerts, dashboards	`azure__monitor`	`az monitor`
Application Insights	APM, distributed tracing	`azure__applicationinsights`	`az monitor app-insights`
Log Analytics	Log queries, KQL	`azure__kusto`	`az monitor log-analytics`
Alerts	Notifications, actions	-	`az monitor alert`
Workbooks	Interactive reports	`azure__workbooks`	-

MCP Server (Preferred)

When Azure MCP is enabled:

Monitor

azure__monitor with command monitor_metrics_query - Query metrics
azure__monitor with command monitor_logs_query - Query logs with KQL

Application Insights

azure__applicationinsights with command applicationinsights_component_list - List App Insights resources

Log Analytics

azure__kusto with command kusto_cluster_list - List clusters
azure__kusto with command kusto_query - Execute KQL queries

If Azure MCP is not enabled: Run /azure:setup or enable via /mcp.

CLI Reference

# List Log Analytics workspaces
az monitor log-analytics workspace list --output table

# Query logs with KQL
az monitor log-analytics query \
  --workspace WORKSPACE_ID \
  --analytics-query "AzureActivity | take 10"

# List Application Insights
az monitor app-insights component list --output table

# List alerts
az monitor alert list --output table

# Query metrics
az monitor metrics list \
  --resource RESOURCE_ID \
  --metric "Percentage CPU"

Common KQL Queries

// Recent errors
AppExceptions
| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)
| project TimeGenerated, Message, StackTrace
| order by TimeGenerated desc

// Request performance
AppRequests
| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)
| summarize avg(DurationMs), count() by Name
| order by avg_DurationMs desc

// Resource usage
AzureMetrics
| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)
| where MetricName == "Percentage CPU"
| summarize avg(Average) by Resource

Monitoring Strategy

What to Monitor	Service	Metric/Log
Application errors	App Insights	Exceptions, failed requests
Performance	App Insights	Response time, dependencies
Infrastructure	Azure Monitor	CPU, memory, disk
Security	Log Analytics	Sign-ins, audit logs
Costs	Cost Management	Budget alerts

SDK Quick References

For programmatic access to monitoring services, see the condensed SDK guides:

OpenTelemetry: Python | TypeScript | Python Exporter
Monitor Query: Python | Java
Log Ingestion: Python | Java
App Insights Mgmt: .NET

Service Details

For deep documentation on specific services:

Application Insights setup -> appinsights-instrumentation skill
KQL query patterns -> Log Analytics KQL documentation
Alert configuration -> Azure Monitor alerts documentation

---name: azure-observabilitydescription: Azure Observability Services including Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics, Alerts, and Workbooks. Provides metrics, APM, distributed tracing, KQL queries, and interactive reports. USE FOR: Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Log Analytics, Alerts, Workbooks, metrics, APM, distributed tracing, KQL queries, interactive reports, observability, monitoring dashboards. DO NOT USE FOR: instrumenting apps with App Insights SDK (use appinsights-instrumentation), querying Kusto/ADX clusters (use azure-kusto), cost analysis (use azure-cost-optimization).license: MIT---# Azure Observability Services## Services| Service | Use When | MCP Tools | CLI ||---------|----------|-----------|-----|| Azure Monitor | Metrics, alerts, dashboards | `azure__monitor` | `az monitor` || Application Insights | APM, distributed tracing | `azure__applicationinsights` | `az monitor app-insights` || Log Analytics | Log queries, KQL | `azure__kusto` | `az monitor log-analytics` || Alerts | Notifications, actions | - | `az monitor alert` || Workbooks | Interactive reports | `azure__workbooks` | - |## MCP Server (Preferred)When Azure MCP is enabled:### Monitor- `azure__monitor` with command `monitor_metrics_query` - Query metrics- `azure__monitor` with command `monitor_logs_query` - Query logs with KQL### Application Insights- `azure__applicationinsights` with command `applicationinsights_component_list` - List App Insights resources### Log Analytics- `azure__kusto` with command `kusto_cluster_list` - List clusters- `azure__kusto` with command `kusto_query` - Execute KQL queries**If Azure MCP is not enabled:** Run `/azure:setup` or enable via `/mcp`.## CLI Reference```bash# List Log Analytics workspacesaz monitor log-analytics workspace list --output table# Query logs with KQLaz monitor log-analytics query \ --workspace WORKSPACE_ID \ --analytics-query "AzureActivity | take 10"# List Application Insightsaz monitor app-insights component list --output table# List alertsaz monitor alert list --output table# Query metricsaz monitor metrics list \ --resource RESOURCE_ID \ --metric "Percentage CPU"```## Common KQL Queries```kql// Recent errorsAppExceptions| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)| project TimeGenerated, Message, StackTrace| order by TimeGenerated desc// Request performanceAppRequests| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)| summarize avg(DurationMs), count() by Name| order by avg_DurationMs desc// Resource usageAzureMetrics| where TimeGenerated > ago(1h)| where MetricName == "Percentage CPU"| summarize avg(Average) by Resource```## Monitoring Strategy| What to Monitor | Service | Metric/Log ||-----------------|---------|------------|| Application errors | App Insights | Exceptions, failed requests || Performance | App Insights | Response time, dependencies || Infrastructure | Azure Monitor | CPU, memory, disk || Security | Log Analytics | Sign-ins, audit logs || Costs | Cost Management | Budget alerts |## SDK Quick ReferencesFor programmatic access to monitoring services, see the condensed SDK guides:- **OpenTelemetry**: [Python](references/sdk/azure-monitor-opentelemetry-py.md) | [TypeScript](references/sdk/azure-monitor-opentelemetry-ts.md) | [Python Exporter](references/sdk/azure-monitor-opentelemetry-exporter-py.md)- **Monitor Query**: [Python](references/sdk/azure-monitor-query-py.md) | [Java](references/sdk/azure-monitor-query-java.md)- **Log Ingestion**: [Python](references/sdk/azure-monitor-ingestion-py.md) | [Java](references/sdk/azure-monitor-ingestion-java.md)- **App Insights Mgmt**: [.NET](references/sdk/azure-mgmt-applicationinsights-dotnet.md)## Service DetailsFor deep documentation on specific services:- Application Insights setup -> `appinsights-instrumentation` skill- KQL query patterns -> [Log Analytics KQL documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-monitor/logs/log-query-overview)- Alert configuration -> [Azure Monitor alerts documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-monitor/alerts/alerts-overview)

Frequently asked questions