# Azure App Onboard

> Orchestrate an app end to end from a business idea, app idea, or existing codebase to a running Azure deployment with cost estimates and a pre-deploy approval gate, auto-detecting Azure services, scaffolding infrastructure code, and deploying without a generic template. Use when the user wants to bring an app to Azure, plan an Azure deployment, learn what Azure services an app needs, check the cost to run it, deploy an app or all its services to the cloud, migrate an existing app to Azure, or start a new app from no code.

- Skill: `paulasilvatech/azure-app-onboard` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 68 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add paulasilvatech/azure-app-onboard`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/paulasilvatech/azure-app-onboard/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- License: MIT
- Author: paulasilvatech (https://skillmd.com/u/paulasilvatech)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/paulasilvatech/azure-app-onboard

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<!-- Generated from harness/github-copilot/skills/azure-app-onboard/SKILL.md by harness/claude-code/scripts/convert_from_copilot.py. Edit the source, not this file. -->

# 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 invoke

- 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 [references/phases/prepare.md](references/phases/prepare.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 [references/phases/scaffold.md](references/phases/scaffold.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 [references/phases/deploy.md](references/phases/deploy.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)

## Output template

```markdown
## App onboarding result

**Status:** planned | scaffolded | deployed | blocked
**Summary:** <one sentence covering scope and outcome>

### Details
Phase reached, Azure services selected, cost estimate, and approval decisions.

### Validation
- <check performed>: <result and evidence>
```

## Quality gate

- [ ] Each phase artifact exists before the next phase started.
- [ ] The deploy approval gate was presented and answered before any deployment.
- [ ] The output follows `## Output template` exactly.
- [ ] Every reported check was performed and its evidence is shown.
- [ ] Irreversible Azure actions were confirmed with the user first.