Azure resource lookup skill

Azure Resource Lookup

List, find, and discover Azure resources of any type across subscriptions and resource groups. Use Azure Resource Graph (ARG) for fast, cross-cutting queries when dedicated MCP tools don't cover the resource type.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• List resources of any type (VMs, web apps, storage accounts, container apps, databases, etc.)
• Show resources in a specific subscription or resource group
• Query resources across multiple subscriptions or resource types
• Find orphaned resources (unattached disks, unused NICs, idle IPs)
• Discover resources missing required tags or configurations
• Get a resource inventory spanning multiple types
• Find resources in a specific state (unhealthy, failed provisioning, stopped)
• Answer "what resources do I have?" or "show me my Azure resources"
• List web apps, websites, or App Services

⚠️ Warning: App Service / Web Apps have no dedicated MCP list command. Prompts like "list websites", "list web apps", or "list app services" must route through this skill to use Azure Resource Graph.

💡 Tip: For single-resource-type queries, first check if a dedicated MCP tool can handle it (see routing table below). If none exists, use Azure Resource Graph.

Quick Reference

Property	Value
Query Language	KQL (Kusto Query Language subset)
CLI Command	az graph query -q "<KQL>" -o table
Extension	az extension add --name resource-graph
MCP Tool	extension_cli_generate with intent for az graph query
Best For	Cross-subscription queries, orphaned resources, tag audits

MCP Tools

Tool	Purpose	When to Use
extension_cli_generate	Generate az graph query commands	Primary tool — generate ARG queries from user intent
mcp_azure_mcp_subscription_list	List available subscriptions	Discover subscription scope before querying
mcp_azure_mcp_group_list	List resource groups	Narrow query scope

Workflow

Step 1: Check for a Dedicated MCP Tool

For single-resource-type queries, check if a dedicated MCP tool can handle it:

Resource Type	MCP Tool	Coverage
Virtual Machines	compute	✅ Full — list, details, sizes
Storage Accounts	storage	✅ Full — accounts, blobs, tables
Cosmos DB	cosmos	✅ Full — accounts, databases, queries
Key Vault	keyvault	⚠️ Partial — secrets/keys only, no vault listing
SQL Databases	sql	⚠️ Partial — requires resource group name
Container Registries	acr	✅ Full — list registries
Kubernetes (AKS)	aks	✅ Full — clusters, node pools
App Service / Web Apps	appservice	❌ No list command — use ARG
Container Apps	—	❌ No MCP tool — use ARG
Event Hubs	eventhubs	✅ Full — namespaces, hubs
Service Bus	servicebus	✅ Full — queues, topics

If a dedicated tool is available with full coverage, use it. Otherwise proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Generate the ARG Query

Use extension_cli_generate to build the az graph query command:

mcp_azure_mcp_extension_cli_generate
  intent: "query Azure Resource Graph to <user's request>"
  cli-type: "az"

See Azure Resource Graph Query Patterns for common KQL patterns.

Step 3: Execute and Format Results

Run the generated command. Use --query (JMESPath) to shape output:

az graph query -q "<KQL>" --query "data[].{name:name, type:type, rg:resourceGroup}" -o table

Use --first N to limit results. Use --subscriptions to scope.

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Fix
resource-graph extension not found	Extension not installed	az extension add --name resource-graph
AuthorizationFailed	No read access to subscription	Check RBAC — need Reader role
BadRequest on query	Invalid KQL syntax	Verify table/column names; use =~ for case-insensitive type matching
Empty results	No matching resources or wrong scope	Check --subscriptions flag; verify resource type spelling

Constraints

• ✅ Always use =~ for case-insensitive type matching (types are lowercase)
• ✅ Always scope queries with --subscriptions or --first for large tenants
• ✅ Prefer dedicated MCP tools for single-resource-type queries
• ❌ Never use ARG for real-time monitoring (data has slight delay)
• ❌ Never attempt mutations through ARG (read-only)