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Azure Developer CLI: From an Empty Project to an Azure Deployment in Three Commands

Start with an empty project directory, install azd, choose a template, then initialize, sign in, and deploy with three commands. Learn what azd up provisions and how to clean up safely.

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You can initialize an Azure Developer CLI (azd) template, sign in, and provision and deploy its sample app with three commands: azd init, azd auth login, and azd up. “From zero” means starting in an empty project directory—not starting without installed software, an Azure account, or an active subscription. Install azd first, check the chosen template’s prerequisites, and review what it will deploy.

Before you run the three commands

This walkthrough assumes you have an empty local directory, a working installation of azd, and an Azure account with an active subscription. The subscription is needed for the documented Azure deployment. You will also need any language or runtime tools required by the template you choose.

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  • Install azd: Microsoft documents platform-specific options such as winget install microsoft.azd for Windows, brew install azure/azd/azd for macOS, and curl -fsSL https://aka.ms/install-azd.sh | bash for Linux. Check the current installation instructions for your platform and package manager. The Linux install script installs Git CLI and Bicep CLI within azd’s scope; that detail does not apply automatically to every installation method.
  • Check the template’s current README: Requirements vary. Microsoft’s quickstart examples include Node.js and npm for a Node.js template, Python for a Python template, .NET for a C# template, and OpenJDK plus Docker for a Java template. These are examples, not a guarantee that every listed version or template remains current.
  • Have a subscription and choose a location: During deployment, azd asks you to select the subscription and Azure location. Resource availability varies by region.
  • Review the architecture and resource list: Read the selected template’s README and architecture diagram before deploying so you know which Azure resources it defines.

Microsoft’s get-started quickstart documents this three-command flow. Template names shown there include todo-nodejs-mongo, todo-python-mongo, todo-csharp-cosmos-sql, and todo-java-mongo-aca; use them as examples and confirm a template’s current status and requirements before choosing it.

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Deploy with three azd commands

1. Initialize a template

From the empty project directory, run:

azd init --template <template-name>

Replace <template-name> with the name of the template you selected, for example todo-nodejs-mongo. azd clones and initializes the template, then asks you to provide an environment name. An environment holds the configuration azd uses for a deployment, so choose a name that will help you recognize its purpose.

2. Sign in to Azure

Run:

azd auth login

azd opens a browser so you can complete Azure sign-in. Use an account that can access the active subscription you intend to deploy into.

3. Provision and deploy

Run:

azd up

Choose the target subscription and Azure location when prompted. Microsoft describes azd up as a convenience command that provisions, packages, and deploys the app’s resources. In the quickstart, it provisions the infrastructure defined by the template, configures access and managed-identity communication where required, packages and deploys the app code, and prints links to the deployed app endpoints.

The short command does not make the work instantaneous: provisioning and deployment can take several minutes. The exact resources and deployment behavior depend on the template’s configuration, rather than on azd inferring a complete production architecture from arbitrary source code.

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What the template controls

An azd template is a repository containing application code and azd configuration alongside infrastructure definitions. Microsoft’s command overview describes the main pieces this way:

  • src contains deployable application code.
  • infra contains infrastructure assets.
  • azure.yaml maps services to resources.

Together, these files determine what app azd deploys and which resources it provisions. Two templates can therefore have different runtime prerequisites, architectures, Azure services, and deployment environments. Inspect the selected template before running azd up.

If deployment fails or you need to change the app

A resource is unavailable in the chosen region

A deployment can fail when a required resource cannot be deployed in the selected region. Microsoft’s quickstart suggests choosing another region and rerunning for its sample, but do not assume every template or failure is safe to retry without review. Check the error and the template’s resource requirements before changing the location or trying again.

Deploy code or infrastructure updates

Running azd up again can provision and deploy updates using the environment’s configuration. For routine application-code changes on resources that already exist, use azd deploy. After infrastructure changes, use azd provision to provision the updated infrastructure.

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Remove resources when you are finished

azd down is the command overview’s documented cleanup command for resources created by a template. Before using it, select and verify the intended environment, and review the template or service’s data implications. Do not assume cleanup is reversible or that every external resource has identical deletion behavior.

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Where to go next

Once the sample is deployed, Microsoft documents azd pipeline config for CI/CD setup and azd monitor for health and performance insights. These are follow-on tasks, not requirements for the three-command beginner path.

Sources: Microsoft Learn: Get started using Azure Developer CLI; Microsoft Learn: Azure Developer CLI commands overview; Microsoft Learn: Azure Developer CLI overview; Microsoft Learn: Install Azure Developer CLI.

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