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Agent skill

Apex Azure Bicep Patterns

by jonathan-vella in jonathan-vella/apex

UTILITY SKILL — Reusable Azure Bicep patterns: hub-spoke, private endpoints, diagnostics, AVM composition.

MITAuto-check passedDevOps & Cloud

Install Apex Azure Bicep Patterns

skills CLI
$ npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-bicep-patterns -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install jonathan-vella/apex apex-azure-bicep-patterns --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/jonathan-vella/apex.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns .claude/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
apex-azure-bicep-patterns
GitHub stars
217
Token cost
~2.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
791 words
Files
9 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
39
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

UTILITY SKILL — Reusable Azure Bicep patterns: hub-spoke, private endpoints, diagnostics, AVM composition.

  • Works in 7 steps: Identify the pattern — match your need… → Load the reference — read the linked… → Compose the module — follow the Module… → …
  • : Bicep template design
  • SKILL.md covers Quick Reference, Canonical Example — Module…, Steps and Rules, plus 3 more sections
  • Calls npm and az

What it does

Apex Azure Bicep Patterns is an agent skill from jonathan-vella/apex. UTILITY SKILL — Reusable Azure Bicep patterns: hub-spoke, private endpoints, diagnostics, AVM composition. WHEN: "hub-spoke Bicep", "private endpoint module", "diagnostic settings", "AVM Bicep composition". USE FOR: Bicep template design, hub-spoke networking, private endpoint patterns, AVM modules. DO NOT USE FOR: Terraform code (use apex-terraform-patterns), architecture decisions (use apex-azure-adr), troubleshooting, diagrams (use apex-python-diagrams).

Its SKILL.md is about 2.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 9 other files, including reference files (for example `references/avm-pitfalls.md`, `references/bicepparam-pattern.md` and `references/budget-pattern.md`). Compatibility notes: Requires Azure CLI with Bicep extension

It sits in DevOps & Cloud, covering Infrastructure as code and Diagrams. It works with Bicep, Microsoft Azure, Terraform and Python. The repository describes itself as: APEX turns Azure platform engineering requirements into verified, deploy-ready IaC — powered by GitHub Copilot agents, real-time pricing, and built-in compliance. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • : Bicep template design
  • Hub-spoke networking
  • Private endpoint patterns
  • : Terraform code (use apex-terraform-patterns)

Example prompts

  • “hub-spoke Bicep”
  • “private endpoint module”
  • “diagnostic settings”
  • “/apex-azure-bicep-patterns”

Requirements

  • Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Requires Azure CLI with Bicep extension

Workflow steps

7 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Identify the pattern — match your need to a row in Quick Reference (hub-spoke, private endpoint, diagnostics, conditional, identity, budget)
  2. Load the reference — read the linked references/*.md for the chosen pattern; do not load all at once
  3. Compose the module — follow the Module Interface contract above (name/location/tags/logAnalyticsWorkspaceName in…
  4. Pin AVM versions — query MCR at plan time and follow the apex-azure-defaults live-resolution and exception policy
  5. Add diagnostics + budget — every deployed resource gets diagnostics; every deployment implements the governed cost-monitoring contract
  6. What-if before deploy — run az deployment group what-if and review for unexpected deletes, SKU downgrades, or auth changes
  7. Validate — bicep build + bicep lint + npm run validate:iac-security-baseline

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit d0d3f18. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • npm
    • az

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npm and az, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

  • Compatibility

    Requires Azure CLI with Bicep extension

    From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Apex Azure Bicep Patterns loads about 2.5k tokens when it runs, and up to ~16k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 123 tokens; SKILL.md has 791 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~123
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.5k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~16k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from jonathan-vella/apex at commit d0d3f18, republished under its MIT licence (© jonathan-vella). 791 words, ~2,493 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 8 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
apex-azure-bicep-patterns
description
**UTILITY SKILL** — Reusable Azure Bicep patterns: hub-spoke, private endpoints, diagnostics, AVM composition. WHEN: "hub-spoke Bicep", "private endpoint module", "diagnostic settings", "AVM Bicep composition". USE FOR: Bicep template design, hub-spoke networking, private endpoint patterns, AVM modules. DO NOT USE FOR: Terraform code (use apex-terraform-patterns), architecture decisions (use apex-azure-adr), troubleshooting, diagrams (use apex-python-diagrams).
compatibility
Requires Azure CLI with Bicep extension
user-invocable
false
disable-model-invocation
false

Azure Bicep Patterns Skill

Reusable infrastructure patterns for Azure Bicep templates. Complements iac-bicep-best-practices.instructions.md (style) and apex-azure-defaults skill (naming, tags, regions).

Canonical sources — the security baseline, AVM-first mandate, naming conventions, required tags, and unique-suffix rule live in apex-azure-defaults/SKILL.md and iac-policy-compliance.md. This skill restates the rules tersely below for IaC-output convenience only; in conflict, the canonical sources win.

Quick Reference

PatternWhen to UseReference
Hub-Spoke NetworkingMulti-workload environments with shared serviceshub-spoke-pattern
Private Endpoint WiringAny PaaS service requiring private connectivityprivate-endpoint-pattern
Diagnostic SettingsEvery deployed resource (mandatory)common-patterns
Conditional DeploymentOptional resources controlled by parameterscommon-patterns
Module CompositionBreaking main.bicep into reusable modulescommon-patterns
Managed Identity BindingAny service-to-service authenticationcommon-patterns
Budget & Cost MonitoringEvery deployment (mandatory)budget-pattern
What-If / AVM PitfallsPre-deployment validation & AVM gotchasavm-pitfalls
Batch Bicep FormattingAfter generating/editing the Bicep treenpm run format:bicep -- infra/bicep/{project} (wraps bicep format)

Canonical Example — Module Interface

Every Bicep module in this repo follows the same input/output contract:

  • Inputs (required): name, location, tags, logAnalyticsWorkspaceName
  • Outputs (required): resourceId, resourceName, principalId (use .?principalId ?? '' so modules without managed identity still expose the output)

Full code sample and rationale: references/module-interface.md.

Steps

Applying a pattern in a Bicep template:

  1. Identify the pattern — match your need to a row in Quick Reference (hub-spoke, private endpoint, diagnostics, conditional, identity, budget)
  2. Load the reference — read the linked references/*.md for the chosen pattern; do not load all at once
  3. Compose the module — follow the Module Interface contract above (name/location/tags/logAnalyticsWorkspaceName in; resourceId/resourceName/principalId out)
  4. Pin AVM versions — query MCR at plan time and follow the apex-azure-defaults live-resolution and exception policy
  5. Add diagnostics + budget — every deployed resource gets diagnostics; every deployment implements the governed cost-monitoring contract
  6. What-if before deploy — run az deployment group what-if and review for unexpected deletes, SKU downgrades, or auth changes
  7. Validate — bicep build + bicep lint + npm run validate:iac-security-baseline

Rules

  • Hub-Spoke: Hub holds shared infra; spokes peer to hub only; NSGs per subnet
  • Private Endpoints: Apply the canonical private-networking baseline; resolve DNS ownership before wiring zone groups, zones and links per the private-endpoint pattern.
  • Diagnostics: categoryGroup: 'allLogs' + AllMetrics; pass workspace name not ID
  • Conditional: bool params with defaults; guard outputs with ternary
  • Identity: guid() for idempotent role names; principalType: 'ServicePrincipal'; scope narrowly
  • Budget: Follow the canonical cost-monitoring contract; amount and notification inputs MUST be parameters
  • What-If: Run before every deploy; watch for unexpected deletes and SKU downgrades
  • AVM Version Source of Truth: MCR tag listing (mcr.microsoft.com/v2/bicep/{module}/tags/list) is authoritative. Helpers and doc tables are NOT — they go stale. Validator: npm run validate:avm-versions.
Show full SKILL.md (388 more words)Show less

Gotchas

  • AVM output shapes vary across modules — Different AVM modules expose different outputs. Always check the module README before referencing outputs.
  • Tag merging in AVM modules — Some AVM modules merge tags internally. Verify deployed tags include all required policy tags after deployment.
  • What-If red flags — Watch for unexpected deletes, SKU downgrades, public access changes, authentication mode changes, or identity removal. Always run what-if before deploy.
  • MCR version discovery — When AVM version helpers are incomplete, query mcr.microsoft.com/v2/bicep/{module}/tags/list for authoritative published versions.
  • Cross-RG module scope: ARM ID split indexes — Splitting a full resource ID (/subscriptions/{sub}/resourceGroups/{rg}/providers/...) on / yields ['', 'subscriptions', '{sub}', 'resourceGroups', '{rg}', ...]. Subscription is at index 2, RG name is at index 4. Use: scope: resourceGroup(split(resId, '/')[2], split(resId, '/')[4]). Indexes [1]/[3] are the literals 'subscriptions'/'resourceGroups' and only fail at az deployment ... validate time.
  • AVM insights/metric-alert:0.4.1+ requires criteria.allof[].name — Each entry in criteria.allOf[] needs a name field; omission passes bicep build but fails az deployment ... validate:
    bicep
    allOf: [{
  name: 'HighCpu'        // REQUIRED
  metricName: 'Percentage CPU'
  operator: 'GreaterThan'
  threshold: 80
  timeAggregation: 'Average'
}]
  • bicep build poisons tree-hash folders — Running bicep build main.bicep emits main.json next to the source. If the folder is hashed by validate-iac-handoff.mjs, that compiled output drifts the hash. The validator now excludes <stem>.json siblings of <stem>.bicep, but if you must build manually inside a handoff tree, rm -f main.json immediately after.
  • AKS outboundType must match the egress topology — a NAT Gateway on the node subnet requires userAssignedNATGateway, NOT userDefinedRouting (UDR needs a 0.0.0.0/0 route table and is rejected when public network access is restricted). BYO-VNet clusters also need Network Contributor on the VNet, and fixed-size node pools must set minCount/maxCount to null. See avm-pitfalls § AKS.
  • MySQL Flexible Server: PE not delegated subnet; engine version 8.4 — on a shared PE subnet use privateEndpoints[] (not delegatedSubnetResourceId); pin version: '8.4' (latest GA LTS → 8.4.7), never the stale 8.0 or an innovation 9.x; aad_auth_only is read-only (enforce post-deploy). See avm-pitfalls § MySQL.

Reference Index

FileContent
hub-spoke-pattern.mdHub-spoke VNet orchestration with peering
private-endpoint-pattern.mdPE wiring + DNS zone groups + group ID table
common-patterns.mdDiagnostics, conditional deploy, module composition, managed identity
budget-pattern.mdConsumption budget, forecast alerts, anomaly detection
avm-pitfalls.mdWhat-if interpretation, AVM gotchas, learn more links
module-interface.mdCanonical module input/output contract

Learn More

TopicHow to Find
AVM module catalogmcp_azure-mcp_documentation — command: "microsoft_docs_search", query: "Azure Verified Modules registry Bicep"
Resource type schemamcp_azure-mcp_documentation — command: "microsoft_docs_search", query: "{resource-type} Bicep template reference"

© jonathan-vella, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 8 other files (references) in .github/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns of jonathan-vella/apex.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/avm-pitfalls.md
  • references/bicepparam-pattern.md
  • references/budget-pattern.md
  • references/codegen-validation-checklist.md
  • references/common-patterns.md
  • references/hub-spoke-pattern.md
  • references/module-interface.md
  • references/private-endpoint-pattern.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit d0d3f18

Compare with similar skills

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Azure Preparemicrosoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure2551 repos~3.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Azure Diagramscmb211087/azure-diagrams-skill150—~4kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Azure Firmware AnalysisMicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills776—~1.2kAutomated safety check: PassCC-BY-4.0
Terravision Cloud Diagramspatrickchugh/terravision1.6k—~5.6kAutomated safety check: NotesAGPL-3.0-only

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Apex Azure Bicep Patterns

What does Apex Azure Bicep Patterns do?

UTILITY SKILL — Reusable Azure Bicep patterns: hub-spoke, private endpoints, diagnostics, AVM composition. Apex Azure Bicep Patterns is an agent skill from jonathan-vella/apex. UTILITY SKILL — Reusable Azure Bicep patterns: hub-spoke, private endpoints, diagnostics, AVM composition.

When should I use Apex Azure Bicep Patterns?

Apex Azure Bicep Patterns fits situations like: : Bicep template design; hub-spoke networking; private endpoint patterns; : Terraform code (use apex-terraform-patterns).

How do I install Apex Azure Bicep Patterns in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-bicep-patterns -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns in jonathan-vella/apex) into .claude/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Apex Azure Bicep Patterns in Codex?

Run `npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-bicep-patterns -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns in jonathan-vella/apex) into .agents/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Apex Azure Bicep Patterns in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-bicep-patterns -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns, .gemini/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns, .github/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns and .opencode/skills/apex-azure-bicep-patterns in your project.

What does Apex Azure Bicep Patterns need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Apex Azure Bicep Patterns needs the command-line tools its instructions call (npm and az). Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Requires Azure CLI with Bicep extension.

Does Apex Azure Bicep Patterns access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Apex Azure Bicep Patterns safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Apex Azure Bicep Patterns use?

Apex Azure Bicep Patterns is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Apex Azure Bicep Patterns use?

About 2.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 10k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 14k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Apex Azure Bicep Patterns?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Apex Azure Bicep Patterns: Azure Architecture Autopilot (github/awesome-copilot, 40k stars), Azure Prepare (microsoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure, 255 stars), Azure Diagrams (cmb211087/azure-diagrams-skill, 150 stars) and Azure Firmware Analysis (MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills, 776 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Apex Azure Bicep Patterns?

jonathan-vella (a GitHub user) maintains it in jonathan-vella/apex, which has 217 GitHub stars. The repository holds 39 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

Source: jonathan-vella/apex on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.