Cosmosdb Best Practices
microsoft/vscode-cosmosdb
Azure Cosmos DB performance optimization and best practices guidelines for NoSQL, partitioning, queries, and SDK usage.
Azure Cosmos DB SDK for Python (NoSQL API). An agent skill from microsoft/skills.
$ npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install microsoft/skills azure-cosmos-py --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py .claude/skills/azure-cosmos-py && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "azure-cosmos-py" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py into .claude/skills/azure-cosmos-py/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "azure-cosmos-py", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-pyType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install microsoft/skills azure-cosmos-py --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py .agents/skills/azure-cosmos-py && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "azure-cosmos-py" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py into .agents/skills/azure-cosmos-py/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "azure-cosmos-py", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install microsoft/skills azure-cosmos-py --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py .cursor/skills/azure-cosmos-py && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "azure-cosmos-py" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py into .cursor/skills/azure-cosmos-py/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "azure-cosmos-py", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git --path .github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install microsoft/skills azure-cosmos-py --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py .gemini/skills/azure-cosmos-py && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "azure-cosmos-py" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py into .gemini/skills/azure-cosmos-py/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "azure-cosmos-py", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install microsoft/skills azure-cosmos-pyInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py .github/skills/azure-cosmos-py && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "azure-cosmos-py" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py into .github/skills/azure-cosmos-py/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "azure-cosmos-py", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install microsoft/skills azure-cosmos-py --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py .opencode/skills/azure-cosmos-py && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "azure-cosmos-py" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/main/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py into .opencode/skills/azure-cosmos-py/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "azure-cosmos-py", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
azure-cosmos-pyAzure Cosmos DB SDK for Python (NoSQL API). An agent skill from microsoft/skills.
Azure Cosmos Py is an agent skill from microsoft/skills, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Azure Cosmos DB SDK for Python (NoSQL API). Use for document CRUD, queries, containers, and globally distributed data. Triggers: "cosmos db", "CosmosClient", "container", "document", "NoSQL", "partition key".
Its SKILL.md is about 2.3k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 3 other files, including reference files (for example `references/partitioning.md` and `references/query-patterns.md`).
It sits in Databases, covering NoSQL databases. It works with Azure Cosmos DB, Python, Microsoft Azure and Visual Studio Code. The repository describes itself as: Skills, MCP servers, Custom Agents, Agents.md for SDKs to ground Coding Agents. The licence is MIT.
10 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 3898ec8. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
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.
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
pipFrom the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:
learn.microsoft.comFrom URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALSFrom names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Azure Cosmos Py loads about 2.3k tokens when it runs, and up to ~7.7k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 56 tokens; SKILL.md has 377 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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.
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.
The full file from microsoft/skills at commit 3898ec8, republished under its MIT licence (© microsoft). 377 words, ~2,328 tokens.
.claude/skills/azure-cosmos-py/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 2 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.Client library for Azure Cosmos DB NoSQL API — globally distributed, multi-model database.
pip install azure-cosmos azure-identityCOSMOS_ENDPOINT=https://<account>.documents.azure.com:443/ # Required for all auth methods
COSMOS_DATABASE=mydb # Required for all auth methods
COSMOS_CONTAINER=mycontainer # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:
- Prefer
DefaultAzureCredential. It works locally (Azure CLI / VS Code / Developer CLI) and in Azure (managed identity, workload identity) with no code change. Avoid connection strings, account/API keys — they bypass Entra audit and rotation.
- Local dev:
DefaultAzureCredentialworks as-is.- Production: set
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod(orAZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.- Wrap every client in a context manager so HTTP transports, sockets, and token caches are released deterministically:
- Sync:
with <Client>(...) as client:- Async:
async with <Client>(...) as client:andasync with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential:(fromazure.identity.aio)Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.
import os
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
from azure.cosmos import CosmosClient
# Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True)
# Or use a specific credential directly in production:
# See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
# credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()
endpoint = "https://<account>.documents.azure.com:443/"
with CosmosClient(url=endpoint, credential=credential) as client:
# Use client here (see following sections for operations)
...| Client | Purpose | Get From |
|---|---|---|
CosmosClient | Account-level operations | Direct instantiation |
DatabaseProxy | Database operations | client.get_database_client() |
ContainerProxy | Container/item operations | database.get_container_client() |
# Get or create database
database = client.create_database_if_not_exists(id="mydb")
# Get or create container with partition key
container = database.create_container_if_not_exists(
id="mycontainer",
partition_key=PartitionKey(path="/category")
)
# Get existing
database = client.get_database_client("mydb")
container = database.get_container_client("mycontainer")item = {
"id": "item-001", # Required: unique within partition
"category": "electronics", # Partition key value
"name": "Laptop",
"price": 999.99,
"tags": ["computer", "portable"]
}
created = container.create_item(body=item)
print(f"Created: {created['id']}")# Read requires id AND partition key
item = container.read_item(
item="item-001",
partition_key="electronics"
)
print(f"Name: {item['name']}")item = container.read_item(item="item-001", partition_key="electronics")
item["price"] = 899.99
item["on_sale"] = True
updated = container.replace_item(item=item["id"], body=item)# Create if not exists, replace if exists
item = {
"id": "item-002",
"category": "electronics",
"name": "Tablet",
"price": 499.99
}
result = container.upsert_item(body=item)container.delete_item(
item="item-001",
partition_key="electronics"
)# Query within a partition (efficient)
query = "SELECT * FROM c WHERE c.price < @max_price"
items = container.query_items(
query=query,
parameters=[{"name": "@max_price", "value": 500}],
partition_key="electronics"
)
for item in items:
print(f"{item['name']}: ${item['price']}")# Cross-partition (more expensive, use sparingly)
query = "SELECT * FROM c WHERE c.price < @max_price"
items = container.query_items(
query=query,
parameters=[{"name": "@max_price", "value": 500}],
enable_cross_partition_query=True
)
for item in items:
print(item)query = "SELECT c.id, c.name, c.price FROM c WHERE c.category = @category"
items = container.query_items(
query=query,
parameters=[{"name": "@category", "value": "electronics"}],
partition_key="electronics"
)# Read all in a partition
items = container.read_all_items() # Cross-partition
# Or with partition key
items = container.query_items(
query="SELECT * FROM c",
partition_key="electronics"
)Critical: Always include partition key for efficient operations.
from azure.cosmos import PartitionKey
# Single partition key
container = database.create_container_if_not_exists(
id="orders",
partition_key=PartitionKey(path="/customer_id")
)
# Hierarchical partition key (preview)
container = database.create_container_if_not_exists(
id="events",
partition_key=PartitionKey(path=["/tenant_id", "/user_id"])
)# Create container with provisioned throughput
container = database.create_container_if_not_exists(
id="mycontainer",
partition_key=PartitionKey(path="/pk"),
offer_throughput=400 # RU/s
)
# Read current throughput
offer = container.read_offer()
print(f"Throughput: {offer.offer_throughput} RU/s")
# Update throughput
container.replace_throughput(throughput=1000)from azure.cosmos.aio import CosmosClient
from azure.identity.aio import DefaultAzureCredential
async def cosmos_operations():
async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential:
async with CosmosClient(endpoint, credential=credential) as client:
database = client.get_database_client("mydb")
container = database.get_container_client("mycontainer")
# Create
await container.create_item(body={"id": "1", "pk": "test"})
# Read
item = await container.read_item(item="1", partition_key="test")
# Query
async for item in container.query_items(
query="SELECT * FROM c",
partition_key="test"
):
print(item)
import asyncio
asyncio.run(cosmos_operations())from azure.cosmos.exceptions import CosmosHttpResponseError
try:
item = container.read_item(item="nonexistent", partition_key="pk")
except CosmosHttpResponseError as e:
if e.status_code == 404:
print("Item not found")
elif e.status_code == 429:
print(f"Rate limited. Retry after: {e.headers.get('x-ms-retry-after-ms')}ms")
else:
raiseazure.cosmos sync clients with azure.cosmos.aio async clients in the same call path. Choose one mode per module.with CosmosClient(...) as client: (sync) or async with CosmosClient(...) as client: (async). For async DefaultAzureCredential from azure.identity.aio, also use async with credential: so tokens and transports are cleaned up.DefaultAzureCredential for portable auth across local dev and Azure (avoid connection strings / API keys when possible).upsert_item for idempotent writesread_item instead of query for single document retrieval| File | Contents |
|---|---|
| references/partitioning.md | Partition key strategies, hierarchical keys, hot partition detection and mitigation |
| references/query-patterns.md | Query optimization, aggregations, pagination, transactions, change feed |
| scripts/setup_cosmos_container.py | CLI tool for creating containers with partitioning, throughput, and indexing |
© microsoft, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
SKILL.md and 2 other files (references) in .github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py of microsoft/skills.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3898ec8
Azure Cosmos Py next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Cosmos Py this skillmicrosoft/skills | 3.1k | — | ~2.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Cosmosdb Best Practicesmicrosoft/vscode-cosmosdb | 200 | — | ~4.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Azure Data Tables Pyaiskillstore/marketplace | 430 | 4 repos | ~1.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Azure Storagemicrosoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure | 255 | 2 repos | ~1.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Telemetry Best Practicesmicrosoft/vscode-cosmosdb | 200 | — | ~3.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Cosmosdb Nosql Query Generationmicrosoft/vscode-cosmosdb | 200 | — | ~4k | Automated safety check: Warn | MIT |
microsoft/vscode-cosmosdb
Azure Cosmos DB performance optimization and best practices guidelines for NoSQL, partitioning, queries, and SDK usage.
aiskillstore/marketplace
Azure Tables SDK for Python (Storage and Cosmos DB). An agent skill from aiskillstore/marketplace.
microsoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure
Azure Storage Services including Blob Storage, File Shares, Queue Storage, Table Storage, and Data Lake.
microsoft/vscode-cosmosdb
Reviews and authors telemetry code in this extension. An agent skill from microsoft/vscode-cosmosdb.
microsoft/vscode-cosmosdb
Generate, explain, edit, and fix Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL (SQL API) queries.
alinaqi/maggy
Azure Cosmos DB partition keys, consistency levels, change feed, SDK patterns
microsoft/skills
Covers producer, consumer, and checkpoint-store setup for Azure Event Hubs streaming in Python, with Entra ID auth and partition targeting.
microsoft/skills
Builds podcast-style audio narration from text with Azure OpenAI's GPT Realtime Mini over WebSocket, from a Python FastAPI backend to a React player.
microsoft/skills
Build dark-themed React applications using Tailwind CSS with custom theming, glassmorphism effects, and Framer Motion animations.
microsoft/skills
Create Pydantic models following the multi-model pattern with Base, Create, Update, Response, and InDB variants.
microsoft/skills
Reference for building on Microsoft Foundry with the azure-ai-projects Python SDK: project clients, versioned agents, evaluations, connections, datasets and indexes.
microsoft/skills
Guide for creating effective skills for AI coding agents working with Azure SDKs and Microsoft Foundry services.
Categories
Azure Cosmos DB SDK for Python (NoSQL API). An agent skill from microsoft/skills. Azure Cosmos Py is an agent skill from microsoft/skills, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Azure Cosmos DB SDK for Python (NoSQL API).
Azure Cosmos Py fits situations like: globally distributed data; tasks that involve NoSQL databases.
Run `npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py in microsoft/skills) into .claude/skills/azure-cosmos-py in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
Run `npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/plugins/azure-sdk-python/skills/azure-cosmos-py in microsoft/skills) into .agents/skills/azure-cosmos-py in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-cosmos-py -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/azure-cosmos-py, .gemini/skills/azure-cosmos-py, .github/skills/azure-cosmos-py and .opencode/skills/azure-cosmos-py in your project.
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Azure Cosmos Py needs the command-line tools its instructions call (pip) and credentials named AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS. Our summary lists: Python 3.
SKILL.md names 1 domain. In commands or code: learn.microsoft.com; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
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.
Azure Cosmos Py is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
About 2.3k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 9.3k 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 5.3k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Azure Cosmos Py: Cosmosdb Best Practices (microsoft/vscode-cosmosdb, 200 stars), Azure Data Tables Py (aiskillstore/marketplace, 430 stars), Azure Storage (microsoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure, 255 stars) and Telemetry Best Practices (microsoft/vscode-cosmosdb, 200 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
microsoft (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in microsoft/skills, which has 3,094 GitHub stars. The repository holds 150 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.
Source: microsoft/skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.