azure-data-api-builder

name	azure-data-api-builder
description	Expert knowledge for Azure Data Api Builder development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when defining DAB entities over SQL/Cosmos, exposing REST/GraphQL, securing auth/RLS, or deploying via Docker/Azure, and other Azure Data Api Builder related development tasks. Not for Azure API Management (use azure-api-management), Azure Functions (use azure-functions), Azure App Service (use azure-app-service), Azure Logic Apps (use azure-logic-apps).
compatibility	Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata	{"generated_at":"2026-04-05","generator":"docs2skills/1.0.0"}

Azure Data Api Builder Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Data Api Builder. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., [security.md](security.md)), use read_file on the linked reference file

IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

Category	Lines	Description
Troubleshooting	L36-L47	Diagnosing and fixing DAB issues: config/CLI errors, SQL/Cosmos/MySQL/Postgres connection or query problems, GraphQL schema/auth, REST routing, and CORS/endpoint failures.
Best Practices	L48-L54	Configuring Data API builder for reliability and performance, securing endpoints and auth, and adding semantic descriptions/metadata to SQL MCP entities for better AI integration.
Decision Making	L55-L60	Guidance on where and how to deploy Data API builder, plus feature-by-feature comparisons and limitations across supported databases.
Limits & Quotas	L61-L68	Configuring SQL timeouts, setting REST/GraphQL pagination limits, and understanding database-specific capabilities and constraints in Data API builder.
Security	L69-L82	Configuring auth and security for DAB: JWT/Entra/EasyAuth/Simulator/anonymous, OBO SQL access, row-level security and policies, and SQL MCP Server authentication.
Configuration	L83-L128	Configuring Data API builder: CLI-based config, entities and autoentities, data sources (SQL/Cosmos), REST/GraphQL exposure, caching, security/secrets, logging/telemetry, and MCP SQL tools.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L129-L142	GraphQL/REST usage patterns in DAB: exporting schemas, transactional mutations, pagination, filtering, sorting, and shaping/projecting fields for API responses.
Deployment	L143-L151	Deploying and running Data API builder or SQL MCP Server using Docker, source builds, and Azure services (Container Apps, Container Instances, AKS) including setup and configuration.

Troubleshooting

Topic	URL
Validate DAB configuration and interpret CLI exit codes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-validate
Troubleshoot Azure Cosmos DB issues in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/troubleshooting/cosmos
Troubleshoot GraphQL schema and authorization in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/troubleshooting/graphql
Diagnose and fix SQL MCP Server issues in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/troubleshooting/mcp
Troubleshoot SQL Server issues in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/troubleshooting/mssql
Troubleshoot MySQL issues in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/troubleshooting/mysql
Troubleshoot PostgreSQL issues in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/troubleshooting/postgresql
Troubleshoot REST endpoint and CORS issues in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/troubleshooting/rest

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Apply configuration best practices in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/config/best-practices
Apply security best practices for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/best-practices
Add semantic descriptions to SQL MCP Server entities	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/how-to-add-descriptions

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Choose a deployment option for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/
Compare Data API builder feature availability by database	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/feature-availability

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Configure SQL command timeouts for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/database/timeout
Limit GraphQL page size with first in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/first-graphql
Control REST page size with $first in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/first-rest
Database-specific feature requirements for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/reference-database-specific-features

Security

Topic	URL
Select and configure authentication models in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/
Configure custom JWT providers for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-custom
Configure Azure App Service EasyAuth with Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-easy-auth
Configure Microsoft Entra ID auth for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-entra
Configure On-Behalf-Of authentication for DAB SQL access	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-on-behalf-of
Use Simulator authentication for local DAB testing	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-simulator
Configure Unauthenticated provider and anonymous role in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-unauthenticated
Configure database policies for row-level filtering in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/database-policies
Implement SQL row-level security with DAB session context	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/row-level-security
Configure authentication for SQL MCP Server and database	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/how-to-configure-authentication

Configuration

Topic	URL
Use DAB CLI commands to manage configuration and runtime	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/
Add entity definitions using DAB CLI dab add	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-add
Configure DAB telemetry with OpenTelemetry and App Insights	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-add-telemetry
Create and manage autoentities via dab auto-config	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-auto-config
Simulate autoentities matches with dab auto-config-simulate	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-auto-config-simulate
Configure DAB runtime and data source via CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-configure
Initialize Data API builder config with dab init	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-init
Update DAB entity configuration with dab update	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-update
Control Data API builder caching via HTTP headers	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/cache/http-headers
Configure Redis-based level 2 cache in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/cache/level-2
Use @akv function with Azure Key Vault in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/config/akv-function

Integrations & Coding Patterns

Topic	URL
Export GraphQL schemas using DAB CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-export
Execute multiple GraphQL mutations transactionally in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/graphql/multiple-mutations
Use after cursors for GraphQL pagination in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/after-graphql
Implement cursor pagination with $after in DAB REST	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/after-rest
Filter GraphQL queries with DAB-specific operators	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/filter-graphql
Filter REST queries with $filter in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/filter-rest
Sort GraphQL results with orderBy in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/orderby-graphql
Sort REST results with $orderby in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/orderby-rest
Shape GraphQL selections and internal columns in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/select-graphql
Use $select to project REST fields in DAB	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/keywords/select-rest

Deployment

Topic	URL
Deploy Data API builder to Azure Container Apps	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/azure-container-apps
Deploy Data API builder to Azure Container Instances	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/azure-container-instances
Deploy Data API builder to Azure Kubernetes Service	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/azure-kubernetes-service
Run Data API builder in a Docker container	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/local-container
Build and run Data API builder from source	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/run-from-source
Deploy SQL MCP Server to Azure Container Apps	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/quickstart-azure-container-apps