azure-container-registry

name	azure-container-registry
description	Expert knowledge for Azure Container Registry development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when using ACR Tasks, geo-replication, Private Link, connected registries, or image signing with Notation, and other Azure Container Registry related development tasks. Not for Azure Container Apps (use azure-container-apps), Azure Container Instances (use azure-container-instances), Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (use azure-kubernetes-service), Azure Red Hat OpenShift (use azure-redhat-openshift).
compatibility	Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata	{"generated_at":"2026-04-19","generator":"docs2skills/1.0.0"}

Azure Container Registry Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Container Registry. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, 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	L37-L52	Diagnosing and fixing ACR issues: health checks, error codes, login/auth, network and performance problems, transfer/streaming/cache failures, logs, Arc/connected registry, and CMK encryption.
Best Practices	L53-L60	Best practices for ACR operations: managing public image dependencies, safe image deletion and storage cleanup, and robust image tagging/versioning strategies.
Decision Making	L61-L67	Guidance on choosing ACR auth for Kubernetes, planning geo-replication, and migrating image signing from Docker Content Trust to Notary Project.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L68-L73	Patterns for ACR performance and governance: caching image pulls, geo-replication strategies, connected registries for edge/offline, and gated import workflows for public images.
Limits & Quotas	L74-L79	Details on ACR SKUs (Basic/Standard/Premium) including throughput and feature limits, and how image storage capacity, layers, and repositories are calculated and constrained.
Security	L80-L119	Securing Azure Container Registry: auth methods, RBAC/ABAC and tokens, network isolation (firewall, Private Link, IP/service tags), data exfiltration controls, image signing/verification, and policy/compliance.
Configuration	L120-L137	Configuring ACR behavior: caching, purge/retention/soft delete, delete locks, tasks (YAML, timers, multi-step, patching, agent pools), webhooks, wildcard cache rules, and monitoring.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L138-L153	How to integrate ACR with ACI, AKS, Helm, ORAS, Buildpacks, ACR Transfer, GitHub Actions, Notation, Key Vault, and webhooks for image access, builds, signing, and automation
Deployment	L154-L159	Using ARM templates to automate ACR quick tasks and data transfer, and deploying/managing ACR connected registries via Azure Arc extension

Troubleshooting

Topic	URL
Run az acr check-health for quick ACR diagnostics	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-check-health
Azure Container Registry FAQ and known issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-faq
Interpret az acr check-health error codes and fixes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-health-error-reference
View and manage Azure Container Registry task run logs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tasks-logs
Troubleshoot Azure Container Registry Transfer failures	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-transfer-troubleshooting
Troubleshoot Azure Container Registry network connectivity	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-troubleshoot-access
Troubleshoot ACR login, authentication, and authorization issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-troubleshoot-login-authn-authz
Troubleshoot Azure Container Registry performance problems	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-troubleshoot-performance
Troubleshoot Azure Container Registry artifact cache issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/troubleshoot-artifact-cache
Diagnose and fix Azure Container Registry artifact streaming issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/troubleshoot-artifact-streaming

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Manage public image dependencies using ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/buffer-gate-public-content
Follow operational best practices for Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-best-practices
Delete ACR images safely to manage registry storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-delete
Apply image tagging and versioning best practices in ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-image-tag-version

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Select Kubernetes authentication options for Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/authenticate-kubernetes-options
Migrate ACR signing from DCT to Notary Project	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-content-trust-deprecation
Plan and configure geo-replication for Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-geo-replication

Architecture & Design Patterns

Topic	URL
Design and use connected registries with ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/intro-connected-registry
Implement gated import workflow for public images in ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/tasks-consume-public-content

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Understand Azure Container Registry SKU limits and features	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-skus
Review Azure Container Registry image storage limits	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-storage

Security

Topic	URL
Allow trusted Azure services to access network-restricted ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/allow-access-trusted-services
Enable anonymous pull access for Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/anonymous-pull-access
Configure cross-tenant AKS authentication to Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/authenticate-aks-cross-tenant
Restrict Azure Container Registry public access by IP rules	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-access-selected-networks
Use Microsoft Entra service principals to access ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-auth-service-principal
Choose and configure authentication methods for Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-authentication
Configure managed identity authentication to Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-authentication-managed-identity
Use Azure Policy to audit ACR compliance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-azure-policy
Configure Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies for ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-configure-conditional-access
Enable Docker Content Trust for Azure Container Registry	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-content-trust

Configuration

Topic	URL
Configure artifact cache in ACR using Azure CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/artifact-cache-cli
Configure and schedule ACR purge for tags and manifests	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-auto-purge
Configure delete locks on ACR images and repositories	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-image-lock
Configure retention policy for untagged ACR manifests	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-retention-policy
Configure and use ACR soft delete retention policy	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-soft-delete-policy
Use multi-step ACR Tasks to build, test, and patch images	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tasks-multi-step
YAML schema reference for Azure Container Registry Tasks	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tasks-reference-yaml
Schedule Azure Container Registry Tasks with timers	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tasks-scheduled
Configure multi-step ACR Tasks for build workflows	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tutorial-multistep-task
Webhook payload schema for Azure Container Registry events	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-webhook-reference

Integrations & Coding Patterns

Topic	URL
Grant Azure Container Instances access to ACR with service principals	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-auth-aci
Create Kubernetes pull secrets for Azure Container Registry access	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-auth-kubernetes
Host and manage Helm chart repositories in ACR	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-helm-repos
Import container images into ACR using Azure APIs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-import-images
Manage OCI and supply chain artifacts in ACR with ORAS	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-manage-artifact
Build images with Buildpacks using az acr pack build	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tasks-pack-build
Use ACR Transfer with Azure CLI extension	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-transfer-cli
Build, push, and sign ACR images in GitHub Actions with Notation	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tutorial-github-sign-notation-artifact-signing
Verify signed ACR images in GitHub Actions workflows	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tutorial-github-verify-notation-artifact-signing
Sign ACR images with Notation using Azure Key Vault certificates

Deployment

Topic	URL
Queue ACR quick task runs with ARM templates	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-task-run-template
Automate ACR Transfer using ARM templates	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-transfer-arm-template
Deploy the ACR connected registry Arc extension	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/quickstart-connected-registry-arc-cli