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 exposing databases via DAB REST/GraphQL, configuring auth/RLS, tuning limits, or deploying to Azure/Docker, 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":"2026-07-19","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-L48	Diagnosing and fixing DAB issues: config/CLI errors, REST/CORS problems, GraphQL schema/auth, and database-specific troubles for Cosmos DB, SQL (incl. MCP), MySQL, and PostgreSQL.
Best Practices	L49-L55	Guidance on secure, reliable Data API builder configs, adding semantic metadata to SQL MCP entities, and safely using SQL MCP Server with local LLMs.
Decision Making	L56-L61	Comparisons of Data API builder features across supported databases and guidance on selecting secure Microsoft SQL authentication/authorization patterns.
Limits & Quotas	L62-L69	Configuring SQL timeouts, setting and tuning REST/GraphQL page size limits, and understanding database-specific constraints and feature requirements in Data API builder.
Security	L70-L90	Configuring authentication, authorization, and row-level security for Data API builder, including Entra ID, JWT, EasyAuth, managed identity, simulator, and SQL auth, plus security best practices.
Configuration	L91-L133	Configuring Data API builder: CLI setup, JSON schema, entities, data sources, security, caching, telemetry, logging, health checks, OpenAPI, and exposing DB objects via REST/GraphQL.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L134-L149	GraphQL/REST query patterns in DAB: filtering, sorting, pagination, field projection, exporting schemas, batching mutations, and using SQL MCP tools from AI agents.
Deployment	L150-L158	How to build and run Data API builder from source or Docker, and deploy it to Azure (App Service, Cosmos DB, air‑gapped/local SQL) with configuration and environment-specific guidance.

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
Resolve common issues in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/faq
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
Troubleshoot SQL MCP Server issues in Data API builder	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
Add semantic descriptions to SQL MCP Server entities	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/how-to-add-descriptions
Use SQL MCP Server with local LLMs securely and reliably	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/use-local-models

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Compare Data API builder feature availability by database	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/feature-availability
Choose Microsoft SQL security patterns for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/quickstart/microsoft-sql-security

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Configure SQL command timeout 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 authentication for Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-custom
Use 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 in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-unauthenticated
Apply security best practices in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/best-practices
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

Configuration

Topic	URL
Use DAB CLI commands to manage configuration and runtime	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/
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 settings	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-configure
Initialize Data API builder config with DAB CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/dab-init
Update Data API builder entity configuration via CLI	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
Use auto configuration patterns in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/config/auto-config

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
Query aggregate data via GraphQL in Data API builder	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/graphql/aggregate-data
Execute multiple GraphQL mutations in Data API builder	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
Choose Data API builder deployment option in Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/
Deploy Data API builder in air-gapped environments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/air-gapped
Deploy Data API builder to Azure App Service	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/azure-app-service
Build and run Data API builder from source	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/deployment/run-from-source
Deploy Data API builder with Azure Cosmos DB NoSQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/quickstart/basic-nosql
Deploy Data API builder with local SQL via Docker	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/quickstart/basic-sql