azure-identity-py

name	azure-identity-py
description	ALWAYS use this when the request matches Azure Identity PY: Azure Identity SDK for Python authentication.

Azure Identity SDK for Python

Selective Reading Rule

Start with:

• references/senior-master-standard.md
• references/usage-routing.md
• references/quality-checklist.md

Then load only the inherited docs, scripts, assets, or examples that match the user's actual task.

Authentication library for Azure SDK clients using Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD).

Installation

pip install azure-identity

Environment Variables

# Service Principal (for production/CI)
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<your-tenant-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<your-client-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=<your-client-secret>

# User-assigned Managed Identity (optional)
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<managed-identity-client-id>

DefaultAzureCredential

The recommended credential for most scenarios. Tries multiple authentication methods in order:

from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.storage.blob import BlobServiceClient

# Works in local dev AND production without code changes
credential = DefaultAzureCredential()

client = BlobServiceClient(
    account_url="https://<account>.blob.core.windows.net",
    credential=credential
)

Credential Chain Order

Order	Credential	Environment
1	EnvironmentCredential	CI/CD, containers
2	WorkloadIdentityCredential	Kubernetes
3	ManagedIdentityCredential	Azure VMs, App Service, Functions
4	SharedTokenCacheCredential	Windows only
5	VisualStudioCodeCredential	VS Code with Azure extension
6	AzureCliCredential	az login
7	AzurePowerShellCredential	Connect-AzAccount
8	AzureDeveloperCliCredential	azd auth login

Customizing DefaultAzureCredential

# Exclude credentials you don't need
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(
    exclude_environment_credential=True,
    exclude_shared_token_cache_credential=True,
    managed_identity_client_id="<user-assigned-mi-client-id>"  # For user-assigned MI
)

# Enable interactive browser (disabled by default)
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(
    exclude_interactive_browser_credential=False
)

Specific Credential Types

ManagedIdentityCredential

For Azure-hosted resources (VMs, App Service, Functions, AKS):

from azure.identity import ManagedIdentityCredential

# System-assigned managed identity
credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()

# User-assigned managed identity
credential = ManagedIdentityCredential(
    client_id="<user-assigned-mi-client-id>"
)

ClientSecretCredential

For service principal with secret:

from azure.identity import ClientSecretCredential

credential = ClientSecretCredential(
    tenant_id=os.environ["AZURE_TENANT_ID"],
    client_id=os.environ["AZURE_CLIENT_ID"],
    client_secret=os.environ["AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET"]
)

AzureCliCredential

Uses the account from az login:

from azure.identity import AzureCliCredential

credential = AzureCliCredential()

ChainedTokenCredential

Custom credential chain:

from azure.identity import (
    ChainedTokenCredential,
    ManagedIdentityCredential,
    AzureCliCredential
)

# Try managed identity first, fall back to CLI
credential = ChainedTokenCredential(
    ManagedIdentityCredential(client_id="<user-assigned-mi-client-id>"),
    AzureCliCredential()
)

Credential Types Table

Credential	Use Case	Auth Method
DefaultAzureCredential	Most scenarios	Auto-detect
ManagedIdentityCredential	Azure-hosted apps	Managed Identity
ClientSecretCredential	Service principal	Client secret
ClientCertificateCredential	Service principal	Certificate
AzureCliCredential	Local development	Azure CLI
AzureDeveloperCliCredential	Local development	Azure Developer CLI
InteractiveBrowserCredential	User sign-in	Browser OAuth
DeviceCodeCredential	Headless/SSH	Device code flow

Getting Tokens Directly

from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential

credential = DefaultAzureCredential()

# Get token for a specific scope
token = credential.get_token("https://management.azure.com/.default")
print(f"Token expires: {token.expires_on}")

# For Azure Database for PostgreSQL
token = credential.get_token("https://ossrdbms-aad.database.windows.net/.default")

Async Client

from azure.identity.aio import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.storage.blob.aio import BlobServiceClient

async def main():
    credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
    
    async with BlobServiceClient(
        account_url="https://<account>.blob.core.windows.net",
        credential=credential
    ) as client:
        # ... async operations
        pass
    
    await credential.close()

Best Practices

1. Use DefaultAzureCredential for code that runs locally and in Azure
2. Never hardcode credentials — use environment variables or managed identity
3. Prefer managed identity in production Azure deployments
4. Use ChainedTokenCredential when you need a custom credential order
5. Close async credentials explicitly or use context managers
6. Set AZURE_CLIENT_ID for user-assigned managed identities
7. Exclude unused credentials to speed up authentication

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.