az-deployment

TLDR

Create a resource group deployment from a template

$ az deployment group create --resource-group [rg_name] --template-file [template.json]

Deploy with parameters file

$ az deployment group create --resource-group [rg_name] --template-file [template.json] --parameters [parameters.json]

Deploy a Bicep file

$ az deployment group create --resource-group [rg_name] --template-file [main.bicep]

Validate a deployment without executing

$ az deployment group validate --resource-group [rg_name] --template-file [template.json]

Show deployment details

$ az deployment group show --resource-group [rg_name] --name [deployment_name]

List deployments in a resource group

$ az deployment group list --resource-group [rg_name]

Delete a deployment

$ az deployment group delete --resource-group [rg_name] --name [deployment_name]

Deploy at subscription scope

$ az deployment sub create --location [eastus] --template-file [template.json]

SYNOPSIS

az deployment scope subcommand [options]

az deployment is a subcommand of the Azure CLI that manages Azure Resource Manager (ARM) deployments. It deploys infrastructure as code using ARM templates (JSON) or Bicep files to create and update Azure resources.
Deployments can target different scopes: resource group, subscription, management group, or tenant. The template defines resources to create, their properties, and dependencies. Parameters allow customization without modifying templates.
Deployment modes include incremental (add/update resources) and complete (remove resources not in template). What-if operations preview changes before deployment.

PARAMETERS

group create

Deploy at resource group scope.

group validate

Validate template without deploying.

group show

Show deployment details.

group list

List deployments in a resource group.

group delete

Remove deployment history entry.

group what-if

Preview deployment changes.

sub create

Deploy at subscription scope.

mg create

Deploy at management group scope.

tenant create

Deploy at tenant scope.

--resource-group rg

Target resource group.

--template-file file

Path to ARM template or Bicep file.

--template-uri uri

URL to template file.

--parameters params

Parameter values (file path or inline).

--name name

Deployment name.

--mode mode

Incremental or Complete.

--location region

Required for subscription-scope deployments.

--confirm-with-what-if

Show what-if and prompt before deploying.

CAVEATS

Complete mode deletes resources not in the template; use with caution. Deployment history is limited to 800 entries per resource group (auto-deleted oldest). Template file size limit is 4 MB. Nested templates require linked deployments or template specs for larger infrastructures. Bicep files are compiled to ARM JSON before deployment.

HISTORY

Azure Resource Manager templates launched in 2014 as Azure's infrastructure as code solution. The deployment commands evolved through several CLI versions. What-if preview functionality was added in 2020. Bicep, a domain-specific language that compiles to ARM templates, reached version 1.0 in May 2021 and has become the recommended authoring experience. Template specs for versioned, shareable templates were introduced in 2020.