Azure Cost

# Azure Cost Management Skill

Unified skill for all Azure cost management tasks: querying historical costs, forecasting future spending, and optimizing to reduce waste.

## When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when user wants to:
- Query or analyze Azure costs (how much am I spending, show my bill, cost breakdown)
- Break down costs by service, resource, location, or tag
- Analyze cost trends over time
- Forecast future Azure spending or project end-of-month costs
- Optimize Azure costs, reduce spending, or find savings
- Find orphaned or unused resources
- Rightsize Azure VMs, containers, or services
- Generate cost optimization reports

## Quick Reference

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| **Query API Endpoint** | `POST {scope}/providers/Microsoft.CostManagement/query?api-version=2023-11-01` |
| **Forecast API Endpoint** | `POST {scope}/providers/Microsoft.CostManagement/forecast?api-version=2023-11-01` |
| **MCP Tools** | `azure__documentation`, `azure__extension_cli_generate`, `azure__get_azure_bestpractices` |
| **CLI** | `az rest`, `az monitor metrics list`, `az resource list` |
| **Required Role** | Cost Management Reader + Monitoring Reader + Reader on scope |

## MCP Tools

| Tool | Description | Parameters | When to Use |
|------|-------------|------------|-------------|
| `azure__documentation` | Search Azure documentation | `query` (Required): search terms | Research Cost Management API parameters and options |
| `azure__extension_cli_generate` | Generate Azure CLI commands | `intent` (Required): task description, `cli-type` (Required): `"az"` | Construct `az rest` commands for cost queries |
| `azure__get_azure_bestpractices` | Get Azure best practices | `intent` (Required): optimization context | Inform query design with cost management best practices |
| `azure__extension_azqr` | Run Azure Quick Review compliance scan | `subscription` (Required): subscription ID, `resource-group` (Optional): resource group name | Find orphaned resources and cost optimization opportunities |
| `azure__aks` | Azure Kubernetes Service operations | varies by sub-command | AKS cost analysis: list clusters, get node pools, inspect configuration |

> 💡 **Tip:** Prefer MCP tools over direct CLI commands. Use `az rest` only when MCP tools don't cover the specific operation.

---

## Routing

Read the user's request and follow the appropriate workflow below.

| User Intent | Workflow | Example Prompts |
|-------------|----------|-----------------|
| Understand current costs | [Cost Query Workflow](cost-query/workflow.md) | "how much am I spending", "cost by service", "show my bill" |
| Reduce costs / find waste | [Cost Optimization Workflow](cost-optimization/workflow.md) | "optimize costs", "find orphaned resources", "reduce spending" |
| Project future costs | [Cost Forecast Workflow](cost-fo