Azure MCP Server tools for Azure Optimization

Azure Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server tools help you manage Azure Optimization resources with natural language prompts. You can get recommendations, compare alternatives, and explain recommendations.

Azure Optimization uses Azure Advisor recommendations to help you identify cost-saving opportunities and compare compute resize options.

Note

Tool parameters: The Azure MCP Server tools define parameters for data they need to complete tasks. Some of these parameters are specific to each tool and are documented here. Other parameters are global and shared by all tools. For more information, see Tool parameters.

Alternatives recommendation

Retrieves alternative compute resize recommendations—other SKUs, series, or sizes beyond the primary recommendation—for an Azure virtual machine (VM) or virtual machine scale set (VMSS). Use optional inclusion and exclusion filters to narrow proposed SKUs, VM series, and processor types. Provide the full Azure Resource Manager resource ID. If you only have the resource name, look up the resource ID before running the tool. Provide a subscription name or ID. The tool resolves a subscription name to its ID. Returns a markdown comparison table and parsed alternatives. Presents alternatives as an ordered comparison table and explains tradeoffs among estimated savings, cores, SKU, VM series, and processor. The output doesn't include raw JSON.

Azure MCP CLI

Example CLI command

azmcp optimization recommendation alternatives \
  --resource-id <resource-id> \
  [--new-skus <new-skus>] \
  [--new-vm-series <new-vm-series>] \
  [--new-processor-types <new-processor-types>] \
  [--exclude-skus <exclude-skus>] \
  [--exclude-vm-series <exclude-vm-series>] \
  [--exclude-processor-types <exclude-processor-types>]

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
resource-id	string	Yes	Full Azure ARM resource ID of the VM or VM Scale Set, for example, /subscriptions/<subId>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/<name>. You can pass either the impacted resource ID or the Advisor recommendation ID (the /providers/Microsoft.Advisor/... suffix is stripped automatically). Use the resourceId or id field from the list tool output.
new-skus	string	No	Only include proposals whose new SKU matches any of these (comma or semicolon separated, for example, Standard_D4s_v5, Standard_E4s_v5).
new-vm-series	string	No	Only include proposals whose new VM series matches any of these (comma or semicolon separated, for example, Dsv5, Esv5).
new-processor-types	string	No	Only include proposals whose new processor type matches any of these (for example, Intel, AMD).
exclude-skus	string	No	Exclude proposals whose new SKU matches any of these.
exclude-vm-series	string	No	Exclude proposals whose new VM series matches any of these.
exclude-processor-types	string	No	Exclude proposals whose new processor type matches any of these.

MCP Server

Example prompts include:

• "Show me alternative resize options for the VM <resource_id>"
• "What other SKUs could I resize <resource_id> to, excluding AMD processors?"

Parameter	Required or optional	Description
Resource ID	Required	Full Azure ARM resource ID of the VM or VM Scale Set, for example /subscriptions/<subId>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/<name>. You can pass either the impacted resource ID or the Advisor recommendation ID (the /providers/Microsoft.Advisor/... suffix is stripped automatically). Use the resourceId or ID field from the list tool output.
New SKUs	Optional	Only include proposals whose new SKU matches any of these (comma or semicolon separated, for example Standard_D4s_v5, Standard_E4s_v5).
New VM series	Optional	Only include proposals whose new VM series matches any of these (comma or semicolon separated, for example Dsv5, Esv5).
New processor types	Optional	Only include proposals whose new processor type matches any of these (for example Intel, AMD).
Exclude SKUs	Optional	Exclude proposals whose new SKU matches any of these.
Exclude VM series	Optional	Exclude proposals whose new VM series matches any of these.
Exclude processor types	Optional	Exclude proposals whose new processor type matches any of these.

Tool annotation hints:

Destructive	Idempotent	Open World	Read Only	Secret	Local Required
❌	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌

Explain recommendation

Explains a specific Azure Advisor cost and right-size recommendation for a resource, and returns its utilization time series that a client can render as an inline chart. Common prompts include "explain recommendation N", "explain this recommendation", "tell me more about recommendation N", "why is this recommended", and "go deeper on" a recommendation after listing recommendations with the list tool. Provide the resource ID from the corresponding row returned by the list tool. Provide the subscription name or ID; names resolve to IDs automatically.

Azure MCP CLI

Example CLI command

azmcp optimization recommendation explain \
  --resource-id <resource-id> \
  [--target-sku <target-sku>] \
  [--view <view>]

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
resource-id	string	Yes	Full Azure ARM resource ID of the VM or VM Scale Set, for example, /subscriptions/<subId>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/<name>. You can pass either the impacted resource ID or the Advisor recommendation ID (the /providers/Microsoft.Advisor/... suffix is stripped automatically). Use the resourceId or id field from the list tool output.
target-sku	string	No	Optional target Azure VM SKU to compare against the current SKU, for example, Standard_E2as_v5. When omitted, only the current utilization is returned (no target configuration or projected target series). Set this parameter only when you explicitly name a SKU to project against.
view	string	No	Which utilization views to return: Detail (default, 7-day / 30-minute maximum), Trend (7-day / 6-hour), or Both. Only set Trend or Both when you explicitly request longer-term data.

MCP Server

Example prompts include:

• "Explain the recommendation <recommendation_type_id> for resource <resource_id> and show its utilization"
• "Why is <resource_id> recommended for resizing to <target_sku>?"

Parameter	Required or optional	Description
Resource ID	Required	Full Azure ARM resource ID of the VM or VM Scale Set, for example /subscriptions/<subId>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/<name>. You can pass either the impacted resource ID or the Advisor recommendation ID (the /providers/Microsoft.Advisor/... suffix is stripped automatically). Use the resourceId or ID field from the list tool output.
Target SKU	Optional	Optional target Azure VM SKU to compare against the current SKU, for example Standard_E2as_v5. When omitted, only the current utilization is returned (no target configuration or projected target series). Set this parameter only when the user explicitly names a SKU to project against.
View	Optional	Which utilization views to return: Detail (default, 7-day / 30-minute maximum), Trend (7-day / 6-hour), or Both. Only set Trend or Both when you explicitly request longer-term data.

Tool annotation hints:

Destructive	Idempotent	Open World	Read Only	Secret	Local Required
❌	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌

Get recommendations

Gets Azure cost-saving and cost-optimization recommendations for a subscription. Ranks recommendations by impact and by currency-normalized annual savings. Runs a curated Azure Resource Graph query over Azure Advisor cost recommendations.

Azure MCP CLI

Example CLI command

azmcp optimization recommendation list \
  [--top <top>]

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
top	string	No	Maximum number of cost-saving recommendations to return (1-1000, default 100). Results are ranked by impact then currency-normalized annual savings.

MCP Server

Example prompts include:

• "Show me the top cost-saving recommendations for my subscription"
• "What are my cost optimization recommendations?"

Parameter	Required or optional	Description
Top	Optional	Maximum number of cost-saving recommendations to return (1-1000, default 100). Results are ranked by impact then currency-normalized annual savings.

Tool annotation hints:

Destructive	Idempotent	Open World	Read Only	Secret	Local Required
❌	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌

Related content

• What are the Azure MCP Server tools?
• Get started using Azure MCP Server