Microsoft SQL agent skills

Installable agent plugins from the Microsoft SQL product team for developing applications, operating Azure SQL Database, running local container workflows, planning migrations, and exploring database estates in Fabric Database Hub. Each plugin packages focused guidance and references for supported agent hosts.

Agent skills are folders of instructions and references that an agent discovers and loads when the task calls for them. Install a plugin once, then ask for what you need in your own words. There is no special prompt syntax to remember.

This repository is the installable microsoft-sql marketplace. It publishes portable Agent Plugins 1.0 packages for GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Grok Build.

Choose a plugin

The marketplace name is microsoft-sql. Install coordinates use <plugin>@microsoft-sql.

Plugin	Install coordinate	Best for
microsoft-sql	microsoft-sql@microsoft-sql	Broad Azure SQL Database application development and operations, including local container workflows
microsoft-azuresqldb-container	microsoft-azuresqldb-container@microsoft-sql	Local development and CI with the Azure SQL Database container
microsoft-sql-vscode	microsoft-sql-vscode@microsoft-sql	Azure SQL application development and database lifecycle work in Visual Studio Code
microsoft-sql-migration	microsoft-sql-migration@microsoft-sql	SQL Server to Azure assessment, planning, migration, and validation
microsoft-sql-fdh	microsoft-sql-fdh@microsoft-sql	Read-only Fabric Database Hub inventory, performance, and security posture

microsoft-sql-vscode is tailored to the MSSQL extension and overlaps with microsoft-sql. Normally install one of those two:

• Choose microsoft-sql for a general-purpose terminal or coding agent.
• Choose microsoft-sql-vscode for the MSSQL extension. It omits Data API Builder skills that overlap with agent tools supplied by the extension.

microsoft-azuresqldb-container focuses on local development. Its capabilities are already included in microsoft-sql, so do not install those two together when testing routing. It can be installed alongside the VS Code plugin when that host also needs container workflows.

microsoft-sql-migration and microsoft-sql-fdh are separate workflow plugins and can be installed alongside any Azure SQL bundle.

microsoft-sql: complete Azure SQL workflow

The complete plugin covers:

• provisioning, service tiers, local containers, and local-to-cloud parity;
• .NET, Python, and TypeScript drivers, pooling, retry, and Microsoft Entra authentication;
• schema design, Entity Framework Core, Prisma, SQLAlchemy, database projects, and safe migrations;
• T-SQL correctness, JSON, safe upserts, SQL injection prevention, and row-level security;
• Azure Functions, Data API Builder, application deployment, GitHub Actions, and CI;
• vectors, embeddings, LangChain, LlamaIndex, and retrieval-augmented generation;
• Query Store, execution plans, blocking, deadlocks, Extended Events, and resource pressure;
• bulk loading, SqlPackage import/export, restore, and recovery; and
• the full Azure SQL Database container workflow.

Browse the included guidance.

microsoft-azuresqldb-container: local Azure SQL Database

The container plugin covers:

• starting, provisioning, refreshing, and troubleshooting the local engine;
• Docker, Podman, Compose, Dev Container, sidecar, and CI workflows;
• secure application connections, authentication, schema migration, seeding, and testing;
• migrating from the SQL Server image and moving a local workload to Azure SQL Database;
• importing databases and managing local-to-cloud parity;
• Data API Builder and Azure Functions development; and
• local vector search and retrieval-augmented generation.

The container is for local development and CI, not production hosting. It is the Azure SQL Database engine and reports SERVERPROPERTY('EngineEdition') = 5; it is not the SQL Server container image.

Browse the container guidance.

microsoft-sql-vscode: Visual Studio Code and the MSSQL extension

The VS Code plugin covers application development and database lifecycle work:

• connections and drivers for .NET, Python, TypeScript, and Node.js;
• EF Core, Prisma, SQLAlchemy, schema design, and database projects;
• T-SQL correctness, JSON, upserts, and injection prevention;
• Microsoft Entra authentication and row-level security;
• Query Store, execution plans, blocking, deadlocks, resource pressure, and Extended Events;
• Azure SQL Database and Hyperscale provisioning, bulk loading, SqlPackage, restore, and recovery;
• application deployment and GitHub Actions;
• vectors, embeddings, RAG, LangChain, and LlamaIndex;
• Azure Functions SQL bindings;
• dev-container templates and safe schema migrations; and
• skill feedback.

It deliberately excludes dab-rest-and-graphql, azuresql-db-dab, and the broad build-app-on-azure-sql router so the plugin does not compete with tools already supplied by the MSSQL extension.

Browse the VS Code guidance.

microsoft-sql-migration: SQL Server to Azure

The migration plugin helps you:

• recommend a target, assessment path, and migration method;
• run, retrieve, and evaluate Azure Arc migration assessments;
• evaluate offline migration readiness;
• size Azure SQL targets from measured performance;
• analyze readiness across an estate;
• generate path-specific prerequisite plans;
• migrate with backup/restore to SQL Server on Azure VM;
• migrate with BACPAC to Azure SQL Database;
• migrate with Log Replay Service to Azure SQL Managed Instance; and
• validate source and target data after migration.

Browse the migration guidance.

microsoft-sql-fdh: Fabric Database Hub

The Fabric Database Hub plugin uses read-only, delegated-user Fabric API calls to analyze:

• tenant-wide Azure SQL, Arc SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Cosmos DB, and Fabric SQL inventory;
• SQL and PostgreSQL CPU, storage, and memory health;
• Cosmos DB availability and normalized RU coverage; and
• security findings, authentication, auditing, and customer-managed-key posture.

See example prompts and supported Database Hub scenarios.

Installation

Review plugins before installing them. The examples below register this repository as the microsoft-sql marketplace and install the complete bundle. Substitute another plugin ID from the table above when you want a curated or workflow-specific bundle. None of the supported hosts below requires you to clone this repository.

GitHub Copilot CLI

copilot plugin marketplace add microsoft/microsoft-sql
copilot plugin marketplace browse microsoft-sql
copilot plugin install microsoft-sql@microsoft-sql

Inside an interactive session, use /plugin to manage plugins and /skills to inspect the available skills.

Claude Code

/plugin marketplace add microsoft/microsoft-sql
/plugin install microsoft-sql@microsoft-sql

From a shell, the equivalent commands are:

claude plugin marketplace add microsoft/microsoft-sql
claude plugin install microsoft-sql@microsoft-sql

OpenAI Codex CLI

codex plugin marketplace add microsoft/microsoft-sql --ref main
codex plugin list --marketplace microsoft-sql --available --json
codex plugin add microsoft-sql@microsoft-sql

GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code

Enable Agent Plugins and add this repository to chat.plugins.marketplaces:

{
  "chat.plugins.enabled": true,
  "chat.plugins.marketplaces": [
    "microsoft/microsoft-sql"
  ]
}

Then run Chat: Open Customizations from the Command Palette, open Plugins, select Browse Marketplace, and install the plugin. You can also search for @agentPlugins in the Extensions view. For the MSSQL extension, start with microsoft-sql-vscode.

Cursor

Register the marketplace without cloning:

cursor-agent plugin marketplace add https://github.com/microsoft/microsoft-sql
cursor-agent

In the interactive session, enter /plugin, open the Marketplace tab, select the microsoft-sql marketplace, and install a plugin at user or project scope. Cursor does not currently provide a non-interactive plugin-install command. You can also manage installed plugins from Customize in the Cursor IDE.

On Teams and Enterprise, an administrator can use Dashboard > Plugins & MCPs > Add Marketplace > Import from Repo with this repository URL and configure marketplace access and installation policy.

Grok Build

Grok Build accepts this repository's Claude-compatible marketplace index:

grok plugin marketplace add microsoft/microsoft-sql
grok plugin install microsoft-sql --trust

Inside Grok, use /plugins and /skills to inspect what loaded. For a persistent installation, use the marketplace workflow above; --plugin-dir is intended for testing an unpublished local plugin.

Local development and other Agent Skills clients

Clone the repository only when reviewing or testing unpublished changes, or when using a client that discovers SKILL.md files but does not support plugin marketplaces:

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/microsoft-sql.git
cd microsoft-sql

Each plugin is self-contained under plugins/<plugin>/. Clients that discover SKILL.md directly can copy the selected plugin's skills/ directories into their standard skill location. For local plugin development, Cursor discovers plugins under ~/.cursor/plugins/local/, and Grok Build accepts --plugin-dir plugins/<plugin>.

Examples

Skills route from ordinary requests. Ask for what you want:

Connect my Node app to Azure SQL Database without a password.

My report query took one second for months and now takes ten. Diagnose why before changing it.

Design a concurrency-safe Azure SQL upsert for this table.

Add vector search to this table and make the query use the vector index.

Interview me to choose a SQL Server to Azure migration target and method.

Assess performance and security posture across my Fabric Database Hub estate.

Scope

The complete and VS Code plugins primarily target Azure SQL Database. They do not silently treat Azure SQL Managed Instance, Fabric SQL, or self-managed SQL Server as the same product. Local development guidance targets the Azure SQL Database container, where SERVERPROPERTY('EngineEdition') returns 5.

The local Azure SQL Database container is owned by microsoft-azuresqldb-container and is also included in the complete microsoft-sql bundle. SQL Server appears as a migration source in microsoft-sql-migration. Fabric Database Hub is owned by microsoft-sql-fdh. When a request crosses a product boundary, the skills route to the owning capability or state that it is not installed rather than inventing support.

This boundary matters. SQL features, limits, and management operations vary across products, and confidently transferring guidance from one engine to another is exactly the kind of error these skills are designed to prevent.

Repository layout

.agents/plugins/marketplace.json       Codex marketplace
.claude-plugin/marketplace.json        Claude Code and Grok marketplace
.cursor-plugin/marketplace.json        Cursor marketplace
.github/plugin/marketplace.json        GitHub Copilot marketplace
plugins/
  microsoft-sql/
  microsoft-azuresqldb-container/
  microsoft-sql-vscode/
  microsoft-sql-migration/
  microsoft-sql-fdh/

Each plugin is self-contained and includes a portable plugin.json, host compatibility descriptors, documentation, and its current capabilities. Skill content is generated from its canonical source; do not edit duplicated skill files in this distribution directly.

Feedback

A skill that gives wrong, stale, unsafe, or incomplete guidance has a bug. Use the skill feedback form and include the plugin, skill, host, prompt, and redacted reproduction details.

• Open skill feedback
• Ask a question or share what you built
• Review existing issues

The skill-feedback skill can assemble a redacted issue from the current conversation. It never submits an issue without explicit confirmation.

If the product misbehaved while the skill gave correct guidance, use that product's support or feedback channel instead. A simple rule: if the skill said the right thing and it still failed, that is probably a product issue; if the skill said the wrong thing, it belongs here.

Contributing

Pull requests that improve marketplace metadata, documentation, compatibility, or validation are welcome. Read CONTRIBUTING.md for the contribution process and Microsoft Contributor License Agreement requirements. Participation in this project is governed by the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct.

Security

Do not report security vulnerabilities through public GitHub issues. Follow the private reporting instructions in SECURITY.md.

Privacy

The plugins do not independently collect telemetry, but agent hosts, external tools, and Microsoft services used by a workflow may have their own data collection behavior. See PRIVACY.md for data collection and opt-out guidance.

License

This project is released under the MIT License. See NOTICE.txt for information about third-party software.

Trademarks

This project may contain trademarks or logos for projects, products, or services. Authorized use of Microsoft trademarks or logos is subject to and must follow Microsoft's Trademark & Brand Guidelines. Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship. Third-party trademarks and logos are subject to their respective policies.