Commands

Install quota extension (required):

⚠️ CRITICAL: ALWAYS USE CLI FIRST

Azure CLI is the ONLY reliable method for quota checks. Use az quota commands FIRST, always.

DO NOT use REST API or Azure Portal as your first approach. They are unreliable.

Required workflow:

1. FIRST: Try az quota list / az quota show / az quota usage show
2. If CLI returns BadRequest: Resource provider doesn’t support quota API → use Azure service limits docs (opens in a new tab)
3. Never start with REST API or Portal - only use as fallback

Why REST API/Portal are unreliable:

• REST API returns “No Limit” or “Unlimited” values that are MISLEADING
• “No Limit” DOES NOT mean unlimited capacity - usually means resource doesn’t support quota API
• Service-specific limits still apply even when REST API shows “No Limit”
• Portal may show incomplete or cached quota data
• REST API lacks proper error handling for unsupported providers

If you see “No Limit” in REST API/Portal:

• ❌ This is NOT unlimited capacity
• ✅ It means quota API doesn’t support that resource type
• ✅ Check Azure service limits docs (opens in a new tab) for actual limits
• ✅ Regional capacity constraints may still exist

Resource Name Mapping

⚠️ CRITICAL: No 1:1 mapping exists between ARM resource types and quota names. Always discover via az quota list.

Discovery workflow:

1. List all quotas: az quota list --scope /subscriptions/{id}/providers/{Provider}/locations/{region}
2. Match properties.name.localizedValue to your resource type
3. Use exact name value in subsequent commands

Example mappings:

Command Summary

See advanced-commands.md for request status and operation commands.

az quota list

List all quota limits for a scope. Use this first to discover quota resource names.

Syntax:

Required:

• --scope - Azure resource URI: /subscriptions/{id}/providers/{Provider}/locations/{region}

Examples:

Key output fields:

• name - Quota resource name (use in other commands)
• properties.name.localizedValue - Human-readable description
• properties.limit.value - Quota limit

az quota show

Show quota limit for a specific resource.

Syntax:

Required:

• --resource-name - Quota resource name (from az quota list)
• --scope - Azure resource URI

Example:

Key output fields:

• properties.limit.value - Quota limit
• properties.name.localizedValue - Human-readable description
• properties.quotaPeriod - Reset period (e.g., P1M = 1 month)

az quota update

Request quota increase for a resource.

Syntax:

Required:

• --resource-name - Quota resource name
• --scope - Azure resource URI
• --limit-object - New limit value (format: value=N)

Optional:

• --resource-type - Resource type (e.g., dedicated, lowPriority)
• --no-wait - Don’t wait for completion (true/false)

Examples:

az quota usage list

List current usage for all resources in a scope.

Syntax:

Required:

• --scope - Azure resource URI

Examples:

Key output:

• properties.usages.value - Current usage count
• Use with az quota show to calculate available capacity

az quota usage show

Show current usage for a specific resource.

Syntax:

Required:

• --resource-name - Quota resource name
• --scope - Azure resource URI

Example:

Calculate available capacity:

1. Get limit: az quota show --resource-name {name} --scope {scope} → limit value
2. Get usage: az quota usage show --resource-name {name} --scope {scope} → current usage
3. Available = Limit - Usage

Example calculation:

• Limit (from az quota show): 350 vCPUs
• Usage (from az quota usage show): 12 vCPUs
• Available: 338 vCPUs

az quota create

Create quota limit for a resource. Rarely used - typically use az quota update instead.

Syntax:

Required:

• --resource-name - Quota resource name
• --scope - Azure resource URI
• --limit-object - Quota limit value

Examples:

Troubleshooting

Unsupported Resource Types

Not all Azure resource providers support the quota API. If you receive a BadRequest error when running az quota list, the provider likely doesn’t support quota commands.

Example - Microsoft.DocumentDB (Cosmos DB):

Workarounds:

• Check Azure subscription limits documentation (opens in a new tab)
• Use Azure Portal for quota management
• Check service-specific documentation

Testing provider support:

REST API “No Limit” Warning

⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING: REST API “No Limit” is MISLEADING

If you see “No Limit”, “Unlimited”, or similar values in REST API or Azure Portal responses:

This DOES NOT mean unlimited capacity!

It most likely means:

• The resource provider doesn’t support the quota API
• Quota information isn’t available through this API
• The quota is managed at a different scope

DO NOT assume unlimited capacity. Always:

1. Use az quota CLI commands first (preferred method)
2. If CLI returns BadRequest, check Azure service limits documentation (opens in a new tab)
3. Consult service-specific documentation for actual limits
4. Consider regional capacity constraints even without quota enforcement

Common Error Codes

Known Support Status

Unsupported:

• ❌ Microsoft.DocumentDB (Cosmos DB)

Supported:

• ✅ Microsoft.Compute (VMs, disks, cores)
• ✅ Microsoft.Network (VNets, IPs, load balancers)
• ✅ Microsoft.App (Container Apps)
• ✅ Microsoft.Storage (storage accounts)
• ✅ Microsoft.MachineLearningServices
• ✅ Microsoft.ContainerService (AKS)