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Structure and Syntax of ARM Templates Cheat Sheet by

It provides detailed information about the structure of the template

Template format

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "",
  "apiProfile": "",
  "parameters": {  },
  "variables": {  },
  "functions": [  ],
  "resources": [  ],
  "outputs": {  }
}
A template's elements, in its simplest structure. Each element has properties we can set.

Template Format Elements

Element name
Required
Descri­ption
$schema
Yes
- Location of the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) schema file that describes the version of the template language.
- The version number depends on the scope of the deployment and the JSON editor.
conten­tVe­rsion
Yes
Version of the template (such as 1.0.0.0). Can be any value. Used to document signif­icant changes in the template. This value can be used to make sure that the right template is being used.
apiProfile
No
An API version that serves as a collection of API versions for resource types. Use this value to avoid having to specify API versions for each resource in the template.
parameters
No
Values that are provided when deployment is executed to customize resource deploy­ment.
variables
No
Values that are used as JSON fragments in the template to simplify template language expres­sions.
functions
No
User-d­efined functions that are available within the template.
resources
Yes
Resource types that are deployed or updated in a resource group or subscr­iption.
outputs
No
Values that are returned after deploy­ment.

Parameters

"parameters": {
  "<parameter-name>" : {
    "type" : "<type-of-parameter-value>",
    "defaultValue": "<default-value-of-parameter>",
    "allowedValues": [ "<array-of-allowed-values>" ],
    "minValue": <minimum-value-for-int>,
    "maxValue": <maximum-value-for-int>,
    "minLength": <minimum-length-for-string-or-array>,
    "maxLength": <maximum-length-for-string-or-array-parameters>,
    "metadata": {
      "description": "<description-of-the parameter>"
    }
  }
}
Specify which values one can input when deploying the resources. It is limited to 256 parameters in a template. Use objects that contain multiple properties to reduce the number of parame­ters.

Parameter Elements

Element name
Required
Descri­ption
parame­ter­-name
Yes
Name of the parameter. Must be a valid JavaScript identi­fier.
type
Yes
Type of the parameter value. The allowed types and values are string, secure­string, int, bool, object, secure­Object, and array.
defaul­tValue
No
Default value for the parameter, if no value is provided for the parameter.
allowe­dValues
No
Array of allowed values for the parameter to make sure that the right value is provided.
minValue
No
The minimum value for int type parame­ters, this value is inclusive.
maxValue
No
The maximum value for int type parame­ters, this value is inclusive.
minLength
No
The minimum length for string, secure string, and array type parame­ters, this value is inclusive.
maxLength
No
The maximum length for string, secure string, and array type parame­ters, this value is inclusive.
descri­ption
No
Descri­ption of the parameter that is displayed to users through the portal. For more inform­ation

Define Parameters Example

"parameters": {
  "storageSKU": {
    "type": "string",
    "allowedValues": [
      "Standard_LRS",
      "Standard_ZRS",
      "Standard_GRS",
      "Standard_RAGRS",
      "Premium_LRS"
    ],
    "defaultValue": "Standard_LRS",
    "metadata": {
      "description": "The type of replication to use for the storage account."
    }
  }
}
The above example shows a simple parameter defini­tion. It defines a parameter named storageSKU. The parameter is a string value, and only accepts values that are valid for its intended use. The parameter uses a default value when no value is provided during deploy­ment.

Resources

"resources": [
  {
      "condition": "<true-to-deploy-this-resource>",
      "type": "<resource-provider-namespace/resource-type-name>",
      "apiVersion": "<api-version-of-resource>",
      "name": "<name-of-the-resource>",
      "comments": "<your-reference-notes>",
      "location": "<location-of-resource>",
      "dependsOn": [
          "<array-of-related-resource-names>"
      ],
      "tags": {
          "<tag-name1>": "<tag-value1>",
          "<tag-name2>": "<tag-value2>"
      },
      "sku": {
          "name": "<sku-name>",
          "tier": "<sku-tier>",
          "size": "<sku-size>",
          "family": "<sku-family>",
          "capacity": <sku-capacity>
      },
      "kind": "<type-of-resource>",
      "copy": {
          "name": "<name-of-copy-loop>",
          "count": <number-of-iterations>,
          "mode": "<serial-or-parallel>",
          "batchSize": <number-to-deploy-serially>
      },
      "plan": {
          "name": "<plan-name>",
          "promotionCode": "<plan-promotion-code>",
          "publisher": "<plan-publisher>",
          "product": "<plan-product>",
          "version": "<plan-version>"
      },
      "properties": {
          "<settings-for-the-resource>",
          "copy": [
              {
                  "name": ,
                  "count": ,
                  "input": {}
              }
          ]
      },
      "resources": [
          "<array-of-child-resources>"
      ]
  }
]
To define the resources that are deployed or updated.

Resources Elements Format

Element name
Required
Descri­ption
condition
No
Boolean value that indicates whether the resource will be provis­ioned during this deploy­ment. When true, the resource is created during deploy­ment. When false, the resource is skipped for this deploy­ment.
type
Yes
Type of the resource. This value is a combin­ation of the namespace of the resource provider and the resource type (such as Micros­oft.St­ora­ge/­sto­rag­eAc­counts).
apiVersion
Yes
Version of the REST API to use for creating the resource. When creating a new template, set this value to the latest version of the resource you're deploying.
name
Yes
Name of the resource. The name must follow URI component restri­ctions defined in RFC3986.
comments
No
Your notes for docume­nting the resources in your template.
location
Varies
Supported geo-lo­cations of the provided resource. You can select any of the available locations, but typically it makes sense to pick one that is close to your users.
dependsOn
No
Resources that must be deployed before this resource is deployed. Resource Manager evaluates the depend­encies between resources and deploys them in the correct order.
tags
No
Tags that are associated with the resource. Apply tags to logically organize resources across your subscr­iption.
sku
No
Some resources allow values that define the SKU to deploy. For example, you can specify the type of redundancy for a storage account.
kind
No
Some resources allow a value that defines the type of resource you deploy.
copy
No
If more than one instance is needed, the number of resources to create. The default mode is parallel. Specify serial mode when you don't want all or the resources to deploy at the same time.
plan
No
Some resources allow values that define the plan to deploy. For example, you can specify the market­place image for a virtual machine.
properties
No
Resour­ce-­spe­cific config­uration settings. The values for the properties are the same as the values you provide in the request body for the REST API operation (PUT method) to create the resource. You can also specify a copy array to create several instances of a property.
resources
No
Child resources that depend on the resource being defined. Only provide resource types that are permitted by the schema of the parent resource. Dependency on the parent resource isn't implied. You must explicitly define that depend­ency.

Comments

{
  "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
  "apiVersion": "2018-10-01",
  "name": "[variables('vmName')]", // to customize name, change it in variables
  "location": "[parameters('location')]", //defaults to resource group location
  "dependsOn": [ / storage account and network interface must be deployed first /
    "[resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/', variables('storageAccountName'))]",
    "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/', variables('nicName'))]"
  ],
For inline comments, you can use either // or / ... / but this syntax doesn't work with all tools. If you add this style of comment, be sure the tools you use support inline JSON comments.

Metadata

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "metadata": {
    "comments": "This template was developed for demonstration purposes.",
    "author": "Example Name"
  },

For parameters, add a metadata object with a description property.

"parameters": {
  "adminUsername": {
    "type": "string",
    "metadata": {
      "description": "User name for the Virtual Machine."
    }
  },

The following example shows both a comments element and a metadata object for Resources

"resources": [
  {
    "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
    "apiVersion": "2018-07-01",
    "name": "[concat('storage', uniqueString(resourceGroup().id))]",
    "comments": "Storage account used to store VM disks",
    "location": "[parameters('location')]",
    "metadata": {
      "comments": "These tags are needed for policy compliance."
    },
    "tags": {
      "Dept": "[parameters('deptName')]",
      "Environment": "[parameters('environment')]"
    },
    "sku": {
      "name": "Standard_LRS"
    },
    "kind": "Storage",
    "properties": {}
  }
]

For outputs, add a metadata object to the output value.

"outputs": {
  "hostname": {
    "type": "string",
    "value": "[reference(variables('publicIPAddressName')).dnsSettings.fqdn]",
    "metadata": {
      "comments": "Return the fully qualified domain name"
    }
  },
You can add a metadata object almost anywhere in your template. Resource Manager ignores the object, but your JSON editor may warn you that the property isn't valid. In the object, define the properties you need.
You can't add a metadata object to user-d­efined functions.
 

Data Types

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "parameters": {
    "stringParameter": {
      "type": "string",
      "defaultValue": "option 1"
    },
    "intParameter": {
      "type": "int",
      "defaultValue": 1
    },
    "boolParameter": {
        "type": "bool",
        "defaultValue": true
    },
    "objectParameter": {
      "type": "object",
      "defaultValue": {
        "one": "a",
        "two": "b"
      }
    },
    "arrayParameter": {
      "type": "array",
      "defaultValue": [ 1, 2, 3 ]
    }
  },
  "resources": [],
  "outputs": {}
}

Data Types Explan­ation

Data Types within an ARM template:

- string
- secure­string
- int
- bool
- object
- secure­Object
- array

Secure string uses the same format as string, and secure object uses the same format as object.
A parameter type as a secure string or secure object, the value of the parameter isn't saved to the deployment history and isn't logged.
Use secure strings for passwords and secrets.
If you set that secure value to a property that isn't expecting a secure value, the value isn't protected.
For example, if you set a secure string to a tag, that value is stored as plain text.
For integers passed as inline parame­ters, the range of values may be limited by the SDK or comman­d-line tool used.
To avoid this limita­tion, specify large integer values in a parameter file.
Resource types apply their own limits for integer proper­ties.

For boolean and integer values in the template, start and end string values with double quotation marks ("string value").

Objects start with a left brace ({) and end with a right brace (}).
Arrays start with a left bracket ([) and end with a right bracket (]).

Variables

"variables": {
  "<variable-name>": "<variable-value>",
  "<variable-name>": {
    <variable-complex-type-value>
  },
  "<variable-object-name>": {
    "copy": [
      {
        "name": "<name-of-array-property>",
        "count": <number-of-iterations>,
        "input": <object-or-value-to-repeat>
      }
    ]
  },
  "copy": [
    {
      "name": "<variable-array-name>",
      "count": <number-of-iterations>,
      "input": <object-or-value-to-repeat>
    }
  ]
}
In the variables section, you construct values that can be used throughout the template. It's not necessary to define variables, but they often simplify the template by reducing complex expres­sions. The format of each variable matches one of the data types.

Variables Example

Define variable

"­var­iab­les­": {

  "­sto­rag­eNa­me": "­[co­nca­t(t­oLo­wer­(pa­ram­ete­rs(­'st­ora­geN­ame­Pre­fix')),
unique­Str­ing­(re­sou­rce­Gro­up(­).i­d))­]"

},


Use variable

"­res­our­ces­": [

  {

    "­typ­e": "­Mic­ros­oft.St­ora­ge/­sto­rag­eAc­cou­nts­",

    "­nam­e": "­[va­ria­ble­s('­sto­rag­eNa­me'­)]",

    ...

  }

]

Functions

To define compli­cated expres­sions that you don't want to repeat throughout your template. You create the user-d­efined functions from expres­sions and functions that are supported in templates.

Function restri­ctions:

- The function can't access variables.
- The function can only use parameters that are defined in the function. When you use the parameters function within a - user-d­efined function, you're restricted to the parameters for that function.
- The function can't call other user-d­efined functions.
- The function can't use the reference function.
- Parameters for the function can't have default values.

Functions Format

"functions": [
  {
    "namespace": "<namespace-for-functions>",
    "members": {
      "<function-name>": {
        "parameters": [
          {
            "name": "<parameter-name>",
            "type": "<type-of-parameter-value>"
          }
        ],
        "output": {
          "type": "<type-of-output-value>",
          "value": "<function-return-value>"
        }
      }
    }
  }
],

Functions Format Elements

Element name
Required
Descri­ption
namespace
Yes
Namespace for the custom functions. Use to avoid naming conflicts with template functions.
functi­on-name
Yes
Name of the custom function. When calling the function, combine the function name with the namespace. For example, to call a function named
uniqueName
in the namespace contoso, use
"­[co­nto­so.u­ni­que­Nam­e()­]"
.
parame­ter­-name
No
Name of the parameter to be used within the custom function.
parame­ter­-value
No
Type of the parameter value. The allowed types and values are string, secure­string, int, bool, object, secure­Object, and array.
output­-type
Yes
Type of the output value. Output values support the same types as function input parame­ters.
output­-value
Yes
Template language expression that is evaluated and returned from the function.

Outputs

"outputs": {
  "<output-name>": {
    "condition": "<boolean-value-whether-to-output-value>",
    "type": "<type-of-output-value>",
    "value": "<output-value-expression>",
    "copy": {
      "count": <number-of-iterations>,
      "input": <values-for-the-variable>
    }
  }
}
To specify values that are returned from deploy­ment. Typically, it returns values from resources that were deployed.

Outputs Element Format

Element name
Required
Descri­ption
output­-name
Yes
Name of the output value. Must be a valid JavaScript identi­fier.
condition
No
Boolean value that indicates whether this output value is returned.
When true, the value is included in the output for the deploy­ment.
When false, the output value is skipped for this deploy­ment.
When not specified, the default value is true.
type
Yes
Type of the output value. Output values support the same types as template input parame­ters. If you specify secure­string for the output type, the value isn't displayed in the deployment history and can't be retrieved from another template. To use a secret value in more than one template, store the secret in a Key Vault and reference the secret in the parameter file.
value
No
Template language expression that is evaluated and returned as output value. Specify either value or copy.
copy
No
Used to return more than one value for an output. Specify value or copy.

Outputs in ARM templates

Define output values

The example shows how to return the resource ID for a public IP address:

"outputs": {
  "resourceID": {
    "type": "string",
    "value": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', parameters('publicIPAddresses_name'))]"
  }
}

Get output values
PowerShell

(Get-AzResourceGroupDeployment `
  -ResourceGroupName <resource-group-name> `
  -Name <deployment-name>).Outputs.resourceID.value
  
Azure CLI

az deployment group show \
  -g <resource-group-name> \
  -n <deployment-name> \
  --query properties.outputs.resourceID.value

Multi-line strings

{
  "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
  "apiVersion": "2018-10-01",
  "name": "[variables('vmName')]", // to customize name, change it in variables
  "location": "[
    parameters('location')
    ]", //defaults to resource group location
  /*
    storage account and network interface
    must be deployed first
  */
  "dependsOn": [
    "[resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/', variables('storageAccountName'))]",
    "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/', variables('nicName'))]"
  ],
You can break a string into multiple lines. For example, see the location property and one of the comments in the following JSON example.
           
 

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