microsoft-docs

---
name: microsoft-docs
description: Understand Microsoft technologies by querying official documentation. Use whenever the user asks how something works, wants tutorials, needs configuration options, limits, quotas, or best practices for any Microsoft technology (Azure, .NET, M365, Windows, Power Platform, etc.)—even if they don't mention "docs." If the question is about understanding a concept rather than writing code, this is the right skill.
context: fork
compatibility: Primarily uses the Microsoft Learn MCP Server (https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp); if that is unavailable, fall back to the mslearn CLI (`npx @microsoft/learn-cli`).
---

# Microsoft Docs

## Tools

| Tool | Use For |
|------|---------|
| `microsoft_docs_search` | Find documentation—concepts, guides, tutorials, configuration |
| `microsoft_docs_fetch` | Get full page content (when search excerpts aren't enough) |

## When to Use

- **Understanding concepts** — "How does Cosmos DB partitioning work?"
- **Learning a service** — "Azure Functions overview", "Container Apps architecture"
- **Finding tutorials** — "quickstart", "getting started", "step-by-step"
- **Configuration options** — "App Service configuration settings"
- **Limits & quotas** — "Azure OpenAI rate limits", "Service Bus quotas"
- **Best practices** — "Azure security best practices"

## Query Effectiveness

Good queries are specific:

```
# ❌ Too broad
"Azure Functions"

# ✅ Specific
"Azure Functions Python v2 programming model"
"Cosmos DB partition key design best practices"
"Container Apps scaling rules KEDA"
```

Include context:
- **Version** when relevant (`.NET 8`, `EF Core 8`)
- **Task intent** (`quickstart`, `tutorial`, `overview`, `limits`)
- **Platform** for multi-platform docs (`Linux`, `Windows`)

## When to Fetch Full Page

Fetch after search when:
- **Tutorials** — need complete step-by-step instructions
- **Configuration guides** — need all options listed
- **Deep dives** — user wants comprehensive coverage
- **Search excerpt is cut off** — full context needed

## Why Use This

- **Accuracy** — live docs, not training data that may be outdated
- **Completeness** — tutorials have all steps, not fragments
- **Authority** — official Microsoft documentation

## CLI Alternative

If the Learn MCP server is not available, use the `mslearn` CLI from the command line instead:

```sh
# Run directly (no install needed)
npx @microsoft/learn-cli search "azure functions timeout"

# Or install globally, then run
npm install -g @microsoft/learn-cli
mslearn search "azure functions timeout"
```

| MCP Tool | CLI Command |
|----------|-------------|
| `microsoft_docs_search(query: "...")` | `mslearn search "..."` |
| `microsoft_docs_fetch(url: "...")` | `mslearn fetch "..."` |

The `fetch` command also supports `--section <heading>` to extract a single section and `--max-chars <number>` to truncate output.

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