Quickstart: Connect Azure App Service to databases and services with Service Connector

2025-08-19

Get started with Service Connector to connect your Azure App Service to databases, storage accounts, and other Azure services. Service Connector simplifies authentication and configuration, enabling you to connect to resources using managed identities other authentication methods.

This article provides step-by-step instructions for both the Azure portal and Azure CLI. Choose your preferred method using the tabs above.

Prerequisites

An Azure account with an active subscription. Create an account for free.
An application deployed to App Service in a region supported by Service Connector. If you don't have one yet, create and deploy an app to App Service.
The necessary permissions to create and manage service connections.

An Azure account with an active subscription. Create an account for free.
An application deployed to App Service in a region supported by Service Connector. If you don't have one yet, create and deploy an app to App Service.
The following necessary permissions.

Use the Bash environment in Azure Cloud Shell. For more information, see Get started with Azure Cloud Shell.
If you prefer to run CLI reference commands locally, install the Azure CLI. If you're running on Windows or macOS, consider running Azure CLI in a Docker container. For more information, see How to run the Azure CLI in a Docker container.
- If you're using a local installation, sign in to the Azure CLI by using the az login command. To finish the authentication process, follow the steps displayed in your terminal. For other sign-in options, see Authenticate to Azure using Azure CLI.
- When you're prompted, install the Azure CLI extension on first use. For more information about extensions, see Use and manage extensions with the Azure CLI.
- Run az version to find the version and dependent libraries that are installed. To upgrade to the latest version, run az upgrade.

This quickstart requires version 2.30.0 or higher of the Azure CLI. To upgrade to the latest version, run az upgrade. If using Azure Cloud Shell, the latest version is already installed.

Initial set-up

If you're using Service Connector for the first time, start by running the command az provider register to register the Service Connector resource provider.
```
az provider register -n Microsoft.ServiceLinker
```
Tip

You can check if the resource provider has already been registered by running the command az provider show -n "Microsoft.ServiceLinker" --query registrationState. If the output is Registered, Service Connector is already registered.
Optionally, use the Azure CLI az webapp connection list-support-types command to get a list of supported target services for App Service.
```
az webapp connection list-support-types --output table
```

Create a service connection in App Service

Use Service Connector to create a service connection between your Azure App Service and Azure Blob Storage. This example demonstrates connecting to Blob Storage, but you can use the same process for other supported Azure services.

Select the Search resources, services and docs (G +/) search bar at the top of the Azure portal, type App Services, and select App Services.
Select the App Service resource you want to connect to a target resource.
Select Settings > Service Connector from the service menu. Then select Create.

On the Basics tab, select or enter the following settings.

Setting	Example	Description
Service type	Storage - Blob	The target service type. If you don't have a Microsoft Blob Storage, you can create one or use another service type.
Connection name	my_connection	The connection name that identifies the connection between your App Service and target service. Use the connection name provided by Service Connector or choose your own connection name.
Subscription	My subscription	The subscription for your target service (the service you want to connect to). The default value is the subscription for this App Service resource.
Storage account	my_storage_account	The target storage account you want to connect to. Target service instances to choose from vary according to the selected service type.
Client type	The same app stack on this App Service	The default value comes from the App Service runtime stack. Select the app stack that's on this App Service instance.

Select Next: Authentication to choose an authentication method.
System-assigned managed identity is the recommended authentication option. Select System-assigned managed identity to connect through an identity that's generated in Microsoft Entra ID and tied to the lifecycle of the service instance.

Select User-assigned managed identity to authenticate through a standalone identity assigned to one or more instances of an Azure service.

Select Service principal to use a service principal that defines the access policy and permissions for the user/application in Microsoft Entra ID.

Warning

Microsoft recommends that you use the most secure authentication flow available. The authentication flow described in this procedure requires a very high degree of trust in the application, and carries risks that are not present in other flows. You should only use this flow when other more secure flows, such as managed identities, aren't viable.

Select Connection string to generate or configure one or multiple key-value pairs with pure secrets or tokens.
Select Next: Networking to configure the network access to your target service and select Configure firewall rules to enable access to your target service.
Select Next: Review + Create to review the provided information. Then select Create to create the service connection. This operation might take a minute to complete.

Managed identity (recommended)
Connection string

Run the az webapp connection create command to create a service connection from App Service to Blob Storage with a system-assigned managed identity. You can run this command in two ways:

Generate the new connection step by step:

az webapp connection create storage-blob --system-identity

Generate the new connection at once. Replace the placeholders with your own information: <source-subscription>, <source_resource_group>, <webapp>, <target-subscription>, <target_resource_group>, and <account>.

az webapp connection create storage-blob \
   --source-id /subscriptions/<source-subscription>/resourceGroups/<source_resource_group>/providers/Microsoft.Web/sites/<webapp> \
   --target-id /subscriptions/<target-subscription>/resourceGroups/<target_resource_group>/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/<account>/blobServices/default \
   --system-identity

Tip

If you don't have a Blob Storage account, run az webapp connection create storage-blob --new --system-identity to create one and connect it to your App Service using a managed identity.

Warning

Microsoft recommends that you use the most secure authentication flow available. The authentication flow described in this procedure requires a very high degree of trust in the application, and carries risks that are not present in other flows. You should only use this flow when other more secure flows, such as managed identities, aren't viable.

Run the az webapp connection create command to create a service connection from App Service to Blob Storage with a connection string. You can run this command in two ways:

Generate the new connection step by step:

az webapp connection create storage-blob --secret

az webapp connection create storage-blob \
   --source-id /subscriptions/<source-subscription>/resourceGroups/<source_resource_group>/providers/Microsoft.Web/sites/<webapp> \
   --target-id /subscriptions/<target-subscription>/resourceGroups/<target_resource_group>/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/<account>/blobServices/default \
   --secret name=<secret-name> secret=<secret>

Tip

If you don't have a Blob Storage account, run az webapp connection create storage-blob --new --secret to create one and connect it to your App Service using a connection string.

View App Service connections

Once the connection has successfully been created, the Service Connector page displays existing App Service connections.
Select the > button to expand the list and see the environment variables required by your application code. Select Hidden value to view the hidden value.
Select Validate to check your connection. Select Learn more to see the connection validation details in the panel on the right.

View App Service connections

Run the Azure CLI az webapp connection command to list connections to your App Service, providing the following information:

The name of the resource group that contains the App Service
The name of the App Service

az webapp connection list --resource-group "<your-app-service-resource-group>" -n "<your-app-service-name>" --output table

Follow the tutorials below to start building your own application with Service Connector.

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Quickstart: Connect Azure App Service to databases and services with Service Connector

Prerequisites

Initial set-up

Create a service connection in App Service

View App Service connections

View App Service connections

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