Azure CLI — Azure AD & Identity Cheat Sheet 2026

Azure CLI Azure AD & Identity Cheat Sheet is the complete quick-reference of Azure CLI Azure AD & Identity commands grouped by function. Copy any command with one click and find what you need with Ctrl+F in under 3 seconds.

Azure AD & Identity

Action	Command	Useful flags
Login	`az login --identity`	`--identity`
Login	`az login --identity --client-id 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000`	`--client-id --identity`
List all users	`az ad user list`	`--filter --query`
List all groups	`az ad group list`	`--filter --show-message`
List service principals	`az ad sp list`	`--display-name --filter --show-message`
List app registrations	`az ad app list`	`--display-name --filter --show-message`
Show signed-in user	`az ad signed-in-user show`	`--query`
List group members	`az ad group member list`	`--group --query`

⚠️ Dangerous / Destructive Commands

These commands are irreversible. Verify your environment (dev/staging vs prod) before running them.

Action	Command	Warning
⚠️ Destroy ⚠️	`terraform destroy -auto-approve`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete	`kubectl delete namespace production`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Prune ⚠️	`docker system prune -af --volumes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete	`pvesh delete /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete	`az group delete --name MyResourceGroup --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Azure AD & Identity and the other groups?

Each group in this Azure CLI cheat sheet covers a distinct area. Azure AD & Identity focuses on its specific scope, while the other groups and the remaining groups cover networking, storage, security and diagnostics respectively.

How do I check the installed Azure CLI version?

Run the version command (usually azure version or azure --version). The output shows the client and, when applicable, the server version.

Why does Azure CLI return ‘permission denied’?

A ‘permission denied’ error in Azure CLI usually means the current user lacks sufficient privileges or credentials are not configured. Check: (1) assigned IAM/RBAC roles, (2) an active authentication context via the corresponding login command.

How do I filter Azure CLI output by status or name?

Use flags such as --filter, --selector or --query depending on the tool. You can also pipe into grep or jq to process JSON:

azure list | grep RUNNING

What is the fastest way to debug a Azure CLI error?

Add the verbose flag (--verbose, -v or --debug) to the failing command. This reveals the underlying HTTP/API calls and the full error response body.

Official sources & references

Commands cross-checked against vendor documentation and high-authority repositories: