Azure CLI — Cleanup & Prune Cheat Sheet 2026

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

Cleanup & Prune

Action	Command	Useful flags
Delete network interface	`az network nic delete --resource-group <rg> --name <nic> --yes`	`--yes`
Delete public IP address	`az network public-ip delete --resource-group <rg> --name <pip> --yes`	`--yes`
Delete ACR repository	`az acr repository delete --name <acr> --repository <repo> --yes`	`--yes`
Delete backup item	`az backup item delete --vault-name <vault> --resource-group <rg> --container-name <container> --item-name <item> --backup-management-type AzureVM --yes`	`--yes`
Delete storage account	`az storage account delete --name <account> --resource-group <rg> --yes`	`--yes`
Delete network security group	`az network nsg delete --resource-group <rg> --name <nsg> --yes`	`--name --resource-group --yes`
Delete virtual network	`az network vnet delete --resource-group <rg> --name <vnet> --yes`	`--name --resource-group --yes`
Delete role assignment	`az role assignment delete --assignee <user> --role <role> --scope <scope>`	`--assignee --role --scope`
Delete app service plan	`az appservice plan delete --resource-group <rg> --name <plan> --yes`	`--name --resource-group --yes`
Delete DNS zone	`az network dns zone delete --resource-group <rg> --name <zone> --yes`	`--name --resource-group --yes`

⚠️ Dangerous / Destructive Commands

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

Action	Command	Warning
⚠️ Network nic	`az network nic delete --resource-group <rg> --name <nic> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Network public-ip	`az network public-ip delete --resource-group <rg> --name <pip> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Acr repository	`az acr repository delete --name <acr> --repository <repo> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Backup	`az backup item delete --vault-name <vault> --resource-group <rg> --container-name <container> --item-name <item> --backup-management-type AzureVM --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Storage account	`az storage account delete --name <account> --resource-group <rg> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Network nsg	`az network nsg delete --resource-group <rg> --name <nsg> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Network vnet	`az network vnet delete --resource-group <rg> --name <vnet> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Role assignment	`az role assignment delete --assignee <user> --role <role> --scope <scope>`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Plan	`az appservice plan delete --resource-group <rg> --name <plan> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Network dns	`az network dns zone delete --resource-group <rg> --name <zone> --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Cleanup & Prune and the other groups?

Each group in this Azure CLI cheat sheet covers a distinct area. Cleanup & Prune 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: