Azure CLI — Virtual Machines Cheat Sheet 2026

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

Virtual Machines

Action	Command	Useful flags
Display a table of available Virtual Machines	`az vm list --output table`	`--output`
Create a virtual machine using the default Ubuntu image and generate SSH keys	`az vm create --resource-group <rg> --name <vm_name> --image <UbuntuLTS> --admin-user <azureuser> --generate-ssh-keys`	`--resource-group --name --image --admin-user`
Stop a Virtual Machine	`az vm stop --resource-group <rg> --name <vm_name>`	`--resource-group --name`
Deallocate a Virtual Machine	`az vm deallocate --resource-group <rg> --name <vm_name>`	`--resource-group --name`
Start a Virtual Machine	`az vm start --resource-group <rg> --name <vm_name>`	`--resource-group --name`
Restart a Virtual Machine	`az vm restart --resource-group <rg> --name <vm_name>`	`--resource-group --name`
List VM images available in the Azure Marketplace	`az vm image list`
Create a managed disk	`az disk create --resource-group <resource_group> --name <disk_name> --size-gb <size_in_gb>`	`--resource-group --name --size-gb`
List managed disks in a resource group	`az disk list --resource-group <resource_group>`	`--resource-group`
Delete a managed disk	`az disk delete --resource-group <resource_group> --name <disk_name>`	`--resource-group --name`
Grant read or write access to a managed disk (for export)	`az disk grant-access --resource-group <resource_group> --name <disk_name> --access <Read\|Write> --duration-in-seconds <seconds>`	`--resource-group --name --access --duration-in-seconds`
Update disk size	`az disk update --resource-group <resource_group> --name <disk_name> --size-gb <new_size_in_gb>`	`--resource-group --name --size-gb`

⚠️ Dangerous / Destructive Commands

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

Action	Command	Warning
⚠️ Delete	`az disk delete --resource-group <resource_group> --name <disk_name>`	Irreversible — verify the target before running

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Virtual Machines and the other groups?

Each group in this Azure CLI cheat sheet covers a distinct area. Virtual Machines 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 az version or az --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:

az 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:

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