entra-app-registration

by microsoft

Guides Microsoft Entra ID app registration, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and MSAL integration. USE FOR: create app registration, register Azure AD app, configure OAuth, set up authentication, add API permissions, generate service principal, MSAL example, console app auth, Entra ID setup, Azure AD authentication. DO NOT USE FOR: Azure RBAC or role assignments (use azure-rbac), Key Vault secrets (use azure-keyvault-expiration-audit), general Azure resource security guidance.

npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills --skill entra-app-registration

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Overview

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service. App registrations allow applications to authenticate users and access Azure resources securely.

Key Concepts

Concept	Description
App Registration	Configuration that allows an app to use Microsoft identity platform
Application (Client) ID	Unique identifier for your application
Tenant ID	Unique identifier for your Azure AD tenant/directory
Client Secret	Password for the application (confidential clients only)
Redirect URI	URL where authentication responses are sent
API Permissions	Access scopes your app requests
Service Principal	Identity created in your tenant when you register an app

Application Types

Type	Use Case
Web Application	Server-side apps, APIs
Single Page App (SPA)	JavaScript/React/Angular apps
Mobile/Native App	Desktop, mobile apps
Daemon/Service	Background services, APIs

Core Workflow

Step 1: Register the Application

Create an app registration in the Azure portal or using Azure CLI.

Portal Method:

Navigate to Azure Portal → Microsoft Entra ID → App registrations
Click "New registration"
Provide name, supported account types, and redirect URI
Click "Register"

CLI Method: See references/cli-commands.md IaC Method: See references/BICEP-EXAMPLE.bicep

It's highly recommended to use the IaC to manage Entra app registration if you already use IaC in your project, need a scalable solution for managing lots of app registrations or need fine-grained audit history of the configuration changes.

Step 2: Configure Authentication

Set up authentication settings based on your application type.

Web Apps: Add redirect URIs, enable ID tokens if needed
SPAs: Add redirect URIs, enable implicit grant flow if necessary
Mobile/Desktop: Use http://localhost or custom URI scheme
Services: No redirect URI needed for client credentials flow

Step 3: Configure API Permissions

Grant your application permission to access Microsoft APIs or your own APIs.

Common Microsoft Graph Permissions:

User.Read - Read user profile
User.ReadWrite.All - Read and write all users
Directory.Read.All - Read directory data
Mail.Send - Send mail as a user

Details: See references/api-permissions.md

Step 4: Create Client Credentials (if needed)

For confidential client applications (web apps, services), create a client secret, certificate or federated identity credential.

Client Secret:

Navigate to "Certificates & secrets"
Create new client secret
Copy the value immediately (only shown once)
Store securely (Key Vault recommended)

Certificate: For production environments, use certificates instead of secrets for enhanced security. Upload certificate via "Certificates & secrets" section.

Federated Identity Credential: For dynamically authenticating the confidential client to Entra platform.

Step 5: Implement OAuth Flow

Integrate the OAuth flow into your application code.

See:

references/oauth-flows.md - OAuth 2.0 flow details
references/console-app-example.md - Console app implementation

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: First-Time App Registration

Walk user through their first app registration step-by-step.

Required Information:

Application name
Application type (web, SPA, mobile, service)
Redirect URIs (if applicable)
Required permissions

Script: See references/first-app-registration.md

Pattern 2: Console Application with User Authentication

Create a .NET/Python/Node.js console app that authenticates users.

Required Information:

Programming language (C#, Python, JavaScript, etc.)
Authentication library (MSAL recommended)
Required permissions

Example: See references/console-app-example.md

Pattern 3: Service-to-Service Authentication

Set up daemon/service authentication without user interaction.

Required Information:

Service/app name
Target API/resource
Whether to use secret or certificate

Implementation: Use Client Credentials flow (see references/oauth-flows.md#client-credentials-flow)

MCP Tools and CLI

Azure CLI Commands

Command	Purpose
`az ad app create`	Create new app registration
`az ad app list`	List app registrations
`az ad app show`	Show app details
`az ad app permission add`	Add API permission
`az ad app credential reset`	Generate new client secret
`az ad sp create`	Create service principal

Complete reference: See references/cli-commands.md

Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL)

MSAL is the recommended library for integrating Microsoft identity platform.

Supported Languages:

.NET/C# - Microsoft.Identity.Client
JavaScript/TypeScript - @azure/msal-browser, @azure/msal-node
Python - msal

Examples: See references/console-app-example.md

Security Best Practices

Practice	Recommendation
Never hardcode secrets	Use environment variables, Azure Key Vault, or managed identity
Rotate secrets regularly	Set expiration, automate rotation
Use certificates over secrets	More secure for production
Least privilege permissions	Request only required API permissions
Enable MFA	Require multi-factor authentication for users
Use managed identity	For Azure-hosted apps, avoid secrets entirely
Validate tokens	Always validate issuer, audience, expiration
Use HTTPS only	All redirect URIs must use HTTPS (except localhost)
Monitor sign-ins	Use Entra ID sign-in logs for anomaly detection