Authentication — Python SDK Quick Reference

Condensed from azure-identity-py. Full patterns (async, ChainedTokenCredential, token caching, all credential types) in the azure-identity-py plugin skill if installed.

Install

pip install azure-identity

Quick Start

Auth: DefaultAzureCredential is for local development. See auth-best-practices.md for production patterns.

from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
credential = DefaultAzureCredential()

Best Practices

• Use DefaultAzureCredential for local development only (CLI, PowerShell, VS Code). In production, use ManagedIdentityCredential — see auth-best-practices.md
• Never hardcode credentials — use environment variables or managed identity
• Prefer managed identity in production Azure deployments
• Use ChainedTokenCredential when you need a custom credential order
• Close async credentials explicitly or use context managers
• Set AZURECLIENTID env var for user-assigned managed identities
• Exclude unused credentials to speed up authentication