Template Selection Guide
Map user intent to MCP template resource filter.
NEVER hardcode template names — names can change. Always use
functions_template_get(language)to discover available templates, then filter byresourcefield.
Intent → Resource Mapping
| User Says | Code Indicators (existing projects) | Resource Filter | Recipe Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| "HTTP", "REST", "API", "webhook" | HttpTrigger, @app.route, req: HttpRequest | http | — |
| "timer", "schedule", "cron", "periodic" | TimerTrigger, @app.schedule, TimerInfo | timer | recipes/timer/README.md |
| "Cosmos", "CosmosDB", "document DB" | CosmosDBTrigger, @app.cosmos_db, cosmos_db_input | cosmos | recipes/cosmosdb/README.md |
| "Event Hub", "streaming", "events" | EventHubTrigger, @app.event_hub, event_hub_output | eventhub | recipes/eventhubs/README.md |
| "Service Bus", "queue", "message" | ServiceBusTrigger, @app.service_bus_queue | servicebus | recipes/servicebus/README.md |
| "blob", "file", "storage trigger" | BlobTrigger, @app.blob, blob_input, blob_output | blob | recipes/blob-eventgrid/README.md |
| "SQL", "database trigger" | SqlTrigger, @app.sql, sql_input, SqlOutput | sql | recipes/sql/README.md |
| "MCP", "MCP server", "tools" | McpToolTrigger, @app.mcp_tool, mcp in project | mcp | recipes/mcp/README.md |
| "durable", "workflow", "orchestration" | DurableOrchestrationTrigger, orchestrator, durable_functions | durable | recipes/durable/README.md |
| "AI", "agent", "chatbot", "OpenAI" | openai, AzureOpenAI, langchain, semantic_kernel | http | Scan description for "AI", "agent", "Copilot SDK" |
| No specific trigger / intent unclear | — | http (default) | — |
Selection Algorithm
1. DISCOVER: functions_template_get(language) → template list
2. DETECT (existing code): Scan for code indicators above → map to resource
3. MATCH (new projects): Scan template descriptions for user intent
4. FILTER: resource == mapped_resource AND infrastructure == user_iac_choice
5. PREFER: AZD-enabled (infrastructure: "bicep" or "terraform")
6. SELECT: Template whose description best matches user intent
7. DEFAULT: If intent unclear or no trigger specified → use `http`Output: Working Function App
MCP templates return complete, deployable projects — each array entry has { path, content }:
| Array | Contents | Action |
|---|---|---|
functionFiles[] | Function source code (triggers, bindings, business logic), infra and other files | Create directories from path, write content to each file |
projectFiles[] | settings.json, host.json, dependencies files | Create directories from path, write content to each file |
Write files from the array output above. NEVER hand-write Bicep/Terraform and use
azd init -t <template>/func init/func newas fallback when composing multiple recipes and required templates are not found.
For deployment steps, see README.md.
Default Behavior
When user intent is ambiguous or no specific trigger is mentioned, default to HTTP:
- User says "create a function" with no trigger → HTTP
- User describes business logic without specifying trigger → HTTP
- Intent cannot be determined from context → HTTP
HTTP is the safest default because it's the most common trigger type and provides a simple request/response pattern that works for most use cases.
IaC Selection
| User Says | Filter By |
|---|---|
| Nothing specified | infrastructure: "bicep" (default) |
| "terraform", "use terraform" | infrastructure: "terraform" |
| "bicep", "use bicep" | infrastructure: "bicep" |
Non-AZD Fallback
If specific trigger/binding has no AZD template:
- Use non-AZD template for function code only
- Find related AZD template as IaC reference:
| Non-AZD Resource | Related AZD Reference |
|---|---|
| RabbitMQ, Kafka | EventHub AZD |
| SendGrid, Twilio, Webhook | HTTP AZD |
| IoT Hub | EventHub AZD |