Develop AI agents on Azure
Microsoft Learn
Last updated March 16, 2026
A path on building AI agents — systems that use a language model to pursue a goal by calling tools and taking actions — using Microsoft Foundry Agent Service and the Microsoft Agent Framework. It covers when an agent is the right approach and how to build, test, and deploy one through both the Azure portal and a Visual Studio Code extension, then extends agents with custom tools and with tools accessed over the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Later modules add enterprise knowledge through retrieval-augmented generation, build agent-driven workflows, and orchestrate several agents that collaborate on a single task as a multi-agent solution.
What you'll learn
- Building, testing, and deploying agents with Microsoft Foundry Agent Service via the Azure portal and Visual Studio Code
- Extending agents with custom tools and with tools accessed over the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
- Adding enterprise knowledge to agents using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
- Building agent-driven workflows
- Orchestrating collaborating agents in a multi-agent solution with the Microsoft Agent Framework SDK
Frequently asked questions about Develop AI agents on Azure
Who is Develop AI agents on Azure for?
Developers with AI and Azure experience who want to build, deploy, and orchestrate AI agents.
Is Develop AI agents on Azure free?
Yes — Develop AI agents on Azure is completely free to take.
What are the prerequisites for Develop AI agents on Azure?
Familiarity with fundamental AI concepts and services in Azure (an introductory AI path is suggested first), plus programming experience.
Do you need to code for Develop AI agents on Azure?
Yes — Develop AI agents on Azure involves hands-on coding.
Why we suggest this course
For a developer who wants to go beyond a single chatbot and build agents that call tools, draw on enterprise knowledge, and coordinate with each other, this path runs from a first agent in the portal to a working multi-agent solution built with the Microsoft Agent Framework SDK. One thing to know: it expects familiarity with fundamental AI concepts and Azure services, and Microsoft suggests doing an introductory AI path first, so it is aimed at developers rather than newcomers.