Azure Account Setup and Portal Overview
Getting started with Azure begins with creating a free account and learning how to navigate the Azure Portal. The portal is the main control panel where all Azure resources are created, managed, and monitored. This topic walks through the complete setup process and explains every key section of the portal.
Creating a Free Azure Account
Microsoft offers a free Azure account that includes generous benefits to help new users explore the platform without spending money.
What the Free Account Includes
- $200 credit — Use this for any Azure service within the first 30 days.
- 12 months free — Popular services like Virtual Machines (750 hours/month), Blob Storage (5 GB), and SQL Database (250 GB) are free for one year.
- Always-free services — Over 55 services remain free forever, including Azure Functions (1 million requests/month) and Azure Cosmos DB (400 RU/s).
Step-by-Step: Create an Azure Account
- Go to portal.azure.com or azure.microsoft.com/free.
- Click Start free.
- Sign in with a Microsoft account (Outlook, Hotmail) or create a new one.
- Complete identity verification with a phone number.
- Enter credit card details — this is for identity verification only. No charge occurs during the free trial unless manually upgraded.
- Agree to the terms and click Sign up.
- The account is now active and the Azure Portal opens automatically.
Overview of the Azure Portal
The Azure Portal is a web-based interface available at portal.azure.com. It is the central place to manage every Azure resource using a graphical interface — no command line required.
Portal Layout Diagram
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ TOP BAR: Search | Notifications | Cloud Shell | Settings │ ├──────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ │ LEFT │ MAIN CONTENT AREA │ │ SIDEBAR │ (Dashboard / Resource Pages / Blades) │ │ │ │ │ Home │ │ │ Dashboard│ │ │ Resources│ │ │ Services │ │ │ │ │ └──────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Top Navigation Bar
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Search Bar | Search for any Azure service or resource by name |
| Notification Bell | Shows alerts, deployment status, and system messages |
| Cloud Shell Icon | Opens a browser-based terminal (Bash or PowerShell) directly in the portal |
| Settings (Gear Icon) | Change portal language, theme (dark/light), and default directory |
| Profile Icon | Switch accounts, view subscription info, and sign out |
| Directory + Subscription | Switch between different Azure Active Directory tenants and subscriptions |
Left Sidebar (Hamburger Menu)
| Menu Item | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Home | Quick access to recently used resources and shortcuts to create services |
| Dashboard | Customizable overview screen with pinned resource tiles and charts |
| All Services | Full list of every Azure service organized by category |
| All Resources | List of every resource created in the current subscription |
| Resource Groups | View and manage logical groupings of related resources |
| Subscriptions | Billing and access control at the subscription level |
| Cost Management | Monitor spending, set budgets, and view billing invoices |
| Microsoft Entra ID | Manage users, groups, and identity settings (formerly Azure AD) |
| Monitor | View logs, metrics, and set up alerts for resources |
| Advisor | Get personalized recommendations for cost, performance, and security |
Azure Portal Key Concepts
Blades
When a resource is opened in the Azure Portal, its settings appear in a panel called a blade. Blades slide open from the right side of the screen. Clicking deeper into settings opens additional blades side by side. This design makes it easy to navigate nested settings without losing context.
Dashboard
The dashboard is the home screen of the portal. It can be customized by pinning tiles for frequently used resources, cost graphs, and service health indicators. Multiple dashboards can be created for different teams or projects.
Azure Marketplace
The Marketplace is a library of pre-built applications, virtual machine images, and developer tools from both Microsoft and third-party vendors. Instead of configuring a WordPress site from scratch, the Marketplace offers a ready-to-deploy WordPress image that can be launched in a few clicks.
Azure Cloud Shell
Azure Cloud Shell is a browser-based command-line terminal built directly into the portal. It supports two shells:
- Bash: Uses Azure CLI commands. Familiar to Linux and macOS users.
- PowerShell: Uses Azure PowerShell modules. Familiar to Windows administrators.
Cloud Shell does not require any local installation. It comes pre-configured with all Azure tools and automatically authenticates using the logged-in portal account.
Example: List All Resource Groups Using Cloud Shell
# Using Azure CLI (Bash) az group list --output table # Output: Name Location Status ----------------- ---------- --------- MyResourceGroup eastus Succeeded DevResources westeurope Succeeded
Azure Mobile App
The Azure mobile app (available on iOS and Android) provides a way to monitor resources, receive alerts, and perform basic management tasks from a smartphone. It is useful for checking the status of a deployment or restarting a virtual machine while away from a computer.
Alternative Access Methods
| Method | Best For |
|---|---|
| Azure Portal (portal.azure.com) | Visual management, beginners, one-off tasks |
| Azure CLI | Scripting and automation from a terminal |
| Azure PowerShell | Automation with Windows and PowerShell scripting |
| Azure REST API | Programmatic access from any language |
| Azure SDKs | Building applications in Python, Java, .NET, JavaScript, etc. |
| Azure Mobile App | Monitoring and alerts on the go |
Key Takeaways
- The Azure free account includes $200 credit for 30 days, 12 months of popular services, and always-free tier services.
- The Azure Portal is the main graphical interface for managing all resources at portal.azure.com.
- The portal is organized into a top bar, left sidebar, and main content area with sliding blades.
- Azure Cloud Shell provides a browser-based terminal with Bash and PowerShell support — no local installation needed.
- Azure can also be accessed through CLI, PowerShell, REST API, SDKs, and the mobile app depending on the use case.