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cost-optimization

Optimize existing Azure resources and analyze Reservations or Savings Plans. WHEN: "optimize Azure costs", "reduce cloud spending", "rightsize resources", "find idle resources", "orphaned disk", "deleted VM still charged", "public IP still charging", "reservation utilization", "Savings Plan coverage", "commitment recommendation", "why is pay-as-you-go still charged". DO NOT USE FOR: cost spikes, forecasts, pricing estimates, budgets, or governance.

Quality

90%

Does it follow best practices?

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SecuritybySnyk

Passed

No findings from the security scan

SKILL.md
Quality
Evals
Security

Quality

Content

82%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

A tight, well-structured instruction-only skill body: no padding, a clear intent-to-workflow routing table, sequenced steps, and an error-handling table. The main gaps are unnamed cost-side tools, validation expressed as a principle rather than a numbered workflow step, and two-level-deep reference nesting.

Suggestions

Name the specific cost and Resource Graph tools in the Quick Reference optimization row (as is already done for commitments) so both workflows are equally executable.

Promote 'Validate queries' into an explicit numbered workflow step with the failure action (fix the query and re-validate) rather than stating it only in the MCP Tools section.

Add the second-level files (services/redis.md, services/storage.md, resource-graph.md, report-template.md) to the Quick Reference or a short file map in SKILL.md so all bundle content is discoverable one hop from the entry point.

DimensionReasoningScore

Conciseness

The ~45-line body is lean and assumes Claude's competence — every line is directive ('Never transform MCP results in a shell or interpreter', 'State the gap; do not invent values') with zero explanation of concepts Claude already knows. Matches the every-token-earns-its-place anchor.

5 / 5

Actionability

Names exact commitment tools (list_benefit_utilization, list_reservation_transactions, get_benefit_recommendations) and gives concrete directives, but the optimization row lists only 'Cost and Resource Graph tools' without tool names, and no example query or command appears in the body. Mostly executable guidance with minor gaps — not 5, but well above the pseudocode/vague level of 3.

4 / 5

Workflow Clarity

Five clearly sequenced steps plus an error-handling table with a retry-once/report-trace-ID feedback loop; the destructive-operation cap does not apply since the skill mandates 'Recommend changes only; do not delete, resize, purchase, or deploy.' Falls short of 5 because validation ('Validate queries') sits outside the numbered sequence and checkpoints are implicit rather than embedded workflow steps.

4 / 5

Progressive Disclosure

The Quick Reference table clearly signals real one-hop references (optimization.md, commitments.md, tool-fallback.md all verified on disk) mapped to user intents. Not 5 because references go two levels deep (SKILL.md -> optimization.md -> services/redis.md, services/storage.md) and resource-graph.md/report-template.md are only discoverable at the second level; well above the buried-references level of 3.

4 / 5

Total

17

/

20

Passed

Description

95%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

A strong description: concrete capability statement, an explicit WHEN clause with eleven natural trigger phrases, and a negative-scope clause that sharply reduces mis-trigger risk. Only minor specificity is lost to the broad 'optimize existing Azure resources' phrasing.

DimensionReasoningScore

Specificity

Explicitly states 'Optimize existing Azure resources and analyze Reservations or Savings Plans' plus capability-revealing triggers like 'rightsize resources' and 'find idle resources' — several concrete actions with minor coverage gaps. Not 3 (more than 1-2 actions named) and not 5 ('optimize existing Azure resources' is broad and deliverables are not enumerated).

4 / 5

Completeness

Clearly answers 'what' (optimize Azure resources, analyze Reservations/Savings Plans) and 'when' (explicit WHEN clause with concrete trigger phrases), plus a DO NOT USE FOR exclusion list. Matches the anchor-5 example structure.

5 / 5

Trigger Term Quality

Eleven natural user phrases including colloquial variants ('deleted VM still charged', 'why is pay-as-you-go still charged') and synonym coverage across waste, rightsizing, and commitment terminology. Matches the comprehensive-synonyms anchor exactly.

5 / 5

Distinctiveness Conflict Risk

Clear Azure cost-optimization niche with distinct triggers, and the explicit 'DO NOT USE FOR: cost spikes, forecasts, pricing estimates, budgets, or governance' boundary minimizes overlap with adjacent billing/forecasting skills.

5 / 5

Total

19

/

20

Passed

Validation

100%

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation — 16 / 16 Passed

Validation for skill structure

No warnings or errors.

Repository

microsoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure

Path

plugins/azure-cost/skills/cost-optimization/SKILL.md

Reviewed

Table of Contents

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