Overview
Azure Documenter lets you generate a document from any existing configuration whenever you need an up-to-date Azure technical report on demand. Each configuration is set up with a specific document type, one of 17 available types covering cost, resource, access, compliance, sustainability, and licensing insights, and on-demand generation produces that document immediately using the subscriptions and publish settings already defined in the configuration.
Business value
On-demand generation removes the need to wait for a scheduled run when you need current data ahead of a stakeholder review, a compliance check, or a billing cycle. Previewing the document before generating also lets you confirm the content and structure are correct before committing.
Prerequisites
At least one document configuration must already exist. On-demand generation is triggered from the Actions menu on the configuration in the Documentations tab.
Required permissions
| Role | Access |
|---|---|
| Account owner, Owner, Contributor | Full access by default; no configuration required. |
| Custom role | Requires the Documentation feature permission set to Manage. Read only allows viewing, not generating. |
How it works
Each configuration is tied to a specific document type, selected when the configuration was first created. On-demand generation always produces the document type set in the configuration; there is no document type selection at generation time.
When you trigger Generate document, a panel opens showing the document type, configured subscriptions, publish settings, and notification channels from the configuration. You can review these before proceeding, then either preview the document or generate it immediately.
Generation pulls the latest Azure resource and cost data for the configured subscriptions and produces a single technical document. Depending on the number of subscriptions and the document type, generation may take some time.
Steps
Use the following steps to generate a document on demand. Navigate to Azure Documenter and locate the configuration in the tree view.
- Click the Actions menu next to the configuration.
- Select Generate document. The Generate document panel opens.
- Review the document type, configured subscriptions, publish settings, and notification channels shown in the panel. The panel displays a summary card for each setting group; confirm the details are correct before proceeding.
If any of the details shown — subscriptions, publish settings, or notification channels — are incorrect, close the panel and edit the configuration first.
- Click Preview document to review the document content and structure before generating, or click Generate to initiate document generation immediately.
Example scenario
A finance stakeholder requests an up-to-date cost comparison report ahead of a budget review. Instead of waiting for the next scheduled run, you click the Actions menu on the Cost comparison configuration, select Generate document, review the configured subscriptions and publish settings in the panel, and click Generate to produce the report immediately.
Troubleshooting
-
Generate document option is unavailable
Cause: the signed-in user's role has only Read access to the Documentation feature, or does not have a built-in Account owner, Owner, or Contributor role.
Fix: ask an Account owner or Owner to set Manage access to the Documentation feature for the user's custom role, or assign a built-in role with full access. -
Generation completes but the document is empty or incomplete
Cause: the service principal configured in the subscription scope lacks the required Azure permissions to retrieve data for the configured subscriptions.
Fix: verify the service principal has at least Reader access on all configured subscriptions, then generate again. -
Generated document doesn't reflect expected subscriptions, settings, or notification channels
Cause: the configuration's subscriptions, publish settings, or notification channels are outdated.
Fix: click the Actions menu on the configuration, select Edit, update the relevant settings, and generate again.
FAQs
-
Can I see what a document will look like before generating it?
Yes. Click Preview document in the Generate document panel to review the content and structure before generating. -
Can I change the document type when generating on demand?
No. The document type is set when the configuration is created and cannot be changed at generation time. To generate a different document type, create a new configuration. -
What determines which subscriptions and settings are used?
The configuration determines the subscription scope, publish settings, and notification channels used for every generation, whether scheduled or on demand. Edit the configuration to update any of these.