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Azure Storage Queue Py

microsoft/azure-storage-queue-py

| Azure Queue Storage SDK for Python. Use for reliable message queuing, task distribution, and asynchronous processing.

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19 d ago
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Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/skills --skill azure-storage-queue-py

What comes with it

4 495 bytes besides the instruction
references/capabilities.md
references/non-hero-scenarios.md

The instruction itself

16 sections, as written by the author

Azure Queue Storage SDK for Python

Simple, cost-effective message queuing for asynchronous communication.

Installation

pip install azure-storage-queue azure-identity

Environment Variables

AZURE_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_URL=https://<account>.queue.core.windows.net  # Required for all auth methods
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production

Authentication & Lifecycle

> 🔑 Two rules apply to every code sample below:

>

> 1. Prefer DefaultAzureCredential. It works locally (Azure CLI / VS Code / Developer CLI) and in Azure (managed identity, workload identity) with no code change. Avoid connection strings, account/API keys — they bypass Entra audit and rotation.

> - Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential works as-is.

> - Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod (or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>) to constrain the credential chain to production-safe credentials.

> 2. Wrap every client in a context manager so HTTP transports, sockets, and token caches are released deterministically:

> - Sync: with <Client>(...) as client:

> - Async: async with <Client>(...) as client: and async with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential: (from azure.identity.aio)

>

> Snippets may abbreviate this setup, but production code should always follow both rules.

from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential
from azure.storage.queue import QueueServiceClient, QueueClient

# Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
credential = DefaultAzureCredential(require_envvar=True)
# Or use a specific credential directly in production:
# See https://learn.microsoft.com/python/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-python#credential-classes
# credential = ManagedIdentityCredential()
account_url = "https://<account>.queue.core.windows.net"

# Service client
with QueueServiceClient(account_url=account_url, credential=credential) as service_client:
    # Use service_client here (see following sections for operations)
    ...

# Queue client
with QueueClient(account_url=account_url, queue_name="myqueue", credential=credential) as queue_client:
    # Use queue_client here (see following sections for operations)
    ...

Queue Operations

# Create queue
service_client.create_queue("myqueue")

# Get queue client
queue_client = service_client.get_queue_client("myqueue")

# Delete queue
service_client.delete_queue("myqueue")

# List queues
for queue in service_client.list_queues():
    print(queue.name)

Send Messages

# Send message (string)
queue_client.send_message("Hello, Queue!")

# Send with options
queue_client.send_message(
    content="Delayed message",
    visibility_timeout=60,  # Hidden for 60 seconds
    time_to_live=3600       # Expires in 1 hour
)

# Send JSON
import json
data = {"task": "process", "id": 123}
queue_client.send_message(json.dumps(data))

Receive Messages

# Receive messages (makes them invisible temporarily)
messages = queue_client.receive_messages(
    messages_per_page=10,
    visibility_timeout=30  # 30 seconds to process
)

for message in messages:
    print(f"ID: {message.id}")
    print(f"Content: {message.content}")
    print(f"Dequeue count: {message.dequeue_count}")
    
    # Process message...
    
    # Delete after processing
    queue_client.delete_message(message)

Peek Messages

# Peek without hiding (doesn't affect visibility)
messages = queue_client.peek_messages(max_messages=5)

for message in messages:
    print(message.content)

Update Message

# Extend visibility or update content
messages = queue_client.receive_messages()
for message in messages:
    # Extend timeout (need more time)
    queue_client.update_message(
        message,
        visibility_timeout=60
    )
    
    # Update content and timeout
    queue_client.update_message(
        message,
        content="Updated content",
        visibility_timeout=60
    )

Delete Message

# Delete after successful processing
messages = queue_client.receive_messages()
for message in messages:
    try:
        # Process...
        queue_client.delete_message(message)
    except Exception:
        # Message becomes visible again after timeout
        pass

Clear Queue

# Delete all messages
queue_client.clear_messages()

Queue Properties

# Get queue properties
properties = queue_client.get_queue_properties()
print(f"Approximate message count: {properties.approximate_message_count}")

# Set/get metadata
queue_client.set_queue_metadata(metadata={"environment": "production"})
properties = queue_client.get_queue_properties()
print(properties.metadata)

Async Client

from azure.storage.queue.aio import QueueServiceClient, QueueClient
from azure.identity.aio import DefaultAzureCredential

async def queue_operations():
    credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
    
    async with QueueClient(
        account_url="https://<account>.queue.core.windows.net",
        queue_name="myqueue",
        credential=credential
    ) as client:
        # Send
        await client.send_message("Async message")
        
        # Receive
        async for message in client.receive_messages():
            print(message.content)
            await client.delete_message(message)

import asyncio
asyncio.run(queue_operations())

Base64 Encoding

from azure.storage.queue import QueueClient, BinaryBase64EncodePolicy, BinaryBase64DecodePolicy

# For binary data
with QueueClient(
    account_url=account_url,
    queue_name="myqueue",
    credential=credential,
    message_encode_policy=BinaryBase64EncodePolicy(),
    message_decode_policy=BinaryBase64DecodePolicy()
) as queue_client:
    # Send bytes
    queue_client.send_message(b"Binary content")

Best Practices

  • Pick sync OR async and stay consistent. Do not mix azure.xxx sync clients with azure.xxx.aio async clients in the same call path. Choose one mode per module.
  • Always use context managers for clients and async credentials. Wrap every client in with Client(...) as client: (sync) or async with Client(...) as client: (async). For async DefaultAzureCredential from azure.identity.aio, also use async with credential: so tokens and transports are cleaned up.
  • Use DefaultAzureCredential for portable auth across local dev and Azure (avoid connection strings / API keys when possible).
  • Delete messages after processing to prevent reprocessing
  • Set appropriate visibility timeout based on processing time
  • Handle dequeue_count for poison message detection
  • Use async client for high-throughput scenarios
  • Use peek_messages for monitoring without affecting queue
  • Set time_to_live to prevent stale messages

10. Consider Service Bus for advanced features (sessions, topics)

Reference Files

| File | Contents |

|------|----------|

| references/capabilities.md | Additional non-hero capabilities, operation-group coverage, and production checklists. |

| references/non-hero-scenarios.md | Dedicated non-hero examples for secondary/advanced scenarios. |

How to use it

Copy the folder

Take microsoft/azure-storage-queue-py from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.

Install what it needs

The instructions reference pip. Without those the skill loads but fails at the first command.