If you need to document your Azure setup or showcase a new solution design, it’s best to utilize the official Azure Architecture Icons.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Creating Azure architecture diagrams is essential for visualizing cloud solutions, and Azure Architecture Icons provide a standardized way to represent Azure services. This guide will walk you through where to find Azure icons, how to use them in draw.io, and reference a GitHub repository with similar content.
Microsoft Azure Architecture Icons
Microsoft provides official Azure Architecture Icons that can be used in documentation, presentations, and diagrams. You can download the latest icons from the Azure Architecture Center. These icons are designed to maintain consistency across Azure solutions.
Do’s and Don’ts When Using Azure Icons
✅ Do’s:
- Use icons to illustrate how Azure services interact.
- Include the full product name near the icon.
- Use icons in training manuals or documentation.
❌ Don’ts:
- Never crop, flip, or rotate icons.
- Don’t distort or change icon shapes.
- Avoid using Microsoft icons to represent non-Microsoft products.
Legal Terms from Microsoft
Microsoft permits the use of these icons in architectural diagrams, training materials, or documentation. You may copy, distribute, and display the icons only for the permitted use unless granted explicit permission by Microsoft. Microsoft reserves all other rights.
Source: Learn.Microsoft.com
Using the Azure Architecture Icons
When you download the file from the Azure Architecture Center, you can unzip it and will see a folder structure for the product categories. You can search for your product/icon and copy and paste it into your document, such as a PowerPoint presentation or draw.io diagram.
Conclusion
This is useful if you want to find the one icon that you haven’t found anywhere else. Personally, I do prefer other options that are faster and more convenient to use. Many of the other solutions do use these icon sets as their foundation.
Azure Icons in draw.io
Personally, I use draw.io the most for my daily visualizations. This is for multiple reasons: it is free, it integrates well with Confluence, and it offers a lot of flexibility for shapes.
Using Azure Icons in draw.io
When you want to use Azure icons in draw.io, this is done using the shapes functionality in draw.io. All you need to do is click on more shapes in the desktop app and activate Azure. While you are in that more shapes menu, also activate, for example, Active Directory.
Once you have activated the Shapes you can easily use the search windows to add whatever icon you need.
Conlusion
This is how i create the visualization for my blog. You can find examples created with draw.io around Azure Arc connectivity in this blog article “What the best connection type to Azure Arc enable a server in 2024?“
How to find missing Azure Icons?
If you need to create a document using very recent technology, you might not find the icon. You can always use the snipping tool to copy & paste the icon, but that is normally not very beautiful.
I do recommend to use the Amazing Icon Download by Matt LaGrandeur. You can easily install it into Chrome or Edge browser and when you are in the Azure Portal or the Endpoint Portal, it will allow you to download all icons from the current web site. It comes with “download all”, single download or a search option.
Using the Amazing Icon Download option is a good last resort, if you are missing just that one icon.
Simple Icon – Non Azure Icon
If you are in need of non Azure Icons you can always refer to the Simple Icon GitHub repository or search on GitHub. There are many repository available, i.e. for Ubiquiti.
Find Examples – Azure Diagrams
Recently, I stumbled upon a remarkable tool for my Azure projects – https://azurediagrams.com/ – spearheaded by Shane Ochotny, Harsha Konduri, and Bret Myers. This platform offers a plethora of mission-critical icons and community-driven diagrams, such as the insightful Landing Zone solution.
More Examples – PowerPoint Sytle – ArcJumpStart
The Arc Jump Start community and especially Lior Kamrat has developed a PowerPoint approach using dark themes for Azure Arc Scenarios. The content is unique and an extreme time saver, if you work in this area.
To get access to monthly updated Azure Arc architectural diagrams, check out this link https://aka.ms/JumpstartDiagrams or check the link on the Azure Arc Jumpstart website.
If you like this style and want to get started, please check this live session, where Lior shares some how to.
More Links
- Dynamics 365 icons
- Microsoft 365 architecture icons and templates
- Microsoft Entra ID architecture icons
- Microsoft Power Platform icons
Simple Icons Github Repository for other 3rd Party Icons – Important Note: This is my favorite design and repository, but does not include Microsoft Icons
Draw Azure architecture diagrams with updated shapes using draw.io
