Output formats (json, table, tsv) in Azure - Commands & Configuration

Introduction

When you run commands in Azure CLI, you get results in different formats. These formats help you see the information in ways that are easy to read or use in other tools.

When you want to see detailed information in a structured way to use in scripts, use JSON format.

When you want a simple, easy-to-read list on the screen, use table format.

When you want to export data to a spreadsheet or text file, use TSV format.

Commands

This command lists all virtual machines in your subscription and shows the output in JSON format, which is easy to read by programs.

Terminal

az vm list --output json

Expected Output

[

  {

    "name": "myVM1",

    "location": "eastus",

    "resourceGroup": "myResourceGroup",

    "vmId": "1234abcd-5678-efgh-9012-ijklmnopqrst"

  },

  {

    "name": "myVM2",

    "location": "westus",

    "resourceGroup": "myResourceGroup",

    "vmId": "abcd1234-5678-efgh-9012-qrstuvwxzy"

  }

]

→

--output - Sets the output format of the command

This command lists all virtual machines but shows the output in a clean table format that is easy to read on the screen.

Terminal

az vm list --output table

Expected Output

Name    Location    ResourceGroup    VMId

------  ----------  ---------------  ------------------------------------

myVM1   eastus      myResourceGroup  1234abcd-5678-efgh-9012-ijklmnopqrst

myVM2   westus      myResourceGroup  abcd1234-5678-efgh-9012-qrstuvwxzy

→

--output - Sets the output format of the command

This command lists all virtual machines and shows the output in TSV format, which uses tabs to separate values. This is useful for exporting or processing data in scripts.

Terminal

az vm list --output tsv

Expected Output

myVM1	eastus	myResourceGroup	1234abcd-5678-efgh-9012-ijklmnopqrst

myVM2	westus	myResourceGroup	abcd1234-5678-efgh-9012-qrstuvwxzy

→

--output - Sets the output format of the command

Key Concept

If you remember nothing else, remember: use the --output flag to choose how Azure CLI shows your command results.

Common Mistakes

Not specifying the --output flag and getting default JSON output when a simpler format is needed

The output may be hard to read or use in scripts if the format is not what you want

Always add --output table or --output tsv when you want easier reading or exporting

Using TSV output but not handling tabs correctly in scripts

Tabs can cause parsing errors if scripts expect spaces or commas

Make sure your script or tool can handle tab-separated values when using TSV format

Summary

Use the --output flag in Azure CLI to control how command results are shown.

JSON format is best for detailed data and scripting.

Table format is easy to read on screen.

TSV format is good for exporting data to files or spreadsheets.