setup-app-insights

SkillCloud & infra

Lets your agent turn Application Insights telemetry on, off, or point it at a different Azure resource for a Power Apps mobile app.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the setup-app-insights skill

About this capability

Configure optional customer-owned Application Insights telemetry for a Power Apps mobile app, enable it against an existing Azure resource, change the resource, or disable it. Standalone, and invoked by /edit-app.

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by microsoft/power-platform-skills in plugins/mobile-apps/skills/setup-app-insights/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Shared instructions: shared-instructions.md — read first.

Set up Application Insights

Configures the generated app's optional, customer-owned Application Insights telemetry through app.json → expo.extra.appInsightsConfig. This is host/runtime configuration, not a connector or plan section — it never touches the data model, native-capability matrix, connector list, or screens.

Application Insights is off by default. Invoking this skill (or approving its mutation) is the explicit opt-in; consent is never inferred from an app description.

When to use

  • /setup-app-insights — enable, change, or disable Application Insights on an existing app.
  • Invoked by /edit-app when the request is only an Application Insights change (its Step 0.5 fast path delegates here).
  • Examples: "Enable Application Insights for this app", "Change the Application Insights resource this app uses", "Disable Application Insights for this app".

When NOT to use

  • Adding or changing custom events in app screens → configure Application Insights here first, then continue through /edit-app for those source changes.
  • Data model / connector / native / design / screen changes → the respective /add-*, /setup-*, /edit-app, or /design-system skills.
  • Provisioning a new Azure Application Insights resource → out of scope; this skill discovers or accepts an existing resource.

Inputs

  • working_dir — absolute path to the project root (auto-detected from cwd, or passed by an orchestrator).
  • --action <enable|change-resource|disable> — optional; when omitted, inferred from current state and one question.

Step 1 — Detect invocation mode

Telemetry checkpoint: resolve_app_insights_mode

1. Check env var CODE_APPS_NATIVE_ORCHESTRATING=1
   → Mode A (invoked by /edit-app). Use the passed --working-dir. Return a status block.

2. Else resolve working_dir from cwd (must contain app.json with an expo object)
   → Mode B (standalone). Return a human summary.

Step 2 — Inspect and determine the action

Telemetry checkpoint: determine_app_insights_action

Read, when present:

  • <working_dir>/app.json
  • <working_dir>/app/_layout.tsx
  • <working_dir>/package.json
  • <working_dir>/memory-bank.md

If app.json is missing, malformed, or has no expo object, STOP without mutation (BLOCKED in Mode A). If uncommitted work overlaps app.json or app/_layout.tsx, follow the changed-file overlap approval rule in shared-instructions.md.

Determine the action:

  • enable — appInsightsConfig.enabled is absent or false and the user wants it on.
  • change-resource — already enabled: true and the user wants a different destination.
  • disable — the user wants Application Insights turned off.
  • If intent is ambiguous, ask one AskUserQuestion with those three choices, seeded by the current enabled state.

Step 3 — Mutation preview + approval

Telemetry checkpoint: review_app_insights_change

Show one focused preview and continue only after approval:

─── Application Insights ────────────────────────────
Action        <enable | change resource | disable>
Current       enabled: <true|false>
Configuration app.json → expo.extra.appInsightsConfig
Provider      app/_layout.tsx → PowerAppsProvider appConfig
Sensitive     connection string is never printed or stored in memory-bank.md

Ask: Apply this Application Insights change?

Step 4 — Emit the selection telemetry

After the action is confirmed, record the choice through Mobile Apps usage telemetry (enabled for enable/change-resource, disabled for disable):

node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run-telemetry.js" \
  app-insights-selection \
  "<enabled-or-disabled>" \
  "<prompt-or-pretool>" \
  "<working_dir>"

Pass the invocation source so the event's invocationSource matches how the skill was reached: pretool in Mode A (delegated from another skill such as /edit-app via the Skill tool) and prompt in Mode B (the user ran /setup-app-insights directly).

This event follows the existing Mobile Apps telemetry controls and contains no Application Insights resource details or connection string. It fails open and never blocks the skill.

Step 5a — enable / change-resource

Telemetry checkpoint: configure_app_insights_resource

Discover Application Insights resources visible to the current Azure CLI identity:

az resource list \
  --resource-type Microsoft.Insights/components \
  --query "[].{name:name,id:id,resourceGroup:resourceGroup,location:location}" \
  -o json

Branch on the result:

  • One or more resources returned: use AskUserQuestion to let the user select one. Before configuring it, confirm the selected component is workspace-based — az resource list returns every Microsoft.Insights/components, including classic components, which are not compliant with this skill's contract. Read properties.WorkspaceResourceId from the selected resource:

    WORKSPACE_RESOURCE_ID=$(
      az resource show \
        --ids "<selected-resource-id>" \
        --api-version 2020-02-02 \
        --query properties.WorkspaceResourceId \
        -o tsv
    )
    

    If WORKSPACE_RESOURCE_ID is empty, the resource is a classic (non-workspace-based) component: do not configure it. Explain that only a workspace-based Application Insights resource is supported, and let the user select a different resource or use the admin handoff below. Otherwise retrieve its connection string without printing it:

    APP_INSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING=$(
      az resource show \
        --ids "<selected-resource-id>" \
        --api-version 2020-02-02 \
        --query properties.ConnectionString \
        -o tsv
    )
    
  • Not logged in: tell the user to run az login, then retry discovery once.

  • No subscription/resource access or authorization failure: explain that Application Insights Azure RBAC is separate from Power Platform and Entra app-registration permissions. Offer an admin handoff: an administrator can create/select one workspace-based Application Insights resource and give the user its connection string.

  • No resources returned: ask whether the user wants to paste an administrator-provided connection string or leave telemetry disabled. Do not require the user to create Azure resources.

When accepting a pasted connection string, use AskUserQuestion freeform and never repeat the answer in chat or command output. Validate only that it contains InstrumentationKey= and either an IngestionEndpoint= or that the standard public-cloud default can be used. Do not store the connection string in memory-bank.md.

Update <working_dir>/app.json so expo.extra.appInsightsConfig contains:

{
  "expo": {
    "extra": {
      "appInsightsConfig": {
        "enabled": true,
        "connectionString": "<selected-or-pasted-connection-string>",
        "appId": "<appId>",
        "environment": "development",
        "includeUserId": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Field rules:

  • appId — preserve the existing non-empty value; otherwise use expo.slug, then package.json name.
  • environment / includeUserId — preserve existing values; default to "development" and false. Never turn on user identity collection implicitly.
  • Set enabled: true and replace only the connection string. Create the appInsightsConfig object when missing, and preserve every other app.json field.

Never print the connection string, pass it to another agent, write it to native-app-plan.md or memory-bank.md, or include it in a summary.

Runtime notes (for screen work that follows)

The app uses @microsoft/applicationinsights-web with the React Native manual-device plugin. The first runtime event is PowerAppsNative.ApplicationStarted, a deterministic ingestion check after loading the app in Dev Player. The runtime exposes two intentionally different loggers:

import {
  getAppLogger,
  getCustomEventsLogger,
} from '@microsoft/power-apps-native-host';
  • getAppLogger() is the host/runtime logger; its events continue to Microsoft OneDS and also fan out to the configured Application Insights resource.
  • getCustomEventsLogger() is for the app's custom events; it goes only to the configured Application Insights resource and is a no-op when custom events are disabled.
  • Generate custom event calls only when the user explicitly requested those events or an approved screen spec has a Custom events entry. Never use getAppLogger() for custom events.
  • Telemetry properties must be approved scalar values (result codes, durations, counts, screen identifiers, operation names). Never include form values, free text, record titles, names, emails, phone numbers, tokens, precise coordinates, nested objects, or complete URLs.

Persist in memory-bank.md (never the connection string):

- Custom events: enabled
- Custom events app ID: <appId>
- Custom events resource ID: <selected-resource-id or admin-provided>
- Custom events destination: one customer-owned workspace-based Application Insights resource

Step 5b — disable

Telemetry checkpoint: disable_app_insights

Set enabled: false, clear connectionString, and preserve appId and environment when present. Keep includeUserId: false unless an existing explicitly approved value must be preserved. Do not require Azure sign-in or resource discovery.

{
  "expo": {
    "extra": {
      "appInsightsConfig": {
        "enabled": false,
        "connectionString": "",
        "appId": "<appId>",
        "environment": "development",
        "includeUserId": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Persist Custom events: disabled and the app ID in memory-bank.md; remove stale resource ID / destination lines.

Step 6 — Verify the provider wiring

Telemetry checkpoint: verify_app_insights_provider

Confirm app/_layout.tsx imports the root app.json and passes the complete object to PowerAppsProvider:

import appConfig from '../app.json';

<PowerAppsProvider appConfig={appConfig}>

If either part is missing, patch only the import and the appConfig prop; preserve all other provider props and layout behavior. Run npx tsc --noEmit only when app/_layout.tsx changed.

Parse app.json with Node after the mutation and assert:

  • enable / change-resource: enabled === true and connectionString is non-empty.
  • disable: enabled === false and connectionString === "".

Step 6.5 — Offer operation instrumentation (enable / change-resource only)

Telemetry checkpoint: offer_operation_instrumentation

This skill only wires the telemetry pipeline; it never edits screens or generated services. Enabling Application Insights emits host-level signals (app load, unhandled errors, navigation) automatically, but domain events like todo_created or order_deleted are custom events and require source changes. Those changes belong to /edit-app → screen-planner → screen-builder, which emit named events through getCustomEventsLogger under the existing scalar-only, no-PII allowlist. Offer that follow-up here; never instrument operations from this skill.

Run this step only after a successful enable or change-resource. Skip it entirely for disable.

  • Mode B (standalone): ask one AskUserQuestion, defaulting to No (instrumentation is opt-in, mirroring Application Insights being off by default):

    Application Insights is on. Want me to add custom events for your app's major operations (create / update / delete)?

    • Yes → invoke /edit-app with a scoped instrumentation brief and let its normal edit flow discover the entities, screens, and operation boundaries (this skill does not read the data model or screens):

      Invoke skill: /edit-app
      
      Arguments:
        Add custom events at each successful create, update, and
        delete boundary for the app's main entities. Emit named events through
        getCustomEventsLogger with approved scalar properties only — no
        operation results, response payloads, form values, free text, record
        titles, personal identifiers, tokens, precise coordinates, nested
        objects, or complete URLs. Use trackScenario() for any duration.
      
    • No → finish with the normal Mode B summary.

  • Mode A (invoked by /edit-app): do not ask the user or re-invoke /edit-app from here — that would loop back into the orchestrator. Instead signal the available follow-up in the return block (instrumentation_offer: available) so /edit-app surfaces the offer after the fast path completes.

Support boundary

This skill discovers or accepts an existing Application Insights resource; it does not provision Azure resources. If the user lacks Azure access and has no administrator-provided connection string, leave telemetry disabled without blocking — the app runs fine with custom events off.

Return

Mode A (invoked by /edit-app) — status block, first line is the status code:

DONE
action: <enable|change-resource|disable>
enabled: <true|false>
app_id: <appId>
layout_patched: <yes|no>
instrumentation_offer: <available|none>

instrumentation_offer is available only after a successful enable/change-resource (see Step 6.5); use none for disable or when telemetry was not turned on. Use DONE_WITH_CONCERNS: <list> when applied with caveats (e.g. an admin-provided string that could not be verified), NEEDS_CONTEXT: <missing> when a required input is unavailable, and BLOCKED: <reason> when app.json is unusable.

Mode B (standalone) — human summary:

Application Insights <enabled|updated|disabled> for this app. Configuration: app.json → expo.extra.appInsightsConfig To change the resource or turn it off later, run /setup-app-insights again.

After an enable/change-resource, if the user accepted the Step 6.5 offer, note that operation instrumentation was handed to /edit-app; if they declined, mention they can run /edit-app later to add custom operation events.

Signals

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Last commit
Sep 2026
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skill
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setup-app-insights
Source
github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills