1.2 – Navigating The Azure Portal Lesson

Lesson Overview

Getting comfortable with the Azure Portal is an essential starting point before you begin building or deploying anything with Azure. This lesson introduces the overall layout, explains how to find the services and resources you need, and points out common features you’ll use throughout your AI modeling journey.

You’ll begin by signing into the Azure Portal using your credentials. From there, you’ll discover the primary navigation methods: the top search bar and the left-side menu. Both offer different ways to access your subscriptions, resource groups, and AI services like Azure Machine Learning Studio.

This lesson also briefly shows you how resources are organized and how every service—whether it's a core Azure tool or a partner integration—can be located from the "All Services" area. You’ll see the basics of managing user accounts and authentication, as well as how to use the Cloud Shell for command-line interactions (although this course focuses on the graphical interface).

Whether you’re new to Azure or moving from another platform, knowing how to get around prevents wasted time and frustration later. These navigation habits support faster troubleshooting, more efficient project setup, and a smoother experience as you provision your first models and services.

Who This Is For

If you’re not sure whether this lesson is relevant to your goals or experience, check the examples below:

• Beginners who just created an Azure account for the first time
• Developers or data scientists new to Microsoft’s cloud tools
• Educators guiding students through Microsoft AI resources
• Project managers overseeing Azure-based data projects
• Anyone needing to find AI services, resources, or account management areas inside Azure

Where This Fits in a Workflow

Navigating the Azure Portal is the very first technical task you’ll face after account setup. Before you can create or manage AI services, you need to confidently locate where those resources live and how to access them. Knowing these basics ensures you won’t get lost or miss a step when provisioning machine learning resources or managing your user profile.

For example, every future step—from setting up storage to configuring security—starts with navigating to the right area in the portal. Additionally, when collaborating with a team, being able to quickly guide others to the right portal windows streamlines onboarding and troubleshooting.

Technical & Workflow Benefits

Exploring the Azure Portal visually (using the graphical interface or GUI) provides several benefits compared to relying solely on command-line tools or trying to guess where settings are hidden. Before graphical navigation, users typically spent more time hunting for resources, potentially using trial and error to locate menus or configuration pages.

With features like the search bar, collapsible menus, and clear resource groupings, it’s much faster to track down any needed service, including less commonly used ones. For example, finding and managing user accounts is accessible through multiple routes, reducing the chance of getting stuck. Non-technical users also benefit by avoiding command-line confusion and enjoying a more intuitive experience.

In real projects, these navigation skills cut down setup time, help prevent configuration mistakes, and enable smooth switching from one task to another when building or operating your first AI model on Azure.

Practice Exercise

To get hands-on with your navigation skills, try the following scenario after signing into https://portal.azure.com with your Azure credentials:

1. Use the top search bar to look up “Azure Machine Learning Studio.” Locate it in the list of results.
2. Find the “All Services” menu in the left bar and scroll through the categories—can you spot partner resources?
3. Click into the user management area (hint: Manage > Users) and check which account you’re signed in with.

Ask yourself: Was it faster or easier to use the search or the menu? Which navigation method felt more natural to you?

Course Context Recap

This lesson is part of the early foundation in the Building Your First AI Model with Microsoft Azure (Advanced Course). After setting up your Azure account in the previous chapter, you’re now learning how to comfortably navigate the Azure Portal—a skill you’ll use throughout the entire course. Up next, you’ll begin provisioning the first resources needed for your AI model. If you’re enjoying the process so far, keep exploring the lessons to deepen your skills and unlock the rest of the course’s capabilities.