Azure Automation variables in Bicep

If you want to create an Azure Automation variable in Bicep you will use a resource definition like this.

resource existingAutomationAccountResource 'Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts@2023-11-01' existing = {
  name: 'automationAccountName'
}

resource variablesResource 'Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/variables@2023-11-01' = {
  name: 'variableName'
  parent: existingAutomationAccountResource
  properties: {
    description: 'description'
    isEncrypted: 'false'
    value: 'value'
  }
}

For variables Azure Automation supports different types: String, Boolean, DateTime, Integer and Not Specified. Below you can find some examples how to define these values in Bicep format.

String values should be put between double quotes.

resource stringVariablesResource 'Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/variables@2023-11-01' = {
  name: 'stringVariable'
  parent: existingAutomationAccountResource
  properties: {
    value: '"This is a string"'
  }
}

Boolean values are simple true or false values within the single quotes.

resource booleanVariablesResource 'Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/variables@2023-11-01' = {
  name: 'booleanVariable'
  parent: existingAutomationAccountResource
  properties: {
    value: 'true'
  }
}

DateTime values are specified in epoch format and need a special notation which also require double quotes. The value 22-12-2024, 11:04:56 is the value that will be shown in the variable if you deploy this Bicep resource.

resource dateTimevariablesResource 'Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/variables@2023-11-01' = {
  name: 'dateTimeVariable'
  parent: existingAutomationAccountResource
  properties: {
    value: '"\\/Date(1734865496153)\\/"'
  }
}

Integer values are simple integer values within the single quotes.

resource integerVariablesResource 'Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/variables@2023-11-01' = {
  name: 'integerVariable'
  parent: existingAutomationAccountResource
  properties: {
    value: '123'
  }
}

Not Specified values are objects which need escaped inner single quotes. This value will be shown as 'not specified value' in the variable.

resource notSpecifiedVariablesResource 'Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/variables@2023-11-01' = {
  name: 'notSpecifiedVariable'
  parent: existingAutomationAccountResource
  properties: {
    value: '\'not specified value\''
  }
}

If you specify a string value with only single quotes you will get a deploy error like "Invalid JSON - Kindly check the value of the variable."