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--- title: Create multiple resource instances in Bicep description: Use different methods to create multiple resource instances in Bicep ms.date: 12/22/2025 ms.topic: quickstart ms.custom: mode-api, devx-track-bicep #Customer intent: As a developer new to Azure deployment, I want to learn how to create multiple resources in Bicep. --- # Quickstart: Create multiple resource instances in Bicep Learn how to use different `for` syntaxes to create multiple resource instances in Bicep. Even though this article only shows creating multiple resource instances, the same methods can be used to define copies of module, variable, property, or output. To learn more, see [Bicep loops](./loops.md). This article contains the following topics: - [use integer index](#use-integer-index) - [use array elements](#use-array-elements) - [use array and index](#use-array-and-index) - [use dictionary object](#use-dictionary-object) - [loop with condition](#loop-with-condition) ## Prerequisites If you don't have an Azure subscription, [create a free account](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account?cid=msft_learn) before you begin. To set up your environment for Bicep development, see [Install Bicep tools](install.md). After completing those steps, you'll have [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) and the [Bicep extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-azuretools.vscode-bicep). You also have either the latest [Azure CLI](/cli/azure/) or the latest [Azure PowerShell module](/powershell/azure/new-azureps-module-az). ## Create a single instance In this section, you define a Bicep file for creating a storage account, and then deploy the Bicep file. The subsequent sections provide the Bicep samples for different `for` syntaxes. You can use the same deployment method to deploy and experiment those samples. If your deployment fails, it's likely one of the two causes: - The storage account name is too long. Storage account names must be between 3 and 24 characters in length and may contain numbers and lowercase letters only. - The storage account name isn't unique. Your storage account name must be unique within Azure. The following Bicep file defines one storage account: ```bicep param rgLocation string = resourceGroup().location resource createStorage 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2025-06-01' = { name: 'storage${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}' location: rgLocation sku: { name: 'Standard_LRS' } kind: 'StorageV2' } ``` Save the Bicep file locally, and then use Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell to deploy the Bicep file: # [CLI](#tab/CLI) ```azurecli resourceGroupName = "{provide-a-resource-group-name}" templateFile="{provide-the-path-to-the-bicep-file}" az group create --name $resourceGroupName --location eastus az deployment group create --resource-group $resourceGroupName --template-file $templateFile ``` # [PowerShell](#tab/PowerShell) ```azurepowershell $resourceGroupName = "{provide-a-resource-group-name}" $templateFile = "{provide-the-path-to-the-bicep-file}" New-AzResourceGroup -Name $resourceGroupName -Location eastus New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -TemplateFile $templateFile ``` --- ## Use integer index A for loop with an index is used in the following sample to create two storage accounts: ```bicep param rgLocation string = resourceGroup().location param storageCount int = 2 resource createStorages 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2025-06-01' = [for i in range(0, storageCount): { name: '${i}storage${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}' location: rgLocation sku: { name: 'Standard_LRS' } kind: 'StorageV2' }] output names array = [for i in range(0,storageCount) : { name: createStorages[i].name } ] ``` The index number is used as a part of the storage account name. After deploying the Bicep file, you get two storage accounts that are similar to: :::image type="content" source="./media/quickstart-loops/bicep-loop-number-0-2.png" alt-text="Use integer index with 0 as the starting number"::: Inside range(), the first number is the starting number, and the second number is the number of times the loop will run. So if you change it to **range(3,2)**, you'll also get two storage accounts: :::image type="content" source="./media/quickstart-loops/bicep-loop-number-3-2.png" alt-text="Use integer index with 3 as the starting number"::: The output of the preceding sample shows how to reference the resources created in a loop. The output is similar to: ```json "outputs": { "names": { "type": "Array", "value": [ { "name": "0storage52iyjssggmvue" }, { "name": "1storage52iyjssggmvue" } ] } }, ``` ## Use array elements You can loop through an array. The following sample shows an array of strings. ```bicep param rgLocation string = resourceGroup().location param storageNames array = [ 'contoso' 'fabrikam' ] resource createStorages 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2025-06-01' = [for name in storageNames: { name: '${name}str${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}' location: rgLocation sku: { name: 'Standard_LRS' } kind: 'StorageV2' }] ``` The loop uses all the strings in the array as a part of the storage account names. In this case, it creates two storage accounts: :::image type="content" source="./media/quickstart-loops/bicep-loop-array-string.png" alt-text="Use an array of strings"::: You can also loop through an array of objects. The loop not only customizes the storage account names, but also configures the SKUs. ```bicep param rgLocation string = resourceGroup().location param storages array = [ { name: 'contoso' skuName: 'Standard_LRS' } { name: 'fabrikam' skuName: 'Premium_LRS' } ] resource createStorages 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2025-06-01' = [for storage in storages: { name: '${storage.name}obj${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}' location: rgLocation sku: { name: storage.skuName } kind: 'StorageV2' }] ``` The loop creates two storage accounts. The SKU of the storage account with the name starting with **fabrikam** is **Premium_LRS**. :::image type="content" source="./media/quickstart-loops/bicep-loop-array-string.png" alt-text="Use an array of strings"::: ## Use array and index In same cases, you might want to combine an array loop with an index loop. The following sample shows how to use the array and the index number for the naming convention. ```bicep param rgLocation string = resourceGroup().location param storageNames array = [ 'contoso' 'fabrikam' ] resource createStorages 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2025-06-01' = [for (name, i) in storageNames: { name: '${i}${name}${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}' location: rgLocation sku: { name: 'Standard_LRS' } kind: 'StorageV2' }] ``` After deploying the preceding sample, you create two storage accounts that are similar to: :::image type="content" source="./media/quickstart-loops/bicep-loop-array-string-number.png" alt-text="Use an array of strings and index number"::: ## Use dictionary object To iterate over elements in a dictionary object, use the [items function](./bicep-functions-object.md#items), which converts the object to an array. Use the `value` property to get properties on the objects. ```bicep param rgLocation string = resourceGroup().location param storageConfig object = { storage1: { name: 'contoso' skuName: 'Standard_LRS' } storage2: { name: 'fabrikam' skuName: 'Premium_LRS' } } resource createStorages 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2025-06-01' = [for config in items(storageConfig): { name: '${config.value.name}${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}' location: rgLocation sku: { name: config.value.skuName } kind: 'StorageV2' }] ``` The loop creates two storage accounts. The SKU of the storage account with the name starting with **fabrikam** is **Premium_LRS**. :::image type="content" source="./media/quickstart-loops/bicep-loop-dictionary-object.png" alt-text="Use a dictionary object"::: ## Loop with condition For resources and modules, you can add an `if` expression with the loop syntax to conditionally deploy the collection. ```bicep param rgLocation string = resourceGroup().location param storageCount int = 2 param createNewStorage bool = true resource createStorages 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2025-06-01' = [for i in range(0, storageCount): if(createNewStorage) { name: '${i}storage${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}' location: rgLocation sku: { name: 'Standard_LRS' } kind: 'StorageV2' }] ``` For more information, see [conditional deployment in Bicep](./conditional-resource-deployment.md). ## Clean up resources When the Azure resources are no longer needed, use the Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell module to delete the quickstart resource group. # [CLI](#tab/CLI) ```azurecli resourceGroupName = "{provide-the-resource-group-name}" az group delete --name $resourceGroupName ``` # [PowerShell](#tab/PowerShell) ```azurepowershell $resourceGroupName = "{provide-the-resource-group-name}" Remove-AzResourceGroup -Name $resourceGroupName ``` --- ## Next steps > [!div class="nextstepaction"] > [Create Bicep files by using Visual Studio Code](./quickstart-create-bicep-use-visual-studio-code.md).