> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://hobbyist-e43fa225.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Microsoft Foundry product and capability map > Find where to start in Microsoft Foundry. Match your goal to a starting point, then compare the major products and capabilities and who each one is for. Microsoft Foundry covers a wide range of features, and the hardest part is often knowing where to start. This article maps common goals to a starting point, then summarizes the major Foundry products and capabilities so you can tell them apart. For an exhaustive list of everything in Foundry, see the [capability reference](/capability-reference/capability-reference). ## Start with your goal Find the row closest to what you're trying to do. | I want to | Start here | Why | | ------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Send a prompt to a model, with no agent or tools | [Build with models and agents](/get-started/get-started-code) | The shortest path to a working call. Add an agent later only if you need tools or orchestration. | | Build my first agent | [Choose how to build](/what-is-microsoft-foundry/what-is-foundry#start-by-building-an-agent) | Decides prompt agent versus hosted agent before you invest in either. That choice shapes everything after it. | | Host an agent I already wrote | [Deploy a hosted agent](/agents/quickstart-hosted-agent) | Runs your existing code or container with a managed endpoint, scaling, and identity. | | Use an open-source framework with Foundry | [Frameworks for hosted agents](/agents/framework-hosted-agents) | Shows how LangGraph, Microsoft Agent Framework, and Semantic Kernel map onto Foundry hosting. | | Evaluate agent quality | [Evaluate generative AI apps](/evaluation/evaluate-generative-ai-app) | Establishes a baseline score first, so later changes are measurable rather than anecdotal. | | Add observability | [Foundry Observability](/observability/observability) | Tracing, monitoring, and evaluation share one data model, so set them up together. | | Deploy and operate an application | [Set up CI/CD for agents](/agents/set-up-cicd-hosted-agent) | Gets a repeatable release path before you scale. For fleet-wide governance, see the [control plane](../control-plane/overview). | ## Major products and capabilities Each row names one decision-level entry point. The **When to use it** column states the fit first, then the boundary where another option is a better match. | Product or capability | What it is | When to use it | Who it's for | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | | [Foundry portal](general-availability) | Web experience for models, agents, evaluations, and resources. | Use to explore and prototype without writing code. If you need repeatable builds, move to the SDKs or CLI. | Anyone evaluating Foundry | | [Prompt agents](/get-started/prompt-agent) | Declarative agents defined by instructions, a model, and tools. | Use when you want an agent with no runtime to manage. If you need custom code or a container, use hosted agents instead. | Agent developer | | [Hosted agents](/agents/hosted-agents) | Your own agent code or framework, run by Foundry. | Use when you need full control of agent logic and dependencies. If instructions and tools are enough, prompt agents are simpler. | Agent developer | | [Foundry Models](/models/foundry-models-overview) | Catalog of models from Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and others. | Use to choose and deploy the model behind your app or agent. If a model needs your domain data, consider fine-tuning. | Application developer | | [Fine-tuning](/models/fine-tune-cli) | Customization of a model on your own data. | Use when prompting and retrieval can't reach the quality you need. If the gap is missing context, use retrieval instead. | ML engineer | | [Toolbox](/get-started/toolbox-overview) | Managed endpoint that packages the tools an agent can call. | Use to give an agent actions and to govern tools centrally. If the agent only needs your own data, start with Foundry IQ. | Agent developer | | [Foundry IQ](/toolboxes/what-is-foundry-iq) | Agentic retrieval over a knowledge base. | Use to ground answers in your content. If you only need a few uploaded files, file search is lighter weight. | Agent developer | | [Memory](/toolboxes/what-is-memory) (preview) | Persistent agent recall across sessions. | Use when an agent must remember prior turns or user context. If each request stands alone, skip it. | Agent developer | | [Workflows](/agents/workflow) | Orchestration of multiple agents and steps. | Use when one task spans several agents or stages. If a single agent with tools can finish the job, stay simpler. | Agent developer | | [Microsoft Foundry SDKs](../how-to/develop/sdk-overview) | Client libraries for Python, C#, JavaScript, and Java. | Use to build Foundry into an application. If you're scaffolding and deploying agent projects, add the Azure Developer CLI. | Application developer | | [Azure Developer CLI (azd)](/developer-tools-and-integrations/cli-agent-development) | Command-line scaffolding, deployment, and environment management. | Use to create, run, and ship agent projects repeatably. If you only call models from an app, the SDKs are enough. | Platform engineer | | [Visual Studio Code extension](../how-to/develop/get-started-projects-vs-code) | Foundry projects, models, and agents inside the editor. | Use to build and debug without leaving VS Code. If you want an AI assistant to drive Foundry, use coding agents. | Application developer | | [Coding agents and MCP](/get-started/use-microsoft-foundry-skill) | Model Context Protocol access to Foundry for coding agents. | Use to let GitHub Copilot or Claude Code work against Foundry. If you prefer direct authoring, use the VS Code extension. | Application developer | | [LangChain and LangGraph](/developer-tools-and-integrations/langchain) | Integration of Foundry models, tools, memory, and tracing. | Use when your team already builds on LangChain or LangGraph. If you're starting fresh, native agents need less glue code. | Agent developer | | [Foundry Observability](/observability/observability) | Tracing, monitoring, and dashboards for agents and models. | Use to see what agents actually did in production. If you're comparing versions before release, start with evaluations. | AI quality engineer | | [Evaluations](/evaluation/evaluate-generative-ai-app) | Scoring for generative AI apps and agents. | Use to measure quality and catch regressions before release. If you need adversarial coverage, add AI red teaming. | AI quality engineer | | [AI red teaming](/evaluation/ai-red-teaming-agent) | Automated adversarial scans against a model or agent. | Use to probe for unsafe or exploitable behavior. If you're measuring everyday quality, evaluations fit better. | Security administrator | | [Guardrails and controls](../guardrails/guardrails-overview) | Content filters and safety controls for models and agents. | Use to enforce safety at run time. If you're testing safety before release, pair it with AI red teaming. | Security administrator | | [Foundry control plane](../control-plane/overview) | Governance for agents, models, and tools across your estate. | Use to set limits, policy, and oversight across many projects. If you're governing a single project, project settings are enough. | Platform engineer | ## Related content * [Microsoft Foundry capability reference](/capability-reference/capability-reference) * [What is Microsoft Foundry?](/what-is-microsoft-foundry/what-is-foundry) * [Choose how to build with Microsoft Foundry](/what-is-microsoft-foundry/what-is-foundry#start-by-building-an-agent) * [Service architecture](architecture)