Azure PIM Activator

Activate your Azure Privileged Identity Management (PIM) roles in one click, without leaving VS Code.

Stop opening the Azure portal, searching for My roles, and filling in the same activation form every morning. Save each eligible role as a profile once, then activate it from the sidebar whenever you need it.

Features

• Saved profiles. A short wizard signs you in, lists your tenants, and shows every role you're eligible for. Pick one and save it as a profile.
• One-click activation. Click ▶ on a profile, or run PIM: Activate profile from the Command Palette. The role is activated for 8 hours and progress shows in a notification.
• Live countdown in the status bar. See which role is active and how much time is left. Click it to activate another profile.
• Expiry reminders. You get a warning before a role expires, with a Re-activate button to extend it on the spot.
• Detects active roles. If the role is already active, the extension tells you when it expires instead of sending a duplicate request.
• Works across scopes. Supports eligible roles on subscriptions, resource groups, resources and management groups. You don't need existing access to the subscription to see your eligibilities.
• No stored secrets. Sign-in uses VS Code's built-in Microsoft account provider. The extension never sees or saves your password.

Getting started

1. Install Azure PIM Activator from the Marketplace.
2. Click the Azure PIM shield icon in the activity bar.
3. Click New profile (+) and follow the wizard:
   1. Sign in with your Microsoft work or school account.
   2. Pick a tenant.
   3. Pick one of your eligible roles and give the profile a name.
4. Click ▶ next to the profile to activate the role.

That's it. The status bar shows the remaining time while the role is active.

Commands

Settings

Requirements

• VS Code 1.90 or later.
• A Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) account with at least one eligible PIM role assignment on an Azure resource.
• The role's PIM settings must allow self-activation (no approval or ticket number required).

Privacy

The extension talks only to Microsoft's Azure Resource Manager API (management.azure.com) using the token VS Code gives it. Profiles store only role, tenant and scope identifiers, in VS Code's local extension storage. No data is sent anywhere else.

Known limitations

• Activation length is fixed at 8 hours.
• Microsoft Entra ID directory roles (for example Global Administrator) and PIM for Groups aren't supported yet. Only Azure resource roles are.
• Roles that need approval or a ticket number can't be activated from the extension.

Feedback

Found a bug or have an idea? Leave a review or a question on the Marketplace page.