Locate the Azure Bot resource registered to my MsaAppId - cannot create a new bot because the App ID is already in use

Question

Locate the Azure Bot resource registered to my MsaAppId - cannot create a new bot because the App ID is already in use

joshua hughes 0

I am trying to create/manage an Azure Bot resource but receive:

"Failed to store new bot. MsaAppId is already in use."

The Bot Service resource that owns this MsaAppId was created some time ago and I can no longer locate it in any subscription I have access to. The bot is still functioning in production, so the resource clearly exists.

How I can regain owner/contributor access to that resource so I can update its display name and messaging endpoint.

I do not want to create a new App ID - I need to manage the existing bot, but i cannot find it or have access to it.

I've logged into my old accounts and it isn't there.

Thanmayi Godithi 11,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-03T10:16:56.6366667+00:00
Hi joshua hughes ,

There isn't a "search by App ID" button in the portal, but you can reverse-look-up the Azure Bot resource in one shot with Azure Resource Graph, which queries every subscription you can read at once.

Open Resource Graph Explorer in the portal (or use Azure CLI) and run:

resources | where type =~ "microsoft.botservice/botservices" | where properties.msaAppId == "<YOUR-APP-ID-GUID>" | project name, resourceGroup, subscriptionId, location, id

The row it returns gives you the resource group, subscription, and full resource ID — paste the ID into the portal search bar to open the bot directly. To verify, confirm the App ID on the bot's Configuration blade matches the one you searched for.

If it comes back empty, it's usually one of these (not a bad query):

The bot is in a subscription/tenant you can't read. Resource Graph only sees resources where you have Reader. Run az account list -o table to check your scope, and sign into the owning tenant if needed.

The Azure Bot resource was deleted but the app registration still exists. The Microsoft App ID (Entra app) and the Azure Bot resource are separate objects — a valid App ID can have no bot resource behind it. If so, you'd re-create an Azure Bot resource and point it at the existing App ID.

The bot was created in the Developer Portal / M365 Agents SDK, so it only lives on dev.botframework.com and was never provisioned as an Azure Bot resource.

Legacy multi-tenant bot: the app registration may not show under App registrations → Owned applications — switch to All applications and search the App ID GUID to find the registration itself.

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.
joshua hughes 0 Reputation points

2026-07-03T14:17:25.92+00:00

Hi Thanmayi,

Thanks for your response.

I've completed the steps you outlined, the query returned no results.

Does this mean the resource is no longer recoverable from my side, and my only option is to create a new Azure Bot resource using a new App ID? Or is there any way for Microsoft Support to identify or restore access to the existing bot resource based on the current MSA App ID, given that the bot is still running in production?

Thanks.
Thanmayi Godithi 11,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-18T09:37:10.56+00:00

Hi joshua hughes ,

Please share the details requested over Private message.

1 answer

Your answer

Thanmayi Godithi 11,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-03T10:16:56.6366667+00:00

Hi joshua hughes ,

There isn't a "search by App ID" button in the portal, but you can reverse-look-up the Azure Bot resource in one shot with Azure Resource Graph, which queries every subscription you can read at once.

Open Resource Graph Explorer in the portal (or use Azure CLI) and run:

resources | where type =~ "microsoft.botservice/botservices" | where properties.msaAppId == "<YOUR-APP-ID-GUID>" | project name, resourceGroup, subscriptionId, location, id

The row it returns gives you the resource group, subscription, and full resource ID — paste the ID into the portal search bar to open the bot directly. To verify, confirm the App ID on the bot's Configuration blade matches the one you searched for.

If it comes back empty, it's usually one of these (not a bad query):

The bot is in a subscription/tenant you can't read. Resource Graph only sees resources where you have Reader. Run az account list -o table to check your scope, and sign into the owning tenant if needed.

The Azure Bot resource was deleted but the app registration still exists. The Microsoft App ID (Entra app) and the Azure Bot resource are separate objects — a valid App ID can have no bot resource behind it. If so, you'd re-create an Azure Bot resource and point it at the existing App ID.

The bot was created in the Developer Portal / M365 Agents SDK, so it only lives on dev.botframework.com and was never provisioned as an Azure Bot resource.

Legacy multi-tenant bot: the app registration may not show under App registrations → Owned applications — switch to All applications and search the App ID GUID to find the registration itself.

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.
joshua hughes 0 Reputation points

2026-07-03T14:17:25.92+00:00

Hi Thanmayi,

Thanks for your response.

I've completed the steps you outlined, the query returned no results.

Does this mean the resource is no longer recoverable from my side, and my only option is to create a new Azure Bot resource using a new App ID? Or is there any way for Microsoft Support to identify or restore access to the existing bot resource based on the current MSA App ID, given that the bot is still running in production?

Thanks.
Thanmayi Godithi 11,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-18T09:37:10.56+00:00

Hi joshua hughes ,

Please share the details requested over Private message.

Answer 1

An empty Resource Graph result only proves that your account cannot read the owning resource; it does not prove the bot was deleted. Since the bot still works and Bot Service says the App ID is already in use, do not replace it yet.

You cannot grant yourself RBAC access or attach the same MsaAppId to another Bot resource.

Sign in to every possible tenant, refresh the subscription context, and include disabled subscriptions.
Ask a tenant or subscription administrator to run the query at tenant or management-group scope.
Check the Entra app registration owners, but remember that app ownership does not grant access to the Bot resource.
Open an Azure subscription-management or Bot Service support case from any accessible subscription. Include the MsaAppId, tenant IDs, bot handle, known messaging endpoint, channels, and evidence of current traffic.

Support can locate the owning backend registration, but access is restored only after ownership verification. If the resource was deleted, Microsoft may need to release a stale registration or guide a controlled migration. A new App ID is the last resort because it requires updating the running bot and its channels.