Managed workspaces in Application Insights

Azure Monitor Application Insights requires a connection to a Log Analytics workspace to store and analyze telemetry data. To simplify deployment, Application Insights automatically creates a managed workspace when you don't specify one during resource creation.

What is a managed workspace?

A managed workspace is a Log Analytics workspace that Application Insights creates and manages on your behalf. This workspace is used exclusively by the Application Insights resource that created it.

If you create an Application Insights resource without specifying a Log Analytics workspace, Azure automatically creates a managed workspace. If you attempt to create a classic Application Insights resource, Azure instead creates a workspace-based version that uses a managed workspace.

What happens during managed workspace creation?

When Azure creates a managed workspace during Application Insights deployment, the following actions occur:

  • It creates the Application Insights resource in the specified subscription and resource group.
  • It creates a Log Analytics workspace and links it to the Application Insights resource.
  • It creates a new resource group and places the managed workspace in that group.

Limitations

Managed workspaces have the following limitations:

  • Support only the Application Insights resource that created them. A managed workspace can't be used for diagnostic settings, custom logs, or another Application Insights instance.
  • Changes to workspace settings, such as quotas, are allowed, but the workspace can't be repurposed for other uses.
  • Deletion of the connected Application Insights resource is required to remove managed workspaces. To keep the Application Insights resource, connect it to a different workspace and then delete the managed workspaces.

Identify managed workspaces

Managed workspaces created by Application Insights follow specific naming conventions.

managed workspace groups

  • Name: ai_<APPINSIGHTS RESOURCE NAME>_<APPINSIGHTS RESOURCE ID>_managed
  • Managed by: The associated Application Insights resource

Managed Log Analytics workspaces

  • Name: managed-<APPINSIGHTS RESOURCE NAME>-ws

You can identify the managing resource by checking the Managed By property in the Azure portal.

Automatically migrated classic resources

Beginning in April 2025, classic Application Insights resources are automatically migrated to workspace-based resources. As part of the migration:

  • The classic Application Insights resource is converted to a workspace-based resource.
  • A managed Log Analytics workspace is created and linked to the migrated resource.
  • The workspace is placed in a new resource group. This new group doesn't inherit access permissions from the Application Insights resource’s group. However, users with appropriate permissions can still query telemetry data through the Application Insights resource, due to resource-centric access control.

Important

Each migrated classic resource receives its own managed workspace. To prevent this scenario, migrate your classic resources manually.

Limitations of automatic migration

Warning

Classic Application Insights resources that aren't migrated by April 24, 2025, will be disabled, and can't ingest new data. To reenable a resource, convert it to a workspace-based Application Insights resource.

Some classic Application Insights resources can't be migrated until you take other actions. These scenarios include:

  • Using Unicode or non-UTF-8 characters in the resource name.
  • Restricting Log Analytics workspace creation in the subscription.
  • Enforcing policies that prevent new resource creation in the subscription.

To prevent service interruptions, resolve these issues and manually migrate classic Application Insights resources.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to update scripts or automation that reference classic resources?

No. Existing ARM templates and API calls continue to work. When you attempt to create a classic resource, a workspace-based resource with a managed workspace is created instead.

Am I notified before my resource is migrated?

No. Notification for individual resource migrations isn't available. To control when and how your resources are migrated, use manual migration.

How long does the migration process take?

Individual migrations usually complete in less than two minutes. The full rollout takes place over several weeks across all regions.

How can I tell if a resource is migrated?

After migration, the resource links to a Log Analytics workspace on the Overview page. The classic retirement notice is removed, and the retirements workbook no longer lists the resource.

Will my billing change after migration?

Costs typically remain similar. Workspace-based Application Insights enables cost-saving features and we recommend reviewing pricing plans.

If you're on a legacy billing model, review the pricing documentation for details.

Do I lose alerts or availability tests during migration?

No. All alerts, dashboards, and availability tests remain intact and continue to function after migration.

Next steps