Using and using none statements

A using or a using none declaration must be present in all Bicep parameters files.

A Bicep parameter file typically uses a using statement to tie the file to a Bicep file, a JSON Azure Resource Manager template (ARM template), a Bicep module, or a template spec. This linkage allows the Bicep language server and compiler to validate the parameter file—checking for correct names, types, and required values based on the template’s inputs.

In contrast, the using none statement explicitly indicates that the parameter file isn't tied to any particular template at compile time. This means the parameters aren't validated against a specific template and are instead intended for more general use—such as being consumed by external tools or serving as shared, reusable parameter sets.

The using statement

The syntax of the using statement:

• To use Bicep files:

  using '<path>/<file-name>.bicep'
  

• To use JSON ARM templates:

  using '<path>/<file-name>.json'
  

• To use public modules:

  using 'br/public:<file-path>:<tag>'
  

  For example:

  using 'br/public:avm/res/storage/storage-account:0.9.0' 
  
  param name = 'mystorage'
  

• To use private modules:

  using 'br:<acr-name>.azurecr.io/bicep/<file-path>:<tag>'
  

  For example:

  using 'br:myacr.azurecr.io/bicep/modules/storage:v1'
  

  To use a private module with an alias defined in a bicepconfig.json file:

  using 'br/<alias>:<file>:<tag>'
  

  For example:

  using 'br/storageModule:storage:v1'
  

• To use template specs:

  using 'ts:<subscription-id>/<resource-group-name>/<template-spec-name>:<tag>
  

  For example:

  using 'ts:00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000/myResourceGroup/storageSpec:1.0'
  

  To use a template spec with an alias defined in a bicepconfig.json file:

  using 'ts/<alias>:<template-spec-name>:<tag>'
  

  For example:

  using 'ts/myStorage:storageSpec:1.0'
  

The using none statement

The using none statement in a Bicep parameters file (.bicepparam) indicates that the file isn't tied to a specific Bicep template during authoring or compilation. This decouples the parameter file from a particular template, enabling greater flexibility in how parameters are defined and used across deployments.

The syntax of the using none statement:

using none

This statement is placed at the beginning of a Bicep parameters file to signal that no specific template is referenced.

The primary benefit of using none in Bicep lies in scenarios where parameter files are generalized, shared, or dynamically integrated with templates. Common use cases include:

• Centralized Parameter Repositories

  Organizations often maintain standard parameter values—such as default regions, naming conventions, or global tags—used across multiple Bicep deployments. A Bicep parameters file with using none can act as a central store for these shared values, improving consistency and minimizing duplication. These parameters can then be programmatically merged with template-specific values at deployment time.

  For example, a shared Bicep parameters file might define:

  using none
  
  param location = 'westus2'
  param environmentTag = 'production'
  param projectName = 'myApp'
  

• Dynamic Generation and Runtime Integration

  In CI/CD pipelines or automation scripts, parameter files may be created on-the-fly or associated with templates at runtime. By omitting a fixed template reference, using none allows these files to remain flexible and adaptable to different deployment contexts.

When using none is specified in a Bicep parameter file, the compiler doesn't validate the parameters against a specific Bicep template, meaning no compile-time warnings or errors are raised for mismatched names or types due to the absence of a linked template. However, this decoupling applies only during authoring and compilation—at deployment time, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) still requires both a Bicep template and a parameter file. The ARM engine performs validation during deployment by resolving the parameters in the file against those defined in the target template.

Next steps

• Learn about Bicep parameters files in Create parameters files for Bicep deployment.
• Learn about configuring aliases in bicepconfig.json files in Configure your Bicep environment.