/onboarding

name: cloud-onboarding
description: >
  Onboard an Elastic Cloud organization: configure the `elastic` CLI's Cloud context
  and API key, establish a default region, then invite users, assign predefined or
  custom Serverless project roles, and create or revoke Cloud API keys. Use when setting
  up Cloud authentication or when granting, modifying, or auditing user access to
  an organization and its projects.
compatibility: >
  Requires the `elastic` CLI (>= 0.2) with `cloud` support and network access to the
  Elastic Cloud API (api.elastic-cloud.com). Custom-role operations additionally need
  an Elasticsearch context on the target Serverless project with `manage_security`.
  Targets the Elastic Cloud control plane; not applicable to self-managed clusters.
metadata:
  author: elastic
  version: 0.3.0
  universal: true

Cloud Onboarding

Stand up access to an Elastic Cloud organization end to end: configure the `elastic` CLI so it can operate the control plane, then manage identity and access — invite users, assign predefined or custom roles to Serverless projects, and manage Cloud API keys. For creating and operating projects and deployments, use the **cloud-provisioning** skill.

Environment Configuration

This skill configures the `elastic` CLI itself, so its setup lives here rather than being assumed. If the [`elastic` CLI](https://github.com/elastic/cli#configuration) is not installed, tell the user what it is needed for.

Cloud control-plane access is authenticated by an **Elastic Cloud API key** (organization scope), stored in a CLI **context**. Register it without ever having the user paste the secret into the chat:

• Only **Organization owners** can create Cloud API keys. Direct the user to generate one at

[Elastic Cloud API keys](https://cloud.elastic.co/account/keys) with **Project Admin** privileges or higher so it can manage serverless projects.

• If the user has no Elastic Cloud account, propose the free

[Elastic Cloud trial](https://cloud.elastic.co/registration) (14 days, no credit card). Once registered, continue with key generation.

• Add the key to a context (the secret is stored in the OS keychain, not echoed):

`elastic config context add cloud --cloud-url https://api.elastic-cloud.com --cloud-api-key <KEY>`, then make it active with `elastic config current-context set cloud`.

Do not guess credentials, bypass the CLI to call the HTTP API directly, or ask the user to reveal the key. This skill references control-plane operations in HTTP-shorthand form with the `cloud:` prefix (for example, `GET cloud:/api/v1/organizations`); the [Operations](#operations) table maps each to the equivalent `elastic cloud` command.

For detailed API schemas (role assignments, Cloud API keys, custom roles), see [references/api-reference.md](references/api-reference.md). For Elasticsearch-level role management beyond Cloud roles (native users, role mappings, DLS/FLS) see **elasticsearch-authz**.

Jobs to be done

• Configure and validate a Cloud context; establish a default region for later project creation
• Invite a user and assign a Serverless project role; list members and their roles; update or remove access
• Create, list, and revoke Cloud API keys, optionally with Elasticsearch/Kibana API access on projects
• Create a custom role in a Serverless project and assign it via the Cloud API's `application_roles`
• Translate a natural-language access request into invite, role, and API key tasks

Process: validate the environment

1. **Validate the Cloud context.** Confirm the active context can reach the control plane by calling `GET cloud:/api/v1/organizations`. A successful response lists the organizations the key belongs to and yields the organization ID other steps need. If it returns an authentication error, the context is missing or the key is invalid or expired — return to [Environment Configuration](#environment-configuration) and register a valid key. Do not proceed until validation succeeds, and never ask the user for the organization ID — discover it here.

2. **Establish a default region (optional).** When the user plans to create projects, list the available regions with `GET cloud:/api/v1/serverless/regions` and confirm a default. Default to `gcp-us-central1` unless the user requests otherwise; only regions with `project_creation_enabled: true` accept new projects. Region choice is permanent per project, so surface it early.

Permissions

This skill does not pre-check roles; it attempts the operation and lets the API enforce authorization. On a `403`, stop and ask the user to verify the API key's permissions.

| Operation | Required permission | | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | Invite / remove members | Organization owner (`organization-admin`) | | Assign or remove roles | Organization owner (`organization-admin`) | | Create / revoke Cloud API keys | Organization owner (`organization-admin`) | | List members, invitations, or keys | Any organization member | | Create / delete custom roles | `manage_security` cluster privilege on the project ES endpoint |

Predefined roles

Prefer predefined roles; only create a custom role when they lack the required granularity.

**Organization:** `organization-admin` (full admin), `billing-admin` (billing only).

**Serverless project roles** (assign at invitation or via role-assignment update):

| Role | `role_id` | Available on | | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | | Admin | `admin` | Search, Obs,