- Why I’m Writing About This
I’m a creature of habit. Not because I resist change – but because I know where everything lives. My toolbox, my navigation, my shortcuts. And then Microsoft redecorates the living room.
The new Microsoft Foundry UI? Honestly: it looks great. Really. Cleaner layout, better structure, modern feel. First time I opened it I thought: „Okay, this makes sense.“
And then I looked for Document Intelligence.
Left navigation – gone. Inside the project context – gone. For a moment I wondered if I’d opened the wrong portal. I hadn’t. The service isn’t gone – it’s just… no longer where it used to be. And that’s the difference that turns a Tuesday morning into a scavenger hunt.
The good news: there are three ways out. Let me show you.
What Is Document Intelligence, Anyway?
Quick context for anyone new to this:
Azure AI Document Intelligence (formerly: Form Recognizer) is the Azure service that extracts structured data from documents – PDFs, forms, invoices, IDs, contracts. AI-powered, accessible via API, with both prebuilt and custom models.
And the best part for getting started: 500 pages per month for free – on the Free Tier (F0). No credit card anxiety for initial testing and proof-of-concepts. That’s not marketing copy, it’s actually true – as long as you select the right pricing tier when creating the service.
Now, back to the actual problem.
The Real Stuff: Three Ways to Reach Document Intelligence in the New Foundry UI
Understanding the Problem
In the old Foundry UI (Azure AI Studio, classic look), AI Services like Document Intelligence were directly linked in the left-hand navigation. You were in your project, you saw the service, you clicked.
The new Foundry design prioritizes the project workflow – models, deployments, evaluations. The classic „AI Services“ as a standalone navigation item has been pushed to the background. Not deleted. Not deprecated. Just… relocated. Without a forwarding address.
Path 1: Re-enable the Old UI – Fast and Pragmatic
Microsoft still lets you (for now) switch between the old and new Foundry interfaces.
How to do it:
- 1. Open ai.azure.com
- 2. Look for a toggle or hint in the top-right area or settings – something like „Switch to classic view“
- 3. Enable the old UI → AI Services reappear in the left navigation, including Document Intelligence
- 4. Open the service, launch the Studio, get to work
Note: The UI toggle is available at the time of writing – Microsoft can remove this option at any point. Don’t rely on it as a long-term solution.
When it makes sense: When you need to test something quickly and have no time for detours.
Path 2: Use the Foundry Hub View – Less Fancy, But Complete
Instead of jumping straight into a project, stay at the Hub level.
How to do it:
How to do it:
- 1. Open ai.azure.com
- 2. Navigate to your Hub – don’t dive into a project
- 3. The Hub-level navigation is broader – AI Services and Document Intelligence reappear here
- 4. Alternatively: look for „All resources“ or „All services“ in the left menu – depending on your current UI state
When it makes sense: When you regularly work with multiple AI Services and don’t want to dig through three menus every time.
Path 3: Go Directly Through the Azure Portal – The Reliable Way
Regardless of how Foundry looks on any given day: Azure is still Azure.
- 1. Open portal.azure.com
- 2. Type „Document Intelligence“ into the top search bar
- 3. Select an existing resource – or create a new one
- 4. Inside the service: click „Go to Document Intelligence Studio“ → lands you directly in the working environment
- 5. When creating a new resource: select tier F0 (Free) for the 500 free pages/month
When it makes sense: Always. This is the most robust path – independent of however many times Microsoft rebuilds the Foundry interface.
Things to Keep in Mind
- ● Free Tier (F0): 500 pages/month for free – but only one F0 instance per Azure subscription
- ● Roles & permissions: You need at least Contributor rights on the subscription or resource group to create the service
- ● Region availability: Document Intelligence isn’t available in every Azure region – check when creating a new resource
- ● Foundry integration: Document Intelligence was integrated in Foundry – the new UI has temporarily broken that direct access. This is a known transition state, not a feature
Practical Check
How you know it’s working:
- ● You can open Document Intelligence Studio and upload a document
- ● The service shows you available models (e.g. „prebuilt-invoice“, „prebuilt-document“)
- ● Analysis runs through and returns a JSON with extracted fields
If it’s not working – check these 3 things:
- ● Resource not found? → Search directly in the Azure Portal, don’t navigate through Foundry
- ● Free Tier not available? → Check if an F0 instance already exists in the subscription (portal.azure.com → Document Intelligence → all resources)
- ● Access denied? → Check your role: Contributor or Cognitive Services Contributor on the Resource Group is required
Wrap-Up
The new Foundry UI is a step in the right direction – no question about it. But during transitions, exactly this happens: services that were previously just one click away disappear behind new navigation structures. Not intentionally, not maliciously – but frustrating when you’re in a hurry.
My clear recommendation: Learn the direct path through the Azure Portal. It works every time, regardless of how often Microsoft redesigns the Foundry interface. The integration will hopefully return – and when it does, it’ll be a great shortcut. But as the only path? Too fragile.
And those 500 free pages? They’re real. Use them for your PoC before worrying about costs.
Espresso moment: The tool isn’t gone – Microsoft just remodeled the kitchen while you were cooking.
QUICK CHECKLIST: Model Selection in Microsoft Foundry
- Use case clearly defined before opening the catalog
- Start with mini models (e.g. GPT-4o mini, Phi-3.5-mini)
- Model description and benchmarks reviewed in the catalog
- Specializations noted (Sora ≠ text model, Deepseek = analytical/technical)
- Token costs compared before deployment
- Data processing location verified (Azure region vs. third country)
- Anthropic models: currently US-based processing – compliance check mandatory
- Model deployed as a test in Foundry project, evaluated, removed if needed
