---
name: azure-storage-blob-java
description: "Build blob storage applications using the Azure Storage Blob SDK for Java."
risk: unknown
source: community
date_added: "2026-02-27"
---

# Azure Storage Blob SDK for Java

Build blob storage applications using the Azure Storage Blob SDK for Java.

## Installation

```xml
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.azure</groupId>
    <artifactId>azure-storage-blob</artifactId>
    <version>12.33.0</version>
</dependency>
```

## Client Creation

### BlobServiceClient

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.BlobServiceClient;
import com.azure.storage.blob.BlobServiceClientBuilder;

// With SAS token
BlobServiceClient serviceClient = new BlobServiceClientBuilder()
    .endpoint("<storage-account-url>")
    .sasToken("<sas-token>")
    .buildClient();

// With connection string
BlobServiceClient serviceClient = new BlobServiceClientBuilder()
    .connectionString("<connection-string>")
    .buildClient();
```

### With DefaultAzureCredential

```java
import com.azure.identity.DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder;

BlobServiceClient serviceClient = new BlobServiceClientBuilder()
    .endpoint("<storage-account-url>")
    .credential(new DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder().build())
    .buildClient();
```

### BlobContainerClient

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.BlobContainerClient;

// From service client
BlobContainerClient containerClient = serviceClient.getBlobContainerClient("mycontainer");

// Direct construction
BlobContainerClient containerClient = new BlobContainerClientBuilder()
    .connectionString("<connection-string>")
    .containerName("mycontainer")
    .buildClient();
```

### BlobClient

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.BlobClient;

// From container client
BlobClient blobClient = containerClient.getBlobClient("myblob.txt");

// With directory structure
BlobClient blobClient = containerClient.getBlobClient("folder/subfolder/myblob.txt");

// Direct construction
BlobClient blobClient = new BlobClientBuilder()
    .connectionString("<connection-string>")
    .containerName("mycontainer")
    .blobName("myblob.txt")
    .buildClient();
```

## Core Patterns

### Create Container

```java
// Create container
serviceClient.createBlobContainer("mycontainer");

// Create if not exists
BlobContainerClient container = serviceClient.createBlobContainerIfNotExists("mycontainer");

// From container client
containerClient.create();
containerClient.createIfNotExists();
```

### Upload Data

```java
import com.azure.core.util.BinaryData;

// Upload string
String data = "Hello, Azure Blob Storage!";
blobClient.upload(BinaryData.fromString(data));

// Upload with overwrite
blobClient.upload(BinaryData.fromString(data), true);
```

### Upload from File

```java
blobClient.uploadFromFile("local-file.txt");

// With overwrite
blobClient.uploadFromFile("local-file.txt", true);
```

### Upload from Stream

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.specialized.BlockBlobClient;

BlockBlobClient blockBlobClient = blobClient.getBlockBlobClient();

try (ByteArrayInputStream dataStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(data.getBytes())) {
    blockBlobClient.upload(dataStream, data.length());
}
```

### Upload with Options

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.BlobHttpHeaders;
import com.azure.storage.blob.options.BlobParallelUploadOptions;

BlobHttpHeaders headers = new BlobHttpHeaders()
    .setContentType("text/plain")
    .setCacheControl("max-age=3600");

Map<String, String> metadata = Map.of("author", "john", "version", "1.0");

try (InputStream stream = new FileInputStream("large-file.bin")) {
    BlobParallelUploadOptions options = new BlobParallelUploadOptions(stream)
        .setHeaders(headers)
        .setMetadata(metadata);
    
    blobClient.uploadWithResponse(options, null, Context.NONE);
}
```

### Upload if Not Exists

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.BlobRequestConditions;

BlobParallelUploadOptions options = new BlobParallelUploadOptions(inputStream, length)
    .setRequestConditions(new BlobRequestConditions().setIfNoneMatch("*"));

blobClient.uploadWithResponse(options, null, Context.NONE);
```

### Download Data

```java
// Download to BinaryData
BinaryData content = blobClient.downloadContent();
String text = content.toString();

// Download to file
blobClient.downloadToFile("downloaded-file.txt");
```

### Download to Stream

```java
try (ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream()) {
    blobClient.downloadStream(outputStream);
    byte[] data = outputStream.toByteArray();
}
```

### Download with InputStream

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.specialized.BlobInputStream;

try (BlobInputStream blobIS = blobClient.openInputStream()) {
    byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
    int bytesRead;
    while ((bytesRead = blobIS.read(buffer)) != -1) {
        // Process buffer
    }
}
```

### Upload via OutputStream

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.specialized.BlobOutputStream;

try (BlobOutputStream blobOS = blobClient.getBlockBlobClient().getBlobOutputStream()) {
    blobOS.write("Data to upload".getBytes());
}
```

### List Blobs

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.BlobItem;

// List all blobs
for (BlobItem blobItem : containerClient.listBlobs()) {
    System.out.println("Blob: " + blobItem.getName());
}

// List with prefix (virtual directory)
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.ListBlobsOptions;

ListBlobsOptions options = new ListBlobsOptions().setPrefix("folder/");
for (BlobItem blobItem : containerClient.listBlobs(options, null)) {
    System.out.println("Blob: " + blobItem.getName());
}
```

### List Blobs by Hierarchy

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.BlobListDetails;

String delimiter = "/";
ListBlobsOptions options = new ListBlobsOptions()
    .setPrefix("data/")
    .setDetails(new BlobListDetails().setRetrieveMetadata(true));

for (BlobItem item : containerClient.listBlobsByHierarchy(delimiter, options, null)) {
    if (item.isPrefix()) {
        System.out.println("Directory: " + item.getName());
    } else {
        System.out.println("Blob: " + item.getName());
    }
}
```

### Delete Blob

```java
blobClient.delete();

// Delete if exists
blobClient.deleteIfExists();

// Delete with snapshots
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.DeleteSnapshotsOptionType;
blobClient.deleteWithResponse(DeleteSnapshotsOptionType.INCLUDE, null, null, Context.NONE);
```

### Copy Blob

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.BlobCopyInfo;
import com.azure.core.util.polling.SyncPoller;

// Async copy (for large blobs or cross-account)
SyncPoller<BlobCopyInfo, Void> poller = blobClient.beginCopy("<source-blob-url>", Duration.ofSeconds(1));
poller.waitForCompletion();

// Sync copy from URL (for same account)
blobClient.copyFromUrl("<source-blob-url>");
```

### Generate SAS Token

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.sas.*;
import java.time.OffsetDateTime;

// Blob-level SAS
BlobSasPermission permissions = new BlobSasPermission().setReadPermission(true);
OffsetDateTime expiry = OffsetDateTime.now().plusDays(1);

BlobServiceSasSignatureValues sasValues = new BlobServiceSasSignatureValues(expiry, permissions);
String sasToken = blobClient.generateSas(sasValues);

// Container-level SAS
BlobContainerSasPermission containerPermissions = new BlobContainerSasPermission()
    .setReadPermission(true)
    .setListPermission(true);
    
BlobServiceSasSignatureValues containerSasValues = new BlobServiceSasSignatureValues(expiry, containerPermissions);
String containerSas = containerClient.generateSas(containerSasValues);
```

### Blob Properties and Metadata

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.BlobProperties;

// Get properties
BlobProperties properties = blobClient.getProperties();
System.out.println("Size: " + properties.getBlobSize());
System.out.println("Content-Type: " + properties.getContentType());
System.out.println("Last Modified: " + properties.getLastModified());

// Set metadata
Map<String, String> metadata = Map.of("key1", "value1", "key2", "value2");
blobClient.setMetadata(metadata);

// Set HTTP headers
BlobHttpHeaders headers = new BlobHttpHeaders()
    .setContentType("application/json")
    .setCacheControl("max-age=86400");
blobClient.setHttpHeaders(headers);
```

### Lease Blob

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.specialized.BlobLeaseClient;
import com.azure.storage.blob.specialized.BlobLeaseClientBuilder;

BlobLeaseClient leaseClient = new BlobLeaseClientBuilder()
    .blobClient(blobClient)
    .buildClient();

// Acquire lease (-1 for infinite)
String leaseId = leaseClient.acquireLease(60);

// Renew lease
leaseClient.renewLease();

// Release lease
leaseClient.releaseLease();
```

## Error Handling

```java
import com.azure.storage.blob.models.BlobStorageException;

try {
    blobClient.download(outputStream);
} catch (BlobStorageException e) {
    System.out.println("Status: " + e.getStatusCode());
    System.out.println("Error code: " + e.getErrorCode());
    // 404 = Blob not found
    // 409 = Conflict (lease, etc.)
}
```

## Proxy Configuration

```java
import com.azure.core.http.ProxyOptions;
import com.azure.core.http.netty.NettyAsyncHttpClientBuilder;
import java.net.InetSocketAddress;

ProxyOptions proxyOptions = new ProxyOptions(
    ProxyOptions.Type.HTTP,
    new InetSocketAddress("localhost", 8888));

BlobServiceClient client = new BlobServiceClientBuilder()
    .endpoint("<endpoint>")
    .sasToken("<sas-token>")
    .httpClient(new NettyAsyncHttpClientBuilder().proxy(proxyOptions).build())
    .buildClient();
```

## Environment Variables

```bash
AZURE_STORAGE_CONNECTION_STRING=DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=...
AZURE_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_URL=https://<account>.blob.core.windows.net
```

## Trigger Phrases

- "Azure Blob Storage Java"
- "upload download blob"
- "blob container SDK"
- "storage streaming"
- "SAS token generation"
- "blob metadata properties"

## When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

## Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
