The solid complexes of Mn2+, FE3+, Co2+, Ni2+and Cu2+with six azo compounds based on 8-arylazo-6,7-dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin have been synthesized and characterizd by elemental and thermal analysis, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductance as well as IR spectroscopy, where it is found that metal ions are surrounded by coordinated water molecules and one ligand molecule bonded in a bidentate O and N fashion in the case of ligand 1 and in tridentate ONO fashion in the case of all the remaining ligands forming a coordination number of six in all cases. The potentiality of the prepared azo componds as new chromophoric reagents for the spectrophotometric determination of the metal ions is studied by extensive investigation of the optimum conditions favouring the formation of coloured complexes in solution.