nuget-manager

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Manage NuGet packages in .NET projects/solutions. Use this skill when adding, removing, or updating NuGet package versions. It enforces using `dotnet` CLI for package management and provides strict procedures for direct file edits only when updating versions.

7.6kinstalls

Sourcegithub/awesome-copilot

Added on2026-02-04

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add github/awesome-copilot nuget-manager

SKILL.md Content

View Translation Comparison →

NuGet Manager

Overview

This skill ensures consistent and safe management of NuGet packages across .NET projects. It prioritizes using the

dotnet

CLI to maintain project integrity and enforces a strict verification and restoration workflow for version updates.

Prerequisites

.NET SDK installed (typically .NET 8.0 SDK or later, or a version compatible with the target solution).
```
dotnet
```
CLI available on your
```
PATH
```
.
```
jq
```
(JSON processor) OR PowerShell (for version verification using
```
dotnet package search
```
).

Core Rules

NEVER directly edit

.csproj

,

.props

, or

Directory.Packages.props

files to add or remove packages. Always use

dotnet add package

and

dotnet remove package

commands.

DIRECT EDITING is ONLY permitted for changing versions of existing packages.
VERSION UPDATES must follow the mandatory workflow:
- Verify the target version exists on NuGet.
- Determine if versions are managed per-project (
```
.csproj
```
  ) or centrally (
```
Directory.Packages.props
```
  ).
- Update the version string in the appropriate file.
- Immediately run
```
dotnet restore
```
  to verify compatibility.

Workflows

Adding a Package

Use

dotnet add [<PROJECT>] package <PACKAGE_NAME> [--version <VERSION>]

. Example:

dotnet add src/MyProject/MyProject.csproj package Newtonsoft.Json

Removing a Package

Use

dotnet remove [<PROJECT>] package <PACKAGE_NAME>

. Example:

dotnet remove src/MyProject/MyProject.csproj package Newtonsoft.Json

Updating Package Versions

When updating a version, follow these steps:

Verify Version Existence: Check if the version exists using the

dotnet package search

command with exact match and JSON formatting. Using

jq

:

dotnet package search <PACKAGE_NAME> --exact-match --format json | jq -e '.searchResult[].packages[] | select(.version == "<VERSION>")'

Using PowerShell:

(dotnet package search <PACKAGE_NAME> --exact-match --format json | ConvertFrom-Json).searchResult.packages | Where-Object { $_.version -eq "<VERSION>" }

Determine Version Management:

Search for

Directory.Packages.props

in the solution root. If present, versions should be managed there via

<PackageVersion Include="Package.Name" Version="1.2.3" />

.

If absent, check individual

.csproj

files for

<PackageReference Include="Package.Name" Version="1.2.3" />

.

Apply Changes: Modify the identified file with the new version string.
Verify Stability: Run
```
dotnet restore
```
on the project or solution. If errors occur, revert the change and investigate.

Examples

User: "Add Serilog to the WebApi project"

Action: Execute

dotnet add src/WebApi/WebApi.csproj package Serilog

.

User: "Update Newtonsoft.Json to 13.0.3 in the whole solution"

Action:

Verify 13.0.3 exists:
```
dotnet package search Newtonsoft.Json --exact-match --format json
```
(and parse output to confirm "13.0.3" is present).
Find where it's defined (e.g.,
```
Directory.Packages.props
```
).
Edit the file to update the version.
Run
```
dotnet restore
```
.