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dotnet package add
This article applies to: ✔️ .NET 6 SDK and later versions
NAME
dotnet-package-add - Adds or updates a package reference in a project file.
If you’re using .NET 9 SDK or earlier, use the “verb first” form (dotnet-add-package) instead.
The “noun first” form was introduced in .NET 10. For more information, see More consistent com‐
mand order.
SYNOPSIS
dotnet package add <PACKAGE_NAME>
[-f|--framework <FRAMEWORK>] [--interactive] [--project <PROJECT>]
[-n|--no-restore] [--package-directory <PACKAGE_DIRECTORY>]
[--prerelease] [-s|--source <SOURCE>] [-v|--version <VERSION>]
dotnet package add -h|--help
DESCRIPTION
The dotnet package add command provides a convenient option to add or update a package reference in a
project file. When you run the command, there’s a compatibility check to ensure the package is compati‐
ble with the frameworks in the project. If the check passes and the package isn’t referenced in the
project file, a <PackageReference> element is added to the project file. If the check passes and the
package is already referenced in the project file, the <PackageReference> element is updated to the lat‐
est compatible version. After the project file is updated, dotnet restore is run.
For example, adding Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore to ToDo.csproj produces output similar to the following
example:
Determining projects to restore...
Writing C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp24A8.tmp
info : Adding PackageReference for package 'Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore' into project 'C:\ToDo\ToDo.csproj'.
info : CACHE https://api.nuget.org/v3/registration5-gz-semver2/microsoft.entityframeworkcore/index.json
info : GET https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/dnceng/9ee6d478-d288-47f7-aacc-f6e6d082ae6d/_packaging/516521bf-6417-457e-9a9c-0a4bdfde03e7/nuget/v3/registrations2-semver2/microsoft.entityframeworkcore/index.json
info : CACHE https://api.nuget.org/v3/registration5-gz-semver2/microsoft.entityframeworkcore/page/0.0.1-alpha/3.1.3.json
info : CACHE https://api.nuget.org/v3/registration5-gz-semver2/microsoft.entityframeworkcore/page/3.1.4/7.0.0-preview.2.22153.1.json
info : CACHE https://api.nuget.org/v3/registration5-gz-semver2/microsoft.entityframeworkcore/page/7.0.0-preview.3.22175.1/7.0.0-preview.3.22175.1.json
info : NotFound https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/dnceng/9ee6d478-d288-47f7-aacc-f6e6d082ae6d/_packaging/516521bf-6417-457e-9a9c-0a4bdfde03e7/nuget/v3/registrations2-semver2/microsoft.entityframeworkcore/index.json 257ms
info : Restoring packages for C:\ToDo\ToDo.csproj...
info : Package 'Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore' is compatible with all the specified frameworks in project 'C:\ToDo\ToDo.csproj'.
info : PackageReference for package 'Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore' version '6.0.4' added to file 'C:\ToDo\ToDo.csproj'.
info : Writing assets file to disk. Path: C:\ToDo\obj\project.assets.json
log : Restored C:\ToDo\ToDo.csproj (in 171 ms).
The ToDo.csproj file now contains a <PackageReference> element for the referenced package.
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="6.0.4" />
If the project is onboarded onto Central Package Management (CPM) (https://devblogs.mi‐
crosoft.com/nuget/introducing-central-package-management/) the <PackageVersion> element in the Directo‐
ry.Packages.props file is added/updated and the <PackageReference> element is added to the project file.
The following scenarios are currently supported. These examples assume that the latest version of Mi‐
crosoft.EntityFrameworkCore is 6.0.4. Additional scenarios related to CPM are documented in this design
spec (https://github.com/NuGet/Home/pull/11915).
Scenario 1: <PackageReference> does not exist in the project file, <PackageVersion> element does not ex‐
ist in the Directory.Packages.props file, and the version argument is not passed from the commandline.
CLI command that is executed: dotnet package add Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore --project ToDo.csproj
The <PackageVersion> element is added to the Directory.Packages.props file.
<PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="6.0.4" />
The <PackageReference> element is added to the project file.
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" />
Scenario 2: <PackageReference> does not exist in the project file, <PackageVersion> element does not ex‐
ist in the Directory.Packages.props file, and the version argument is passed from the commandline.
CLI command that is executed: dotnet package add Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore --version 5.0.4 --project
ToDo.csproj
The <PackageVersion> element is added to the Directory.Packages.props file.
<PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="5.0.4" />
The <PackageReference> element is added to the project file.
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" />
Scenario 3: <PackageReference> does not exist in the project file, <PackageVersion> element does exist in
the Directory.Packages.props file, and the version argument is not passed from the commandline.
CLI command that is executed: dotnet package add Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore --project ToDo.csproj
The <PackageVersion> element is added to the Directory.Packages.props file.
<PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="6.0.4" />
The <PackageReference> element is added to the project file.
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" />
Scenario 4: <PackageReference> does not exist in the project file, <PackageVersion> element does exist in
the Directory.Packages.props file, and the version argument is passed from the commandline.
CLI command that is executed: dotnet package add Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore --version 5.0.4 --project
ToDo.csproj
The <PackageVersion> element is added to the Directory.Packages.props file.
<PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="5.0.4" />
The <PackageReference> element is added to the project file.
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" />
Implicit restore
You don’t have to run dotnet restore because it’s run implicitly by all commands that require a restore
to occur, such as dotnet new, dotnet build, dotnet run, dotnet test, dotnet publish, and dotnet pack. To
disable implicit restore, use the --no-restore option.
The dotnet restore command is still useful in certain scenarios where explicitly restoring makes sense,
such as continuous integration builds in Azure DevOps Services or in build systems that need to explicit‐
ly control when the restore occurs.
For information about how to manage NuGet feeds, see the dotnet restore documentation.
ARGUMENTS
• PROJECT
Specifies the project file. If not specified, the command searches the current directory for one.
• PACKAGE_NAME
The package reference to add.
OPTIONS
• -f|--framework <FRAMEWORK>
Adds a package reference only when targeting a specific framework.
• -?|-h|--help
Prints out a description of how to use the command.
• --interactive
Allows the command to stop and wait for user input or action. For example, to complete authentication.
• -n|--no-restore
Adds a package reference without performing a restore preview and compatibility check.
• --package-directory <PACKAGE_DIRECTORY>
The directory where to restore the packages. The default package restore location is %userpro‐
file%\.nuget\packages on Windows and ~/.nuget/packages on macOS and Linux. For more information, see
Managing the global packages, cache, and temp folders in NuGet.
• --prerelease
Allows prerelease packages to be installed.
• -s|--source <SOURCE>
The URI of the NuGet package source to use during the restore operation.
• -v|--version <VERSION>
Version of the package. See NuGet package versioning.
EXAMPLES
• Add Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore NuGet package to a project:
dotnet package add Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
• Add a specific version of a package to a project:
dotnet package add Microsoft.Azure.DocumentDB.Core -v 1.0.0 --project ToDo.csproj
• Add a package using a specific NuGet source:
dotnet package add Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles -s https://dotnet.myget.org/F/dotnet-core/api/v3/index.json
SEE ALSO
• Managing the global packages, cache, and temp folders in NuGet
• NuGet package versioning
2025-10-30 dotnet-package-add(1)