YuliiaKovalova/dotnet-template-mcp

An MCP server that lets AI agents work with dotnet new templates — search, inspect, preview, and create projects through natural conversation instead of memorizing CLI flags.
Instead of this:
Your AI agent just says: *"I need a web API with authentication and controllers"* — and the MCP server figures out the rest.
Template Validation for Authors
Building a custom dotnet new template? template_validate catches mistakes **before** you publish — no more guessing if your template.json is correct:
**What it catches:** missing required fields, invalid identity format, short name conflicts with CLI commands, parameter issues (missing defaults, empty choices, prefix collisions, type mismatches), broken computed symbols, constraint misconfiguration, and missing tags.
**How this relates to the official tooling.** Microsoft ships template authoring validation already, and you should know about it:
| Official tool | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Microsoft.TemplateEngine.Authoring.CLI | dotnet template-authoring validate — the reference validator |
| Microsoft.TemplateEngine.Authoring.Tasks | Validation at build time, as an MSBuild task |
| Microsoft.TemplateEngine.Authoring.TemplateVerifier | Snapshot testing of template output |
What template_validate adds is **not** the validation itself — it is the delivery: a single structured JSON payload, split into errors/warnings/suggestions with fix-oriented messages, returned in-band to an agent that is already editing the template. No install step, no output parsing, no second tool in the loop. If you are a human authoring templates in CI, prefer the official tools above; they are the reference implementation and cover cases this does not.
Tools
| Tool | What it does |
|------|-------------|
| template_search | Search locally **and** on NuGet.org — one call, ranked results |
| template_list | List what's installed, filter by language/type/classification |
| template_inspect | Parameters, constraints, post-actions — all in one shot |
| template_instantiate | Create a project. Not installed? Auto-resolves from NuGet. Elicits missing params interactively |
| template_dry_run | Preview files without touching disk |
| template_install | Install a package (idempotent — skips if already there) |
| template_uninstall | Remove a template package |
| templates_installed | Inventory of everything installed |
| template_from_intent | *"web API with auth"* → webapi + auth=Individual — no LLM needed |
| template_create_from_existing | Analyze a .csproj → generate a reusable template matching repo conventions |
| template_compose | Execute a sequence of templates (project + items) in one workflow |
| template_suggest_parameters | Suggest parameter values with rationale based on cross-parameter relationships |
| template_validate | Validate a local template directory for authoring issues before publishing |
| template_compare | Compare 2+ templates side by side — parameters, features, frameworks |
| solution_analyze | Analyze a solution/workspace — project structure, frameworks, CPM status |
| packages_upgrade | Scan a project/solution/folder for outdated NuGet versions and report or apply upgrades (CPM-aware) |
📖 Full tool reference →
Hosted deployment
A hosted deployment is available on Fronteir AI.
Quick Start
Global tool (.NET 8+)
Zero-install with dnx (.NET 10+)
VS Code / GitHub Copilot
Add to mcp.json:
📖 Claude Desktop, Cursor, and more →