Aspire Reference
The tools you need, at your fingertips.
From the interactive CLI to the full API surface — everything you need to build, run, and deploy Aspire applications is documented here.
The Aspire CLI
Section titled “The Aspire CLI”The aspire CLI is a cross-platform, interactive-first tool that manages the full lifecycle of your distributed applications — from scaffolding to deployment.
Create, run, and deploy from one tool.
The aspire CLI scaffolds projects from templates, orchestrates multi-service apps, publishes deployment artifacts, and deploys to cloud environments — all with a single, intuitive command-line experience.
Core commands
Section titled “Core commands”Every aspire command is designed to be discoverable and interactive. Pass --help to any command for inline documentation.
aspire new
Scaffold a new Aspire project from a rich library of templates. Interactive prompts guide you through every option.
Learn moreaspire run
Start your entire distributed application locally. The dashboard launches automatically for real-time monitoring.
Learn moreaspire publish
Generate deployment artifacts — Docker Compose, Kubernetes manifests, Bicep, and more — with parameterized secrets.
Learn moreaspire deploy
Resolve parameters and execute a deployment to your target environment. Works with Azure, Docker, and custom integrations.
Learn moreaspire init
Add Aspire orchestration to any existing .NET solution. Adds the AppHost project and wires up service defaults.
Learn moreaspire doctor
Diagnose your development environment. Checks for .NET SDK, container runtime, and other prerequisites.
Learn moreMore commands
Section titled “More commands”aspire add
Add integrations and resources to your AppHost project interactively.
Learn moreaspire ps
List all running Aspire processes and their status.
Learn moreaspire stop
Gracefully stop a running Aspire application.
Learn moreaspire exec
Execute a command in the context of a running Aspire resource.
Learn moreaspire config
Get, set, list, and manage CLI configuration values.
Learn moreaspire agent
Initialize and configure AI agent support, including the MCP server.
Learn moreAPI reference
Section titled “API reference”Search C# APIs
A searchable interface to explore all Aspire C# APIs, types, and members across every Aspire package. Find exactly the type or method you need.
Search C# APIsSearch TypeScript APIs
Explore the full TypeScript API surface for Aspire — from core SDK types to CLI configuration interfaces. Searchable and cross-referenced for easy discovery.
Search TypeScript APIsCLI configuration
Customize CLI behavior, default templates, telemetry, and more with per-user and per-project configuration.
View config optionsInstall script reference
Detailed reference for the cross-platform Aspire CLI install script — options, parameters, and automation scenarios.
Script referenceSamples
Section titled “Samples”Explore fully functional sample projects that demonstrate real-world patterns and best practices with Aspire — from e-commerce apps with databases and caching, to multi-language integrations with JavaScript and Python, to cloud deployments with Azure Functions.
Diagnostics
Section titled “Diagnostics”Every diagnostic Aspire emits falls into one of two categories. Both help you catch issues early — before they become runtime problems.
Warnings
Non-blocking issues that flag potential problems — unsupported languages, experimental APIs, and configuration suggestions that keep your project on the right track.
Learn moreErrors
Blocking issues that must be resolved — missing SDK references, invalid resource names, and API usage violations that prevent your app from building correctly.
Learn more