template-discovery
Helps find, inspect, and compare (at a high level) .NET project templates. Resolves natural-language project descriptions to ranked template matches with pre-filled parameters. USE FOR: finding the right dotnet new template for a task, inspecting a template's parameters and constraints, understanding what a template produces before creating a project, resolving intent like "web API with auth" to concrete template + parameters. DO NOT USE FOR: actually creating projects (use template-instantiation), authoring custom templates (use template-authoring), producing a detailed side-by-side compariso
npx skills add dotnet/skills --skill template-discovery --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Template Discovery This skill helps an agent find, inspect, and select the right `dotnet new` template for a given task using `dotnet new` CLI commands for search, listing, and parameter inspection. ## When to Use - User asks "What templates are available for X?" - User describes a project in natural language ("I need a web API with authentication") - User wants to compare templates or understand parameters before creating a project - User needs to know what a template produces (files, structure) before committing ## When Not to Use - User wants to create a project — route to `template-instantiation` skill - User wants to author or validate a custom template — route to `template-authoring` skill - User wants a detailed side-by-side comparison of templates — route to `template-comparison` skill - User wants smart cross-parameter defaults during creation — route to `template-smart-defaults` skill - User is troubleshooting build issues — route to `dotnet-msbuild` plugin > **Answer first, confirm second — required, in this order.** The Step 1 intent → template > and keyword → parameter mappings are a complete answer on their own. **Your first action is > to write** a concrete templat
- When to Use
- When Not to Use
- Inputs
- Workflow
- Step 1: Resolve intent to template candidates
- Step 2: Search for templates
- Step 3: Inspect template details
- Step 4: Preview output
- Step 5: Present findings
- Validation
- Common Pitfalls
- More Info
dotnet new search blazor dotnet new list --language C# --type project dotnet new list web dotnet new webapi --help dotnet new webapi --name MyApi --auth Individual --dry-run dotnet new <template> --name <Name> [--key params]
What does the template-discovery skill do?
Helps find, inspect, and compare (at a high level) .NET project templates. Resolves natural-language project descriptions to ranked template matches with pre-filled parameters. USE FOR: finding the right dotnet new template for a task, inspecting a template's parameters and constraints, understanding what a template produces before creating a project, resolving intent like "web API with auth" to concrete template + parameters. DO NOT USE FOR: actually creating projects (use template-instantiation), authoring custom templates (use template-authoring), producing a detailed side-by-side compariso
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add dotnet/skills --skill template-discovery --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From dotnet/skills, a repository with 4,927 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.