Skip to main content

​
aspire add

Add a hosting integration to the AppHost.

​
Usage

aspire add [integration] [options]
aspire add [options]  # Interactive integration selection

​
Description

The aspire add command adds NuGet packages for Aspire hosting integrations to your AppHost project. Integrations provide pre-configured resources like databases, message queues, caching, and cloud services.

​
What it Does

  1. Searches for integrations - Queries NuGet feeds for available Aspire hosting packages
  2. Prompts for selection - Shows available integrations and versions
  3. Stops running instances - Automatically stops any running AppHost to avoid file locks
  4. Adds the package - Runs dotnet add package to install the integration
  5. Confirms success - Displays the installed package and version
After adding an integration, you’ll need to update your Program.cs to use it.

​
Arguments

​
integration
string
The name of the integration to add (e.g., redis, postgres, rabbitmq)Example: aspire add redisIf not specified, you’ll be prompted to select from available integrations.Supports fuzzy matching: aspire add pg will find PostgreSQL integrations.

​
Options

​
--apphost
string
The path to the Aspire AppHost project fileExample: --apphost ./src/MyApp.AppHost/MyApp.AppHost.csprojIf not specified, the CLI searches for an AppHost project in the current directory and parent directories.
​
--version
string
The version of the integration to addExample: --version 10.0.0If not specified, you’ll be prompted to select from available versions.
​
--source
string
The NuGet source to use for the integrationExample: --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

​
Examples

​
Add Redis

aspire add redis
Output: 
✓ Searching for Aspire integrations...
✓ Adding Aspire hosting integration...
✓ The package Aspire.Hosting.Redis::10.0.0 was added successfully.
After adding, update your Program.cs: 
var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

var redis = builder.AddRedis("cache");

var api = builder.AddProject<Projects.MyApi>("api")
    .WithReference(redis);

builder.Build().Run();

​
Add with interactive selection

aspire add
You’ll see a list of available integrations: 
Select an integration to add:
  > redis (Aspire.Hosting.Redis)
    postgres (Aspire.Hosting.PostgreSQL)
    rabbitmq (Aspire.Hosting.RabbitMQ)
    sql-server (Aspire.Hosting.SqlServer)
    mongodb (Aspire.Hosting.MongoDB)
    ...

​
Add PostgreSQL

aspire add postgres
Then use it: 
var postgres = builder.AddPostgres("postgres")
    .AddDatabase("mydb");

var api = builder.AddProject<Projects.MyApi>("api")
    .WithReference(postgres);

aspire add rabbit
This finds and selects Aspire.Hosting.RabbitMQ.

​
Add a specific version

aspire add redis --version 10.0.0-preview.1.25067.1

​
Add from a custom source

aspire add redis --source https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/dnceng/public/_packaging/dotnet10/nuget/v3/index.json

​
Available Integrations

​
Databases

  • postgres - PostgreSQL database (Aspire.Hosting.PostgreSQL)
  • sql-server - SQL Server database (Aspire.Hosting.SqlServer)
  • mysql - MySQL database (Aspire.Hosting.MySql)
  • mongodb - MongoDB database (Aspire.Hosting.MongoDB)
  • oracle - Oracle database (Aspire.Hosting.Oracle)

​
Caching & State

  • redis - Redis cache and pub/sub (Aspire.Hosting.Redis)
  • garnet - Garnet cache (Aspire.Hosting.Garnet)
  • valkey - Valkey cache (Aspire.Hosting.Valkey)

​
Messaging

  • rabbitmq - RabbitMQ message broker (Aspire.Hosting.RabbitMQ)
  • kafka - Apache Kafka (Aspire.Hosting.Kafka)
  • nats - NATS messaging (Aspire.Hosting.Nats)

​
Azure Services

  • azure-storage - Azure Storage (Blobs, Queues, Tables) (Aspire.Hosting.Azure.Storage)
  • azure-cosmos-db - Azure Cosmos DB (Aspire.Hosting.Azure.CosmosDB)
  • azure-service-bus - Azure Service Bus (Aspire.Hosting.Azure.ServiceBus)
  • azure-key-vault - Azure Key Vault (Aspire.Hosting.Azure.KeyVault)
  • azure-event-hubs - Azure Event Hubs (Aspire.Hosting.Azure.EventHubs)

​
Observability

  • seq - Seq structured logging (Aspire.Hosting.Seq)
  • elastic - Elasticsearch (Aspire.Hosting.Elasticsearch)

​
Other Services

  • milvus - Milvus vector database (Aspire.Hosting.Milvus)
  • qdrant - Qdrant vector database (Aspire.Hosting.Qdrant)
For a complete list, run aspire add and browse the interactive list.

​
Integration Naming

Package names are converted to friendly short names:
  • Aspire.Hosting.Redis → redis
  • Aspire.Hosting.PostgreSQL → postgresql
  • Aspire.Hosting.Azure.Storage → azure-storage
Both the friendly name and full package ID are accepted: 
aspire add redis
aspire add Aspire.Hosting.Redis  # Same result

​
Version Selection

When multiple versions are available, you’ll be prompted: 
Select a version of Aspire.Hosting.Redis:
  > 10.0.0 (nuget.org)
    10.0.0-preview.1.25067.1 (nuget.org)
    daily
  • Stable versions are listed first
  • Preview versions are shown with their full version numbers
  • Daily channel provides the latest daily builds

​
Channels

Integrations can come from different channels:
  • stable - Released versions from nuget.org
  • daily - Daily builds from dotnet-public feed
  • staging - Staging builds (when enabled)
Set a default channel: 
aspire config set channel daily
aspire add redis  # Uses daily channel

​
Community Integrations

Community-contributed integrations are prioritized in the list for discoverability. These packages start with CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.*.

​
Running Instance Detection

Before adding a package, the CLI:
  1. Detects any running instances of your AppHost
  2. Stops them automatically to avoid file locks
  3. Displays a message confirming the stop
This prevents dotnet add package from failing due to locked project files.

​
After Adding an Integration

After running aspire add, you need to:
  1. Update Program.cs - Add the resource to your AppHost
  2. Add references - Wire up the integration to your services
  3. Run the AppHost - Test the integration
Example workflow: 
aspire add redis
Edit Program.cs: 
var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

var redis = builder.AddRedis("cache");

var api = builder.AddProject<Projects.MyApi>("api")
    .WithReference(redis);

builder.Build().Run();
Run: 
aspire run

​
Removing Integrations

To remove an integration: 
dotnet remove package Aspire.Hosting.Redis
And remove references from Program.cs.

​
See Also

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us