aspire
Aspire skill covering the Aspire CLI, AppHost orchestration, service discovery, integrations, MCP server, VS Code extension, Dev Containers, GitHub Codespaces, templates, dashboard, and deployment. Use when the user asks to create, run, debug, configure, deploy, or troubleshoot an Aspire distributed application.
- Installs
- 9K
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
- —
- Security
- Warn
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill aspire- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads aspire automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
Security audits
Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Aspire — Polyglot Distributed-App Orchestration
Aspire is a code-first, polyglot toolchain for building observable, production-ready distributed applications. It orchestrates containers, executables, and cloud resources from a single AppHost project — regardless of whether the workloads are C#, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Java, Rust, Bun, Deno, or PowerShell.
Mental model: The AppHost is a conductor — it doesn't play the instruments, it tells every service when to start, how to find each other, and watches for problems.
Detailed reference material lives in the references/ folder — load on demand.
References
| Reference | When to load |
|---|---|
| CLI Reference | Command flags, options, or detailed usage |
| MCP Server | Setting up MCP for AI assistants, available tools |
| Integrations Catalog | Discovering integrations via MCP tools, wiring patterns |
| Polyglot APIs | Method signatures, chaining options, language-specific patterns |
| Architecture | DCP internals, resource model, service discovery, networking, telemetry |
| Dashboard | Dashboard features, standalone mode, GenAI Visualizer |
| Deployment | Docker, Kubernetes, Azure Container Apps, App Service |
| Testing | Integration tests against the AppHost |
| Troubleshooting | Diagnostic codes, common errors, and fixes |
1. Researching Aspire Documentation
The Aspire team ships an MCP server that provides documentation tools directly inside your AI assistant. See MCP Server for setup details.
Aspire CLI 13.2+ (recommended — has built-in docs search)
If running Aspire CLI 13.2 or later (aspire --version), the MCP server includes docs search tools:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_docs | Lists all available documentation from aspire.dev |
search_docs | Performs weighted lexical search across indexed documentation |
get_doc | Retrieves a specific document by its slug |
These tools were added in PR #14028. To update: aspire update --self --channel daily.
For more on this approach, see David Pine's post: https://davidpine.dev/posts/aspire-docs-mcp-tools/
Aspire CLI 13.1 (integration tools only)
On 13.1, the MCP server provides integration lookup but not docs search:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_integrations | Lists available Aspire hosting integrations |
get_integration_docs | Gets documentation for a specific integration package |
For general docs queries on 13.1, use Context7 as your primary source (see below).
Fallback: Context7
Use Context7 (mcp_context7) when the Aspire MCP docs tools are unavailable (13.1) or the MCP server isn't running:
Step 1 — Resolve the library ID (one-time per session):
Call mcp_context7_resolve-library-id with libraryName: ".NET Aspire".
| Rank | Library ID | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | /microsoft/aspire.dev | Primary source. Guides, integrations, CLI reference, deployment. |
| 2 | /dotnet/aspire | API internals, source-level implementation details. |
| 3 | /communitytoolkit/aspire | Non-Microsoft polyglot integrations (Go, Java, Node.js, Ollama). |
Step 2 — Query docs:
libraryId: "/microsoft/aspire.dev", query: "Python integration AddPythonApp service discovery"
libraryId: "/communitytoolkit/aspire", query: "Golang Java Node.js community integrations"
Fallback: GitHub search (when Context7 is also unavailable)
Search the official docs repo on GitHub:
- Docs repo:
microsoft/aspire.dev— path:src/frontend/src/content/docs/ - Source repo:
dotnet/aspire - Samples repo:
dotnet/aspire-samples - Community integrations:
CommunityToolkit/Aspire
2. Prerequisites & Install
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| .NET SDK | 10.0+ (required even for non-.NET workloads — the AppHost is .NET) |
| Container runtime | Docker Desktop, Podman, or Rancher Desktop |
| IDE (optional) | VS Code + C# Dev Kit, Visual Studio 2022, JetBrains Rider |
# Linux / macOS
curl -sSL https://aspire.dev/install.sh | bash
# Windows PowerShell
irm https://aspire.dev/install.ps1 | iex
# Verify
aspire --version
# Install templates
dotnet new install Aspire.ProjectTemplates
3. Project Templates
| Template | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| aspire-starter | aspire new aspire-starter | ASP.NET Core/Blazor starter + AppHost + tests |
| aspire-ts-cs-starter | aspire new aspire-ts-cs-starter | ASP.NET Core/React starter + AppHost |
| aspire-py-starter | aspire new aspire-py-starter | FastAPI/React starter + AppHost |
| aspire-apphost-singlefile | aspire new aspire-apphost-singlefile | Empty single-file AppHost |
4. AppHost Quick Start (Polyglot)
The AppHost orchestrates all services. Non-.NET workloads run as containers or executables.
var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
// Infrastructure
var redis = builder.AddRedis("cache");
var postgres = builder.AddPostgres("pg").AddDatabase("catalog");
// .NET API
var api = builder.AddProject<Projects.CatalogApi>("api")
.WithReference(postgres).WithReference(redis);
// Python ML service
var ml = builder.AddPythonApp("ml-service", "../ml-service", "main.py")
.WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8000).WithReference(redis);
// React frontend (Vite)
var web = builder.AddViteApp("web", "../frontend")
.WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 5173).WithReference(api);
// Go worker
var worker = builder.AddGolangApp("worker", "../go-worker")
.WithReference(redis);
builder.Build().Run();
For complete API signatures, see Polyglot APIs.
5. Core Concepts (Summary)
| Concept | Key point |
|---|---|
| Run vs Publish | aspire run = local dev (DCP engine). aspire publish = generate deployment manifests. |
| Service discovery | Automatic via env vars: ConnectionStrings__<name>, services__<name>__http__0 |
| Resource lifecycle | DAG ordering — dependencies start first. .WaitFor() gates on health checks. |
| Resource types | ProjectResource, ContainerResource, ExecutableResource, ParameterResource |
| Integrations | 144+ across 13 categories. Hosting package (AppHost) + Client package (service). |
| Dashboard | Real-time logs, traces, metrics, GenAI visualizer. Runs automatically with aspire run. |
| MCP Server | AI assistants can query running apps and search docs via CLI (STDIO). |
| Testing | Aspire.Hosting.Testing — spin up full AppHost in xUnit/MSTest/NUnit. |
| Deployment | Docker, Kubernetes, Azure Container Apps, Azure App Service. |
6. CLI Quick Reference
Valid commands in Aspire CLI 13.1:
| Command | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
aspire new <template> | Create from template | Stable |
aspire init | Initialize in existing project | Stable |
aspire run | Start all resources locally | Stable |
aspire add <integration> | Add an integration | Stable |
aspire publish | Generate deployment manifests | Preview |
aspire config | Manage configuration settings | Stable |
aspire cache | Manage disk cache | Stable |
aspire deploy | Deploy to defined targets | Preview |
aspire do <step> | Execute a pipeline step | Preview |
aspire update | Update integrations (or --self for CLI) | Preview |
aspire mcp init | Configure MCP for AI assistants | Stable |
aspire mcp start | Start the MCP server | Stable |
Full command reference with flags: CLI Reference.
7. Common Patterns
Adding a new service
- Create your service directory (any language)
- Add to AppHost:
Add*App()orAddProject<T>() - Wire dependencies:
.WithReference() - Gate on health:
.WaitFor()if needed - Run:
aspire run
Migrating from Docker Compose
aspire new aspire-apphost-singlefile(empty AppHost)- Replace each
docker-composeservice with an Aspire resource depends_on→.WithReference()+.WaitFor()ports→.WithHttpEndpoint()environment→.WithEnvironment()or.WithReference()
8. Key URLs
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| Documentation | https://aspire.dev |
| Runtime repo | https://github.com/dotnet/aspire |
| Docs repo | https://github.com/microsoft/aspire.dev |
| Samples | https://github.com/dotnet/aspire-samples |
| Community Toolkit | https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Aspire |
| Dashboard image | mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspire-dashboard |
| Discord | https://aka.ms/aspire/discord |
| https://www.reddit.com/r/aspiredotdev/ |
FAQ
What does the aspire skill do?
Aspire skill covering the Aspire CLI, AppHost orchestration, service discovery, integrations, MCP server, VS Code extension, Dev Containers, GitHub Codespaces, templates, dashboard, and deployment. Use when the user asks to create, run, debug, configure, deploy, or troubleshoot an Aspire distributed application.
How do I install aspire?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill aspire in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/aspire/ (personal) or .claude/skills/aspire/ (project).
Which AI agents can use aspire?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is aspire safe to install?
Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk passed; Runlayer flagged items to review; ZeroLeaks passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.
Who maintains aspire?
It is published by github in github/awesome-copilot, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 8,983 recorded installs.
More from github/awesome-copilot
git-commit
github/awesome-copilot
Use this skill when the user wants to make a Git commit or split changes into more than one commit. Also use it when the user types "/commit" or asks for a conventional commit. The skill examines the diff, stages the related files, writes a Conventional Commits message, and runs git commit. Do not use it when the user wants only a commit message and no commit. Do not use it to push, open a pull request, rebase, or change the commit history.
excalidraw-diagram-generator
github/awesome-copilot
Generate Excalidraw diagrams from natural language descriptions. Use when asked to "create a diagram", "make a flowchart", "visualize a process", "draw a system architecture", "create a mind map", or "generate an Excalidraw file". Supports flowcharts, relationship diagrams, mind maps, and system architecture diagrams. Outputs .excalidraw JSON files that can be opened directly in Excalidraw.
multi-stage-dockerfile
github/awesome-copilot
Create optimized multi-stage Dockerfiles for any language or framework
documentation-writer
github/awesome-copilot
Diátaxis Documentation Expert. An expert technical writer specializing in creating high-quality software documentation, guided by the principles and structure of the Diátaxis technical documentation authoring framework.
prd
github/awesome-copilot
Generate high-quality Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) for software systems and AI-powered features. Includes executive summaries, user stories, technical specifications, and risk analysis.
refactor
github/awesome-copilot
Surgical code refactoring to improve maintainability without changing behavior. Covers extracting functions, renaming variables, breaking down god functions, improving type safety, eliminating code smells, and applying design patterns. Less drastic than repo-rebuilder; use for gradual improvements.
Popular devops & cloud skills
microsoft-foundry
microsoft/azure-skills
Build, deploy, evaluate, optimize, fine-tune, and manage Microsoft Foundry agents, models, and resources end to end. USE FOR: foundry, azd ai agent, azd provision/deploy, hosted agent scaffold/develop/run/deploy/troubleshoot, prompt agent create, managed harness agent create, GitHub Copilot harness agent, create agent, update agent, add tool to agent, invoke agent, agent insights, evaluate agent, batch eval, continuous eval, continuous monitoring, agent CI/CD, optimize prompt, improve prompt, optimize agent instructions, Agent Optimizer scaffold, dataset curation from traces, deploy model, model fine-tuning (SFT/DPO/RFT), Foundry project, RBAC, role assignment, permissions, quota, capacity, region, deployment failure, AI Services, create Foundry resource, knowledge index, customize deployment, onboard, availability, training-data, grader, distillation, large file upload. DO NOT USE FOR: Azure Functions, App Service, general Azure deploy (use azure-deploy), general Azure prep (use azure
azure-diagnostics
microsoft/azure-skills
Debug Azure production issues on Azure using AppLens, Azure Monitor, resource health, and safe triage. WHEN: debug production issues, troubleshoot app service, app service high CPU, app service deployment failure, troubleshoot container apps, container app 503 or target port mismatch, troubleshoot functions, function telemetry missing or stopped after a config/connection-string change, troubleshoot AKS, VM RDP, Linux SSH, VM black screen, can't connect to VM, reset VM password, NSG or firewall blocking, kubectl cannot connect, kube-system/CoreDNS failures, pod pending, crashloop, node not ready, upgrade failures, analyze logs, KQL, insights, image pull failures, cold start issues, health probe failures, resource health, root cause of errors, troubleshoot event hubs, troubleshoot service bus, messaging SDK error, AMQP connection failure, message lock lost, lock renewal during long-running processing, service bus dead letter.
azure-prepare
microsoft/azure-skills
Prepare azd-based Azure projects for deployment: generates azure.yaml, infrastructure (Bicep/Terraform), and Dockerfiles for the Azure Developer CLI (azd) workflow. USE ONLY when the user explicitly wants to use azd as the deployment tool, or the project already has an azure.yaml file. DO NOT USE FOR: non-azd deployments, Python App Service code-only deploys (use python-appservice-deploy), or cross-cloud migration (use azure-cloud-migrate). WHEN: prepare app for azd, create azure.yaml, set up azd infrastructure, modernize app for Azure with azd, deploy with azd, function app, timer trigger, service bus trigger, event-driven function, managed identity, generate Bicep, generate Terraform, create and deploy to Azure.
azure-ai
microsoft/azure-skills
Use for Azure AI: Search, Speech, OpenAI, Document Intelligence. Helps with search, vector/hybrid search, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, transcription, OCR. WHEN: AI Search, query search, vector search, hybrid search, semantic search, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, transcribe, OCR, convert text to speech.
azure-deploy
microsoft/azure-skills
Execute Azure deployments for ALREADY-PREPARED applications that have existing .azure/deployment-plan.md and infrastructure files. DO NOT use this skill when the user asks to CREATE a new application — use azure-prepare instead. This skill runs azd up, azd deploy, terraform apply, and az deployment commands with built-in error recovery. Requires .azure/deployment-plan.md from azure-prepare and validated status from azure-validate. WHEN: "run azd up", "run azd deploy", "execute deployment", "push to production", "push to cloud", "go live", "ship it", "bicep deploy", "terraform apply", "publish to Azure", "launch on Azure". DO NOT USE WHEN: "create and deploy", "build and deploy", "create a new app", "set up infrastructure", "create and deploy to Azure using Terraform" — use azure-prepare for these.
azure-validate
microsoft/azure-skills
Pre-deployment validation for Azure readiness. Run deep checks on configuration, infrastructure (Bicep or Terraform), RBAC role assignments, managed identity permissions, and prerequisites before deploying. WHEN: validate my app, check deployment readiness, run preflight checks, verify configuration, check if ready to deploy, validate azure.yaml, validate Bicep, test before deploying, troubleshoot deployment errors, validate Azure Functions, validate function app, validate serverless deployment, verify RBAC roles, check role assignments, review managed identity permissions, what-if analysis, validate Container Apps deployment.