dotnet-backend-patterns

Q: How do I install dotnet-backend-patterns?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill dotnet-backend-patterns 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/dotnet-backend-patterns/ (personal) or .claude/skills/dotnet-backend-patterns/ (project).

by wshobsonBackend & APIs

Master C/.NET backend development patterns for building robust APIs, MCP servers, and enterprise applications. Covers async/await, dependency injection, Entity Framework Core, Dapper, configuration, caching, and testing with xUnit. Use when developing .NET backends, reviewing C code, or designing API architectures.

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill dotnet-backend-patterns

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 dotnet-backend-patterns 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.

Gen Agent Trust Hub PassSAFE ·The skill provides high-quality documentation and templates for modern C#/.NET backend development patterns, with no security risks or malicious behaviors identified.

Socket PassNo alerts

Snyk PassLOW ·Risk: LOW · No issues

Runlayer PassLOW ·1/5 files flagged

ZeroLeaks PassNONE ·Score: 93/100 · 2 sections analyzed

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

.NET Backend Development Patterns

Master C#/.NET patterns for building production-grade APIs, MCP servers, and enterprise backends with modern best practices (2024/2025).

When to Use This Skill

Developing new .NET Web APIs or MCP servers
Reviewing C# code for quality and performance
Designing service architectures with dependency injection
Implementing caching strategies with Redis
Writing unit and integration tests
Optimizing database access with EF Core or Dapper
Configuring applications with IOptions pattern
Handling errors and implementing resilience patterns

Core Concepts

1. Project Structure (Clean Architecture)

src/
├── Domain/                     # Core business logic (no dependencies)
│   ├── Entities/
│   ├── Interfaces/
│   ├── Exceptions/
│   └── ValueObjects/
├── Application/                # Use cases, DTOs, validation
│   ├── Services/
│   ├── DTOs/
│   ├── Validators/
│   └── Interfaces/
├── Infrastructure/             # External implementations
│   ├── Data/                   # EF Core, Dapper repositories
│   ├── Caching/                # Redis, Memory cache
│   ├── External/               # HTTP clients, third-party APIs
│   └── DependencyInjection/    # Service registration
└── Api/                        # Entry point
    ├── Controllers/            # Or MinimalAPI endpoints
    ├── Middleware/
    ├── Filters/
    └── Program.cs

2. Dependency Injection Patterns

// Service registration by lifetime
public static class ServiceCollectionExtensions
{
    public static IServiceCollection AddApplicationServices(
        this IServiceCollection services,
        IConfiguration configuration)
    {
        // Scoped: One instance per HTTP request
        services.AddScoped<IProductService, ProductService>();
        services.AddScoped<IOrderService, OrderService>();

        // Singleton: One instance for app lifetime
        services.AddSingleton<ICacheService, RedisCacheService>();
        services.AddSingleton<IConnectionMultiplexer>(_ =>
            ConnectionMultiplexer.Connect(configuration["Redis:Connection"]!));

        // Transient: New instance every time
        services.AddTransient<IValidator<CreateOrderRequest>, CreateOrderValidator>();

        // Options pattern for configuration
        services.Configure<CatalogOptions>(configuration.GetSection("Catalog"));
        services.Configure<RedisOptions>(configuration.GetSection("Redis"));

        // Factory pattern for conditional creation
        services.AddScoped<IPriceCalculator>(sp =>
        {
            var options = sp.GetRequiredService<IOptions<PricingOptions>>().Value;
            return options.UseNewEngine
                ? sp.GetRequiredService<NewPriceCalculator>()
                : sp.GetRequiredService<LegacyPriceCalculator>();
        });

        // Keyed services (.NET 8+)
        services.AddKeyedScoped<IPaymentProcessor, StripeProcessor>("stripe");
        services.AddKeyedScoped<IPaymentProcessor, PayPalProcessor>("paypal");

        return services;
    }
}

// Usage with keyed services
public class CheckoutService
{
    public CheckoutService(
        [FromKeyedServices("stripe")] IPaymentProcessor stripeProcessor)
    {
        _processor = stripeProcessor;
    }
}

3. Async/Await Patterns

// ✅ CORRECT: Async all the way down
public async Task<Product> GetProductAsync(string id, CancellationToken ct = default)
{
    return await _repository.GetByIdAsync(id, ct);
}

// ✅ CORRECT: Parallel execution with WhenAll
public async Task<(Stock, Price)> GetStockAndPriceAsync(
    string productId,
    CancellationToken ct = default)
{
    var stockTask = _stockService.GetAsync(productId, ct);
    var priceTask = _priceService.GetAsync(productId, ct);

    await Task.WhenAll(stockTask, priceTask);

    return (await stockTask, await priceTask);
}

// ✅ CORRECT: ConfigureAwait in libraries
public async Task<T> LibraryMethodAsync<T>(CancellationToken ct = default)
{
    var result = await _httpClient.GetAsync(url, ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
    return await result.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<T>(ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
}

// ✅ CORRECT: ValueTask for hot paths with caching
public ValueTask<Product?> GetCachedProductAsync(string id)
{
    if (_cache.TryGetValue(id, out Product? product))
        return ValueTask.FromResult(product);

    return new ValueTask<Product?>(GetFromDatabaseAsync(id));
}

// ❌ WRONG: Blocking on async (deadlock risk)
var result = GetProductAsync(id).Result;  // NEVER do this
var result2 = GetProductAsync(id).GetAwaiter().GetResult(); // Also bad

// ❌ WRONG: async void (except event handlers)
public async void ProcessOrder() { }  // Exceptions are lost

// ❌ WRONG: Unnecessary Task.Run for already async code
await Task.Run(async () => await GetDataAsync());  // Wastes thread

4. Configuration with IOptions

// Configuration classes
public class CatalogOptions
{
    public const string SectionName = "Catalog";

    public int DefaultPageSize { get; set; } = 50;
    public int MaxPageSize { get; set; } = 200;
    public TimeSpan CacheDuration { get; set; } = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(15);
    public bool EnableEnrichment { get; set; } = true;
}

public class RedisOptions
{
    public const string SectionName = "Redis";

    public string Connection { get; set; } = "localhost:6379";
    public string KeyPrefix { get; set; } = "mcp:";
    public int Database { get; set; } = 0;
}

// appsettings.json
{
    "Catalog": {
        "DefaultPageSize": 50,
        "MaxPageSize": 200,
        "CacheDuration": "00:15:00",
        "EnableEnrichment": true
    },
    "Redis": {
        "Connection": "localhost:6379",
        "KeyPrefix": "mcp:",
        "Database": 0
    }
}

// Registration
services.Configure<CatalogOptions>(configuration.GetSection(CatalogOptions.SectionName));
services.Configure<RedisOptions>(configuration.GetSection(RedisOptions.SectionName));

// Usage with IOptions (singleton, read once at startup)
public class CatalogService
{
    private readonly CatalogOptions _options;

    public CatalogService(IOptions<CatalogOptions> options)
    {
        _options = options.Value;
    }
}

// Usage with IOptionsSnapshot (scoped, re-reads on each request)
public class DynamicService
{
    private readonly CatalogOptions _options;

    public DynamicService(IOptionsSnapshot<CatalogOptions> options)
    {
        _options = options.Value;  // Fresh value per request
    }
}

// Usage with IOptionsMonitor (singleton, notified on changes)
public class MonitoredService
{
    private CatalogOptions _options;

    public MonitoredService(IOptionsMonitor<CatalogOptions> monitor)
    {
        _options = monitor.CurrentValue;
        monitor.OnChange(newOptions => _options = newOptions);
    }
}

5. Result Pattern (Avoiding Exceptions for Flow Control)

// Generic Result type
public class Result<T>
{
    public bool IsSuccess { get; }
    public T? Value { get; }
    public string? Error { get; }
    public string? ErrorCode { get; }

    private Result(bool isSuccess, T? value, string? error, string? errorCode)
    {
        IsSuccess = isSuccess;
        Value = value;
        Error = error;
        ErrorCode = errorCode;
    }

    public static Result<T> Success(T value) => new(true, value, null, null);
    public static Result<T> Failure(string error, string? code = null) => new(false, default, error, code);

    public Result<TNew> Map<TNew>(Func<T, TNew> mapper) =>
        IsSuccess ? Result<TNew>.Success(mapper(Value!)) : Result<TNew>.Failure(Error!, ErrorCode);

    public async Task<Result<TNew>> MapAsync<TNew>(Func<T, Task<TNew>> mapper) =>
        IsSuccess ? Result<TNew>.Success(await mapper(Value!)) : Result<TNew>.Failure(Error!, ErrorCode);
}

// Usage in service
public async Task<Result<Order>> CreateOrderAsync(CreateOrderRequest request, CancellationToken ct)
{
    // Validation
    var validation = await _validator.ValidateAsync(request, ct);
    if (!validation.IsValid)
        return Result<Order>.Failure(
            validation.Errors.First().ErrorMessage,
            "VALIDATION_ERROR");

    // Business rule check
    var stock = await _stockService.CheckAsync(request.ProductId, request.Quantity, ct);
    if (!stock.IsAvailable)
        return Result<Order>.Failure(
            $"Insufficient stock: {stock.Available} available, {request.Quantity} requested",
            "INSUFFICIENT_STOCK");

    // Create order
    var order = await _repository.CreateAsync(request.ToEntity(), ct);

    return Result<Order>.Success(order);
}

// Usage in controller/endpoint
app.MapPost("/orders", async (
    CreateOrderRequest request,
    IOrderService orderService,
    CancellationToken ct) =>
{
    var result = await orderService.CreateOrderAsync(request, ct);

    return result.IsSuccess
        ? Results.Created($"/orders/{result.Value!.Id}", result.Value)
        : Results.BadRequest(new { error = result.Error, code = result.ErrorCode });
});

Data Access Patterns

Entity Framework Core

// DbContext configuration
public class AppDbContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Product> Products => Set<Product>();
    public DbSet<Order> Orders => Set<Order>();

    protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
        // Apply all configurations from assembly
        modelBuilder.ApplyConfigurationsFromAssembly(typeof(AppDbContext).Assembly);

        // Global query filters
        modelBuilder.Entity<Product>().HasQueryFilter(p => !p.IsDeleted);
    }
}

// Entity configuration
public class ProductConfiguration : IEntityTypeConfiguration<Product>
{
    public void Configure(EntityTypeBuilder<Product> builder)
    {
        builder.ToTable("Products");

        builder.HasKey(p => p.Id);
        builder.Property(p => p.Id).HasMaxLength(40);
        builder.Property(p => p.Name).HasMaxLength(200).IsRequired();
        builder.Property(p => p.Price).HasPrecision(18, 2);

        builder.HasIndex(p => p.Sku).IsUnique();
        builder.HasIndex(p => new { p.CategoryId, p.Name });

        builder.HasMany(p => p.OrderItems)
            .WithOne(oi => oi.Product)
            .HasForeignKey(oi => oi.ProductId);
    }
}

// Repository with EF Core
public class ProductRepository : IProductRepository
{
    private readonly AppDbContext _context;

    public async Task<Product?> GetByIdAsync(string id, CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        return await _context.Products
            .AsNoTracking()
            .FirstOrDefaultAsync(p => p.Id == id, ct);
    }

    public async Task<IReadOnlyList<Product>> SearchAsync(
        ProductSearchCriteria criteria,
        CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var query = _context.Products.AsNoTracking();

        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(criteria.SearchTerm))
            query = query.Where(p => EF.Functions.Like(p.Name, $"%{criteria.SearchTerm}%"));

        if (criteria.CategoryId.HasValue)
            query = query.Where(p => p.CategoryId == criteria.CategoryId);

        if (criteria.MinPrice.HasValue)
            query = query.Where(p => p.Price >= criteria.MinPrice);

        if (criteria.MaxPrice.HasValue)
            query = query.Where(p => p.Price <= criteria.MaxPrice);

        return await query
            .OrderBy(p => p.Name)
            .Skip((criteria.Page - 1) * criteria.PageSize)
            .Take(criteria.PageSize)
            .ToListAsync(ct);
    }
}

Dapper for Performance

public class DapperProductRepository : IProductRepository
{
    private readonly IDbConnection _connection;

    public async Task<Product?> GetByIdAsync(string id, CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        const string sql = """
            SELECT Id, Name, Sku, Price, CategoryId, Stock, CreatedAt
            FROM Products
            WHERE Id = @Id AND IsDeleted = 0
            """;

        return await _connection.QueryFirstOrDefaultAsync<Product>(
            new CommandDefinition(sql, new { Id = id }, cancellationToken: ct));
    }

    public async Task<IReadOnlyList<Product>> SearchAsync(
        ProductSearchCriteria criteria,
        CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var sql = new StringBuilder("""
            SELECT Id, Name, Sku, Price, CategoryId, Stock, CreatedAt
            FROM Products
            WHERE IsDeleted = 0
            """);

        var parameters = new DynamicParameters();

        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(criteria.SearchTerm))
        {
            sql.Append(" AND Name LIKE @SearchTerm");
            parameters.Add("SearchTerm", $"%{criteria.SearchTerm}%");
        }

        if (criteria.CategoryId.HasValue)
        {
            sql.Append(" AND CategoryId = @CategoryId");
            parameters.Add("CategoryId", criteria.CategoryId);
        }

        if (criteria.MinPrice.HasValue)
        {
            sql.Append(" AND Price >= @MinPrice");
            parameters.Add("MinPrice", criteria.MinPrice);
        }

        if (criteria.MaxPrice.HasValue)
        {
            sql.Append(" AND Price <= @MaxPrice");
            parameters.Add("MaxPrice", criteria.MaxPrice);
        }

        sql.Append(" ORDER BY Name OFFSET @Offset ROWS FETCH NEXT @PageSize ROWS ONLY");
        parameters.Add("Offset", (criteria.Page - 1) * criteria.PageSize);
        parameters.Add("PageSize", criteria.PageSize);

        var results = await _connection.QueryAsync<Product>(
            new CommandDefinition(sql.ToString(), parameters, cancellationToken: ct));

        return results.ToList();
    }

    // Multi-mapping for related data
    public async Task<Order?> GetOrderWithItemsAsync(int orderId, CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        const string sql = """
            SELECT o.*, oi.*, p.*
            FROM Orders o
            LEFT JOIN OrderItems oi ON o.Id = oi.OrderId
            LEFT JOIN Products p ON oi.ProductId = p.Id
            WHERE o.Id = @OrderId
            """;

        var orderDictionary = new Dictionary<int, Order>();

        await _connection.QueryAsync<Order, OrderItem, Product, Order>(
            new CommandDefinition(sql, new { OrderId = orderId }, cancellationToken: ct),
            (order, item, product) =>
            {
                if (!orderDictionary.TryGetValue(order.Id, out var existingOrder))
                {
                    existingOrder = order;
                    existingOrder.Items = new List<OrderItem>();
                    orderDictionary.Add(order.Id, existingOrder);
                }

                if (item != null)
                {
                    item.Product = product;
                    existingOrder.Items.Add(item);
                }

                return existingOrder;
            },
            splitOn: "Id,Id");

        return orderDictionary.Values.FirstOrDefault();
    }
}

Caching Patterns

Multi-Level Cache with Redis

public class CachedProductService : IProductService
{
    private readonly IProductRepository _repository;
    private readonly IMemoryCache _memoryCache;
    private readonly IDistributedCache _distributedCache;
    private readonly ILogger<CachedProductService> _logger;

    private static readonly TimeSpan MemoryCacheDuration = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1);
    private static readonly TimeSpan DistributedCacheDuration = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(15);

    public async Task<Product?> GetByIdAsync(string id, CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var cacheKey = $"product:{id}";

        // L1: Memory cache (in-process, fastest)
        if (_memoryCache.TryGetValue(cacheKey, out Product? cached))
        {
            _logger.LogDebug("L1 cache hit for {CacheKey}", cacheKey);
            return cached;
        }

        // L2: Distributed cache (Redis)
        var distributed = await _distributedCache.GetStringAsync(cacheKey, ct);
        if (distributed != null)
        {
            _logger.LogDebug("L2 cache hit for {CacheKey}", cacheKey);
            var product = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<Product>(distributed);

            // Populate L1
            _memoryCache.Set(cacheKey, product, MemoryCacheDuration);
            return product;
        }

        // L3: Database
        _logger.LogDebug("Cache miss for {CacheKey}, fetching from database", cacheKey);
        var fromDb = await _repository.GetByIdAsync(id, ct);

        if (fromDb != null)
        {
            var serialized = JsonSerializer.Serialize(fromDb);

            // Populate both caches
            await _distributedCache.SetStringAsync(
                cacheKey,
                serialized,
                new DistributedCacheEntryOptions
                {
                    AbsoluteExpirationRelativeToNow = DistributedCacheDuration
                },
                ct);

            _memoryCache.Set(cacheKey, fromDb, MemoryCacheDuration);
        }

        return fromDb;
    }

    public async Task InvalidateAsync(string id, CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var cacheKey = $"product:{id}";

        _memoryCache.Remove(cacheKey);
        await _distributedCache.RemoveAsync(cacheKey, ct);

        _logger.LogInformation("Invalidated cache for {CacheKey}", cacheKey);
    }
}

// Stale-while-revalidate pattern
public class StaleWhileRevalidateCache<T>
{
    private readonly IDistributedCache _cache;
    private readonly TimeSpan _freshDuration;
    private readonly TimeSpan _staleDuration;

    public async Task<T?> GetOrCreateAsync(
        string key,
        Func<CancellationToken, Task<T>> factory,
        CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var cached = await _cache.GetStringAsync(key, ct);

        if (cached != null)
        {
            var entry = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<CacheEntry<T>>(cached)!;

            if (entry.IsStale && !entry.IsExpired)
            {
                // Return stale data immediately, refresh in background
                _ = Task.Run(async () =>
                {
                    var fresh = await factory(CancellationToken.None);
                    await SetAsync(key, fresh, CancellationToken.None);
                });
            }

            if (!entry.IsExpired)
                return entry.Value;
        }

        // Cache miss or expired
        var value = await factory(ct);
        await SetAsync(key, value, ct);
        return value;
    }

    private record CacheEntry<TValue>(TValue Value, DateTime CreatedAt)
    {
        public bool IsStale => DateTime.UtcNow - CreatedAt > _freshDuration;
        public bool IsExpired => DateTime.UtcNow - CreatedAt > _staleDuration;
    }
}

Testing Patterns

Unit Tests with xUnit and Moq

public class OrderServiceTests
{
    private readonly Mock<IOrderRepository> _mockRepository;
    private readonly Mock<IStockService> _mockStockService;
    private readonly Mock<IValidator<CreateOrderRequest>> _mockValidator;
    private readonly OrderService _sut; // System Under Test

    public OrderServiceTests()
    {
        _mockRepository = new Mock<IOrderRepository>();
        _mockStockService = new Mock<IStockService>();
        _mockValidator = new Mock<IValidator<CreateOrderRequest>>();

        // Default: validation passes
        _mockValidator
            .Setup(v => v.ValidateAsync(It.IsAny<CreateOrderRequest>(), It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()))
            .ReturnsAsync(new ValidationResult());

        _sut = new OrderService(
            _mockRepository.Object,
            _mockStockService.Object,
            _mockValidator.Object);
    }

    [Fact]
    public async Task CreateOrderAsync_WithValidRequest_ReturnsSuccess()
    {
        // Arrange
        var request = new CreateOrderRequest
        {
            ProductId = "PROD-001",
            Quantity = 5,
            CustomerOrderCode = "ORD-2024-001"
        };

        _mockStockService
            .Setup(s => s.CheckAsync("PROD-001", 5, It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()))
            .ReturnsAsync(new StockResult { IsAvailable = true, Available = 10 });

        _mockRepository
            .Setup(r => r.CreateAsync(It.IsAny<Order>(), It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()))
            .ReturnsAsync(new Order { Id = 1, CustomerOrderCode = "ORD-2024-001" });

        // Act
        var result = await _sut.CreateOrderAsync(request);

        // Assert
        Assert.True(result.IsSuccess);
        Assert.NotNull(result.Value);
        Assert.Equal(1, result.Value.Id);

        _mockRepository.Verify(
            r => r.CreateAsync(It.Is<Order>(o => o.CustomerOrderCode == "ORD-2024-001"),
            It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()),
            Times.Once);
    }

    [Fact]
    public async Task CreateOrderAsync_WithInsufficientStock_ReturnsFailure()
    {
        // Arrange
        var request = new CreateOrderRequest { ProductId = "PROD-001", Quantity = 100 };

        _mockStockService
            .Setup(s => s.CheckAsync(It.IsAny<string>(), It.IsAny<int>(), It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()))
            .ReturnsAsync(new StockResult { IsAvailable = false, Available = 5 });

        // Act
        var result = await _sut.CreateOrderAsync(request);

        // Assert
        Assert.False(result.IsSuccess);
        Assert.Equal("INSUFFICIENT_STOCK", result.ErrorCode);
        Assert.Contains("5 available", result.Error);

        _mockRepository.Verify(
            r => r.CreateAsync(It.IsAny<Order>(), It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()),
            Times.Never);
    }

    [Theory]
    [InlineData(0)]
    [InlineData(-1)]
    [InlineData(-100)]
    public async Task CreateOrderAsync_WithInvalidQuantity_ReturnsValidationError(int quantity)
    {
        // Arrange
        var request = new CreateOrderRequest { ProductId = "PROD-001", Quantity = quantity };

        _mockValidator
            .Setup(v => v.ValidateAsync(request, It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()))
            .ReturnsAsync(new ValidationResult(new[]
            {
                new ValidationFailure("Quantity", "Quantity must be greater than 0")
            }));

        // Act
        var result = await _sut.CreateOrderAsync(request);

        // Assert
        Assert.False(result.IsSuccess);
        Assert.Equal("VALIDATION_ERROR", result.ErrorCode);
    }
}

Integration Tests with WebApplicationFactory

public class ProductsApiTests : IClassFixture<WebApplicationFactory<Program>>
{
    private readonly WebApplicationFactory<Program> _factory;
    private readonly HttpClient _client;

    public ProductsApiTests(WebApplicationFactory<Program> factory)
    {
        _factory = factory.WithWebHostBuilder(builder =>
        {
            builder.ConfigureServices(services =>
            {
                // Replace real database with in-memory
                services.RemoveAll<DbContextOptions<AppDbContext>>();
                services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(options =>
                    options.UseInMemoryDatabase("TestDb"));

                // Replace Redis with memory cache
                services.RemoveAll<IDistributedCache>();
                services.AddDistributedMemoryCache();
            });
        });

        _client = _factory.CreateClient();
    }

    [Fact]
    public async Task GetProduct_WithValidId_ReturnsProduct()
    {
        // Arrange
        using var scope = _factory.Services.CreateScope();
        var context = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<AppDbContext>();

        context.Products.Add(new Product
        {
            Id = "TEST-001",
            Name = "Test Product",
            Price = 99.99m
        });
        await context.SaveChangesAsync();

        // Act
        var response = await _client.GetAsync("/api/products/TEST-001");

        // Assert
        response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
        var product = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<Product>();
        Assert.Equal("Test Product", product!.Name);
    }

    [Fact]
    public async Task GetProduct_WithInvalidId_Returns404()
    {
        // Act
        var response = await _client.GetAsync("/api/products/NONEXISTENT");

        // Assert
        Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.NotFound, response.StatusCode);
    }
}

Best Practices

DO

Use async/await all the way through the call stack
Inject dependencies through constructor injection
Use IOptions<T> for typed configuration
Return Result types instead of throwing exceptions for business logic
Use CancellationToken in all async methods
Prefer Dapper for read-heavy, performance-critical queries
Use EF Core for complex domain models with change tracking
Cache aggressively with proper invalidation strategies
Write unit tests for business logic, integration tests for APIs
Use record types for DTOs and immutable data

DON'T

Don't block on async with .Result or .Wait()
Don't use async void except for event handlers
Don't catch generic Exception without re-throwing or logging
Don't hardcode configuration values
Don't expose EF entities directly in APIs (use DTOs)
Don't forget AsNoTracking() for read-only queries
Don't ignore CancellationToken parameters
Don't create new HttpClient() manually (use IHttpClientFactory)
Don't mix sync and async code unnecessarily
Don't skip validation at API boundaries

Common Pitfalls

N+1 Queries: Use .Include() or explicit joins
Memory Leaks: Dispose IDisposable resources, use using
Deadlocks: Don't mix sync and async, use ConfigureAwait(false) in libraries
Over-fetching: Select only needed columns, use projections
Missing Indexes: Check query plans, add indexes for common filters
Timeout Issues: Configure appropriate timeouts for HTTP clients
Cache Stampede: Use distributed locks for cache population

FAQ

What does the dotnet-backend-patterns skill do?

How do I install dotnet-backend-patterns?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill dotnet-backend-patterns 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/dotnet-backend-patterns/ (personal) or .claude/skills/dotnet-backend-patterns/ (project).

Which AI agents can use dotnet-backend-patterns?

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 dotnet-backend-patterns safe to install?

Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk passed; Runlayer passed; ZeroLeaks passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.

Who maintains dotnet-backend-patterns?

It is published by wshobson in wshobson/agents. It has 19,196 recorded installs.

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wshobson/agents

Master TypeScript's advanced type system including generics, conditional types, mapped types, template literals, and utility types for building type-safe applications. Use when implementing complex type logic, creating reusable type utilities, or ensuring compile-time type safety in TypeScript projects.

Code Quality & Workflow93.5K installs

tailwind-design-system

wshobson/agents

Build scalable design systems with Tailwind CSS v4, design tokens, component libraries, and responsive patterns. Use when creating component libraries, implementing design systems, or standardizing UI patterns.

Frontend & Design70.6K installs

nodejs-backend-patterns

wshobson/agents

Build production-ready Node.js backend services with Express/Fastify, implementing middleware patterns, error handling, authentication, database integration, and API design best practices. Use when creating Node.js servers, REST APIs, GraphQL backends, or microservices architectures.

Backend & APIs48.8K installs

brand-landingpage

wshobson/agents

Brand-first landing page designer — runs a brand-identity interview (colors, typography, shape language), then generates and iterates on a polished landing page via Stitch with deployment-ready HTML. Use when the user asks to create, design, or build a landing page, homepage, or marketing page and has no established visual direction. Skip when they have a design mockup, need a dashboard or app UI, are working at component level, building a multi-page app, or restyling with known design tokens — use frontend-design instead.

Frontend & Design39.6K installs

python-testing-patterns

wshobson/agents

Implement comprehensive testing strategies with pytest, fixtures, mocking, and test-driven development. Use when writing Python tests, setting up test suites, or implementing testing best practices.

Testing & QA37.3K installs

python-performance-optimization

wshobson/agents

Profile and optimize Python code using cProfile, memory profilers, and performance best practices. Use when debugging slow Python code, optimizing bottlenecks, or improving application performance.

Code Quality & Workflow35.9K installs

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find-skills

vercel-labs/skills

Helps users discover and install agent skills when they ask questions like "how do I do X", "find a skill for X", "is there a skill that can...", or express interest in extending capabilities. This skill should be used when the user is looking for functionality that might exist as an installable skill.

OfficialBackend & APIs4.1M installs

entra-app-registration

microsoft/azure-skills

Guides Microsoft Entra ID app registration, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and MSAL integration. USE FOR: create app registration, register Azure AD app, configure OAuth, set up authentication, add API permissions, generate service principal, MSAL example, console app auth, Entra ID setup, Azure AD authentication. DO NOT USE FOR: Key Vault secrets (use azure-keyvault-expiration-audit), general Azure resource security guidance.

OfficialBackend & APIs566.7K installs

google-agents-cli-adk-code

google/agents-cli

This skill should be used when the user wants to "write agent code", "build an agent with ADK", "add a tool", "create a callback", "define an agent", "use state management" — in a project that needs ADK (Agent Development Kit) API patterns and code examples. It provides a quick reference for agent types, tool definitions, orchestration patterns, callbacks, state management, the graph Workflow API, and reference recipes to study. Do NOT use for scaffolding (use google-agents-cli-scaffold) or deployment (use google-agents-cli-deploy).

Backend & APIs514.8K installs

embedded-captions

heygen-com/hyperframes

Add captions or subtitles to an existing single-subject talking-head video without editing the footage. Use for plain verbatim captions, cinematic captions embedded behind the subject, VFX captions, “炸/特效/酷炫字幕,” or a named identity from the 35-style catalog. Route by visual identity, not by backend engine. The quiet anchor rail is the default; embed every word only when the user explicitly wants a fully cinematic treatment. The workflow runs locally end to end, including transcription and subject matting; split multi-shot footage before applying it.

Backend & APIs453.3K installs

entra-agent-id

microsoft/azure-skills

Provision Microsoft Entra Agent Identity Blueprints, BlueprintPrincipals, and per-instance Agent Identities via Microsoft Graph, and configure OAuth 2.0 token exchange (fmipath, OBO, cross-tenant) including the Microsoft Entra SDK for AgentID sidecar. USE FOR: Agent Identity Blueprint, BlueprintPrincipal, agent OAuth, fmipath token exchange, agent OBO, Workload Identity Federation for agents, polyglot agent auth, Microsoft.Identity.Web.AgentIdentities. DO NOT USE FOR: standard Entra app registration (use entra-app-registration), Microsoft Foundry agent authoring (use microsoft-foundry).

OfficialBackend & APIs336.6K installs

neon

neondatabase/agent-skills

Overview of Neon, a complete set of cloud backend primitives around Lakebase Postgres: Auth, Object Storage, Functions, the AI Gateway, and Realtime. Start here to choose Neon for undecided login, files, APIs, and LLM calls, set up the CLI or MCP server, and follow the branch-first workflow. Use when building an app or backend on Neon, or when "Neon" or "Lakebase Postgres" is mentioned. Child skill neon-postgres wins for an existing DATABASEURL, SQL, schema, inspect, or search. Child skill neon-auth wins for login, users, sessions, identity routing, and Managed Better Auth setup. Child skill neon-realtime wins for live queries in reactive apps and agents. Also use for object storage, S3, buckets, serverless functions, function triggers, cron, AI gateway, LLM calls, realtime, logs, Loki, Grafana, observability, postgres, database, backend, Claimable Neon, neon.new, or a no-signup database.

Backend & APIs237.1K installs

dotnet-backend-patterns

Install

Install

Describe the task

Review the result

Security audits

SKILL.md

.NET Backend Development Patterns

When to Use This Skill

Core Concepts

1. Project Structure (Clean Architecture)

2. Dependency Injection Patterns

3. Async/Await Patterns

4. Configuration with IOptions

5. Result Pattern (Avoiding Exceptions for Flow Control)

Data Access Patterns

Entity Framework Core

Dapper for Performance

Caching Patterns

Multi-Level Cache with Redis

Testing Patterns

Unit Tests with xUnit and Moq

Integration Tests with WebApplicationFactory

Best Practices

DO

DON'T

Common Pitfalls

FAQ

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Popular backend & apis skills