dotnet-inspect

CLI tool for inspecting .NET assemblies and NuGet packages. View metadata, APIs, vulnerabilities, audit provenance, and compare versions.

Installation

dotnet tool install -g dotnet-inspect

Quick Reference

Command	Purpose
package X	Package metadata, dependencies, files
platform X	Inspect SDK/runtime assembly
assembly ./path	Inspect local file
audit X	Verify provenance (SourceLink, determinism)
api X	Public API surface
type X	Type hierarchy and members
diff X	Compare versions
find X	Search for types

Common Flags

Flag	Description
--audit	Full provenance verification (always strict)
--sourcelink	Show SourceLink presence/URL (fast, no HTTP)
--json	JSON output
-v:q/m/n/d	Verbosity: quiet, minimal, normal, detailed

Commands

package

Inspect NuGet packages. This is the default command.

dotnet-inspect System.Text.Json                    # Metadata (latest version)
dotnet-inspect System.Text.Json@8.0.4 -v:d         # Detailed (shows vulnerability)
dotnet-inspect System.Text.Json --versions         # List available versions
dotnet-inspect System.Text.Json --audit            # Provenance verification; optional `--strict` mode
dotnet-inspect System.Text.Json --files --all      # File structure

audit

Verify package/assembly provenance. Always runs strict verification.

dotnet-inspect audit Markout@0.1.4                 # Package
dotnet-inspect audit ./bin/MyLib.dll               # Local file
dotnet-inspect audit ./artifacts/*.nupkg           # Multiple nupkgs
dotnet-inspect audit Markout@0.1.4 -v:q            # Quiet (pass/fail)

Note: Strict audit hits the network and will take longer.

platform

List frameworks or inspect platform assemblies.

dotnet-inspect platform                            # List frameworks
dotnet-inspect platform --framework runtime        # List runtime assemblies
dotnet-inspect platform System.Text.Json           # Inspect assembly
dotnet-inspect platform System.Text.Json --audit   # Audit platform assembly

api

Extract public API surface.

dotnet-inspect api --package System.Text.Json                     # All types
dotnet-inspect api JsonSerializer --package System.Text.Json      # Specific type
dotnet-inspect api JsonSerializer --package System.Text.Json -m Serialize  # Filter to member
dotnet-inspect api --platform System.Text.Json                    # Platform assembly

assembly

Inspect a specific assembly file.

dotnet-inspect assembly ./bin/MyLib.dll            # Local file
dotnet-inspect assembly ./bin/MyLib.dll --audit    # With provenance check

diff

Compare API surfaces between versions.

dotnet-inspect diff JsonSerializer --package System.Text.Json@9.0.0..10.0.2
dotnet-inspect diff JsonSerializer --platform System.Text.Json@8.0.23..10.0.2

type

Show type hierarchy with members.

dotnet-inspect type JsonSerializer --package System.Text.Json

Custom NuGet Sources

dotnet-inspect package MyPackage --source https://my-feed/v3/index.json
dotnet-inspect package MyPackage --add-source https://dev-feed/v3/index.json
dotnet-inspect package MyPackage --nugetconfig ./nuget.config

Output Control

Verbosity (-v): q(uiet) → m(inimal) → n(ormal) → d(etailed)

<<<<<<< HEAD Each level includes a compact summary line with key metadata:

Type: Library | TFM: net10.0 | Updated: 2026-01-13 | Vulnerabilities: 1

Sections: Use --discover to list, then -s:1,2 (include) or -x:3 (exclude)

dotnet-inspect System.Text.Json -v:d               # All sections
dotnet-inspect System.Text.Json -v:d -x:3,4        # Exclude sections 3,4

LLM Integration

This tool is designed for LLM-driven development. Run dotnet-inspect llmstxt for detailed usage patterns.

A skill for use with GitHub Copilot agent mode is available at dotnet-skills.

Requirements

.NET 10.0 SDK or later

License

MIT