---
title: "What are Metapackages in ASP.NET Core?"  
description: "What are Metapackages in ASP.NET Core?"  
author: "Revati S Misra"  
published: 2023-03-06  
updated: 2023-07-08  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/157455/what-are-metapackages-in-asp-dot-net-core  
category: "asp.net core"  
tags: ["asp.net", "asp.net core"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What are Metapackages in ASP.NET Core?

What are Metapackages in [ASP.NET Core](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12946/get-started-with-asp-dot-net-core-mvc-and-visual-studio)?

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

In [ASP.NET](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/934/default-folders-available-inside-the-asp-dot-net-application-folder) Core, a metapackage is a NuGet package that contains references to other NuGet packages. Metapackages are used to simplify the process of installing and managing dependencies for ASP.NET Core applications.

For example, the `Microsoft.AspNetCore.App` metapackage contains references to all of the core ASP.NET Core packages, such as `Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc` and `Microsoft.AspNetCore.WebApi`. This means that if you install the `Microsoft.AspNetCore.App` metapackage, you will automatically have all of the necessary dependencies for your ASP.NET Core application.

Metapackages can also be used to install specific versions of dependencies. For example, the following command will install the `Microsoft.AspNetCore.App` metapackage with the version 3.1.10:

Code snippet

```plaintext
dotnet add package Microsoft.AspNetCore.App --version 3.1.10
```

Metapackages can be a great way to simplify the process of installing and managing dependencies for ASP.NET Core applications. If you are new to ASP.NET Core, I recommend using metapackages to get started.

Here are some of the benefits of using metapackages:

- They can simplify the process of installing and managing dependencies.
- They can help to ensure that your application is using the correct versions of dependencies.
- They can help to prevent dependency conflicts.
- They can be used to install specific versions of dependencies.

If you are developing an ASP.NET Core application, I recommend using metapackages to improve the readability and maintainability of your code.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/157455/what-are-metapackages-in-asp-dot-net-core

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