Template Smart Defaults Agent Skill
> Applies cross-parameter default rules when creating .NET projects with dotnet new, filling gaps consistently without overriding values the user set explicitly. keep HTTPS when authentication is enabled, recognizing that controllers and minimal-API flags are mutually exclusive, filling unset related parameters during project creation, explaining why a default was applied and ensuring an explicit user value is never overridden. comparing templates (use template-discovery and template-comparison), authoring or validating custom templates (use template-authoring and template-validation).
Install
one command, takes just this skill from the repositorynpx skills add https://github.com/dotnet/skills --skill template-smart-defaultsThe instruction itself
10 sections, as written by the authorTemplate Smart Defaults
This skill helps an agent fill in cross-parameter defaults when creating a dotnet new
project. The rules below are guidance heuristics that keep related parameters consistent —
they only fill gaps and never override a value the user set explicitly.
When to Use
- The user asks to create a project but leaves related parameters unspecified
- A parameter the user chose implies a sensible value for another parameter
- You need to explain why a particular default was selected
When Not to Use
- User wants to actually create the project — route to
template-instantiation - User wants to find or compare templates — route to
template-discoveryortemplate-comparison - User wants to author or validate a custom template — route to
template-authoringortemplate-validation
Inputs
| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| Template short name | Yes | The template the project will be created from (e.g., webapi) |
| Parameters already chosen | Yes | The parameter values the user has explicitly set |
| Available choices | Recommended | Parameter names/choices from dotnet new <template> --help |
Workflow
- Gather the parameters the user has explicitly set.
- Apply each rule below only where the corresponding parameter is unset — never override a value the user set explicitly.
- Confirm the chosen parameter names and choices against
dotnet new <template> --helpat creation time. For an advice-only request (the user isn't creating yet — e.g. "tell me the parameters/command"), answer from the rules below and note you'd confirm the exact names at creation; don't spend a--helpcall just to advise on well-known parameters. - Emit the two required outputs (see below) — this is what makes the skill decisive rather than inert.
Required output
Always produce both, in this order:
A. A "Defaults applied" log — one row per parameter, covering both the explicit values you preserved (Source = user) and the gaps you filled by rule (Source = rule), so the user can see and override every choice:
| Parameter | Value | Source | Why |
|-----------|-------|--------|-----|
| --framework | net10.0 | rule | Native AOT (from --aot) needs the latest AOT-capable TFM |
| --auth | Individual | user | Explicitly requested — left unchanged |
Use Source = user for explicit values (never overridden) and Source = rule for gap-fills.
B. The exact single dotnet new command line you would run — include only the flags you are actually passing. Do not list flags you decided *not* to pass (e.g. don't mention --no-https when you are keeping HTTPS; don't mention a minimal-API flag when using controllers). Silence on an omitted flag is the correct, decisive signal.
> AOT at create time vs publish time. --aot is a dotnet new flag only on the templates that expose it — always confirm with dotnet new <template> --help rather than assuming a given template does or doesn't offer it. There is no --publish-aot template flag — publish-time native AOT is enabled with the MSBuild property PublishAot=true (via dotnet publish or in the .csproj), not through dotnet new. Apply the framework rule only when the template actually offers --aot.
Rules
| Rule | Default applied | Rationale |
|------|-----------------|-----------|
| --aot is set (on any template whose --help exposes it) and --framework is unset | Set --framework to the latest AOT-compatible framework the template offers | Native AOT requires a recent, AOT-capable target framework; using the latest avoids build failures. (A framework already pinned by the workspace or global.json counts as set — keep it unless it's incompatible with AOT.) |
| --auth is anything other than None | Do NOT pass --no-https | Authentication flows (cookies, tokens, redirects) require HTTPS; disabling it breaks auth. |
| --use-controllers is set | Do NOT also pass a minimal-API flag | Controllers and minimal APIs are mutually exclusive program models; passing both is contradictory. |
| User set a value explicitly | Leave it unchanged | Smart defaults only fill gaps; explicit user intent always wins. |
Validation
- [ ] A "Defaults applied" log was produced with a Source (user/rule) and rationale per row
- [ ] The exact single
dotnet newcommand line was emitted, listing only flags actually passed - [ ] No parameter the user set explicitly was overridden
- [ ] Only unset parameters were filled
- [ ] Parameter names/choices were confirmed against
dotnet new <template> --helpat creation (for advice-only requests, flagged as to-confirm rather than run eagerly)
Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Solution |
|---------|----------|
| Treating heuristics as enforcement | These are guidance rules, not validation. Always confirm against dotnet new <template> --help choices, since parameter names vary by template. |
| Overriding an explicit user value | Apply a rule only when the target parameter is unset. |
| Assuming a flag name | The exact flag differs per template — always verify with --help (e.g. --aot is present only where --help lists it; controllers use --use-controllers). |
| Picking a framework the template doesn't support | Use the latest framework that appears in the template's --framework choices, not an arbitrary newest version. |
More Info
- dotnet new — CLI reference
- Native AOT deployment — AOT framework requirements
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How to use it
Take dotnet/template-smart-defaults from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the
same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.