---
stage: Package
group: Package
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---

# NuGet packages in the Package Registry **(FREE)**

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/20050) in GitLab Premium 12.8.
> - [Moved](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/221259) to GitLab Free in 13.3.
> - Symbol package support [added](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/262081) in GitLab 14.1.

Publish NuGet packages in your project's Package Registry. Then, install the
packages whenever you need to use them as a dependency.

The Package Registry works with:

- [NuGet CLI](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/reference/nuget-exe-cli-reference)
- [.NET Core CLI](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/tools/)
- [Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/)

For documentation of the specific API endpoints that these
clients use, see the [NuGet API documentation](../../../api/packages/nuget.md).

## Install NuGet

The required minimum versions are:

- [NuGet CLI 5.1 or later](https://www.nuget.org/downloads). If you have
  [Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/), the NuGet CLI is
  probably already installed.
- Alternatively, you can use [.NET SDK 3.0 or later](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/3.0),
  which installs the NuGet CLI.
- NuGet protocol version 3 or later.

Verify that the [NuGet CLI](https://www.nuget.org/) is installed by running:

```shell
nuget help
```

The output should be similar to:

```plaintext
NuGet Version: 5.1.0.6013
usage: NuGet <command> [args] [options]
Type 'NuGet help <command>' for help on a specific command.

Available commands:

[output truncated]
```

### Install NuGet on macOS

For macOS, you can use [Mono](https://www.mono-project.com/) to run the
NuGet CLI.

1. If you use Homebrew, to install Mono, run `brew install mono`.
1. Download the Windows C# binary `nuget.exe` from the [NuGet CLI page](https://www.nuget.org/downloads).
1. Run this command:

   ```shell
   mono nuget.exe
   ```

## Use the GitLab endpoint for NuGet Packages

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/36423) group-level endpoint in GitLab 13.8.

To use the GitLab endpoint for NuGet Packages, choose an option:

- **Project-level**: Use when you have few NuGet packages and they are not in
  the same GitLab group.
- **Group-level**: Use when you have many NuGet packages in different projects within the
  same GitLab group.

Some features such as [publishing](#publish-a-nuget-package) a package are only available on the project-level endpoint.

When asking for versions of a given NuGet package name, the GitLab Package Registry returns a maximum of 300 most recent versions.

WARNING:
Because of how NuGet handles credentials, the Package Registry rejects anonymous requests on the group-level endpoint.
To work around this limitation, set up [authentication](#add-the-package-registry-as-a-source-for-nuget-packages).

## Add the Package Registry as a source for NuGet packages

To publish and install packages to the Package Registry, you must add the
Package Registry as a source for your packages.

Prerequisites:

- Your GitLab username.
- A personal access token or deploy token. For repository authentication:
  - You can generate a [personal access token](../../../user/profile/personal_access_tokens.md)
    with the scope set to `api`.
  - You can generate a [deploy token](../../project/deploy_tokens/index.md)
    with the scope set to `read_package_registry`, `write_package_registry`, or
    both.
- A name for your source.
- Depending on the [endpoint level](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages) you use, either:
  - Your project ID, which is found on your project's home page.
  - Your group ID, which is found on your group's home page.

You can now add a new source to NuGet with:

- [NuGet CLI](#add-a-source-with-the-nuget-cli)
- [Visual Studio](#add-a-source-with-visual-studio)
- [.NET CLI](#add-a-source-with-the-net-cli)

### Add a source with the NuGet CLI

#### Project-level endpoint

A project-level endpoint is required to publish NuGet packages to the Package Registry.
A project-level endpoint is also required to install NuGet packages from a project.

To use the [project-level](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages) NuGet endpoint, add the Package Registry as a source with `nuget`:

```shell
nuget source Add -Name <source_name> -Source "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<your_project_id>/packages/nuget/index.json" -UserName <gitlab_username or deploy_token_username> -Password <gitlab_personal_access_token or deploy_token>
```

- `<source_name>` is the desired source name.

For example:

```shell
nuget source Add -Name "GitLab" -Source "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/10/packages/nuget/index.json" -UserName carol -Password 12345678asdf
```

#### Group-level endpoint

To install a NuGet package from a group, use a group-level endpoint.

To use the [group-level](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages) NuGet endpoint, add the Package Registry as a source with `nuget`:

```shell
nuget source Add -Name <source_name> -Source "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/<your_group_id>/-/packages/nuget/index.json" -UserName <gitlab_username or deploy_token_username> -Password <gitlab_personal_access_token or deploy_token>
```

- `<source_name>` is the desired source name.

For example:

```shell
nuget source Add -Name "GitLab" -Source "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/23/-/packages/nuget/index.json" -UserName carol -Password 12345678asdf
```

### Add a source with Visual Studio

#### Project-level endpoint

A project-level endpoint is required to publish NuGet packages to the Package Registry.
A project-level endpoint is also required to install NuGet packages from a project.

To use the [project-level](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages) NuGet endpoint, add the Package Registry as a source with Visual Studio:

1. Open [Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/).
1. In Windows, select **File > Options**. On macOS, select **Visual Studio > Preferences**.
1. In the **NuGet** section, select **Sources** to view a list of all your NuGet sources.
1. Select **Add**.
1. Complete the following fields:
   - **Name**: Name for the source.
   - **Location**: `https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<your_project_id>/packages/nuget/index.json`,
     where `<your_project_id>` is your project ID, and `gitlab.example.com` is
     your domain name.
   - **Username**: Your GitLab username or deploy token username.
   - **Password**: Your personal access token or deploy token.

   ![Visual Studio Adding a NuGet source](img/visual_studio_adding_nuget_source.png)

1. Click **Save**.

The source is displayed in your list.

![Visual Studio NuGet source added](img/visual_studio_nuget_source_added.png)

If you get a warning, ensure that the **Location**, **Username**, and
**Password** are correct.

#### Group-level endpoint

To install a package from a group, use a group-level endpoint.

To use the [group-level](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages) NuGet endpoint, add the Package Registry as a source with Visual Studio:

1. Open [Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/).
1. In Windows, select **File > Options**. On macOS, select **Visual Studio > Preferences**.
1. In the **NuGet** section, select **Sources** to view a list of all your NuGet sources.
1. Select **Add**.
1. Complete the following fields:
   - **Name**: Name for the source.
   - **Location**: `https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/<your_group_id>/-/packages/nuget/index.json`,
     where `<your_group_id>` is your group ID, and `gitlab.example.com` is
     your domain name.
   - **Username**: Your GitLab username or deploy token username.
   - **Password**: Your personal access token or deploy token.

   ![Visual Studio Adding a NuGet source](img/visual_studio_adding_nuget_source.png)

1. Click **Save**.

The source is displayed in your list.

![Visual Studio NuGet source added](img/visual_studio_nuget_source_added.png)

If you get a warning, ensure that the **Location**, **Username**, and
**Password** are correct.

### Add a source with the .NET CLI

#### Project-level endpoint

A project-level endpoint is required to publish NuGet packages to the Package Registry.
A project-level endpoint is also required to install NuGet packages from a project.

To use the [project-level](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages) Package Registry as a source for .NET:

1. In the root of your project, create a file named `nuget.config`.
1. Add this content:

   ```xml
   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <configuration>
    <packageSources>
        <clear />
        <add key="gitlab" value="https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<your_project_id>/packages/nuget/index.json" />
    </packageSources>
    <packageSourceCredentials>
        <gitlab>
            <add key="Username" value="<gitlab_username or deploy_token_username>" />
            <add key="ClearTextPassword" value="<gitlab_personal_access_token or deploy_token>" />
        </gitlab>
    </packageSourceCredentials>
   </configuration>
   ```

#### Group-level endpoint

To install a package from a group, use a group-level endpoint.

To use the [group-level](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages) Package Registry as a source for .NET:

1. In the root of your project, create a file named `nuget.config`.
1. Add this content:

   ```xml
   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <configuration>
    <packageSources>
        <clear />
        <add key="gitlab" value="https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/<your_group_id>/-/packages/nuget/index.json" />
    </packageSources>
    <packageSourceCredentials>
        <gitlab>
            <add key="Username" value="<gitlab_username or deploy_token_username>" />
            <add key="ClearTextPassword" value="<gitlab_personal_access_token or deploy_token>" />
        </gitlab>
    </packageSourceCredentials>
   </configuration>
   ```

## Publish a NuGet package

Prerequisite:

- Set up the [source](#https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/packages/nuget_repository/#add-the-package-registry-as-a-source-for-nuget-packages) with a [project-level endpoint](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages).

When publishing packages:

- The Package Registry on GitLab.com can store up to 5 GB of content.
  This limit is [configurable for self-managed GitLab instances](../../../administration/instance_limits.md#package-registry-limits).
- If you publish the same package with the same version multiple times, each
  consecutive upload is saved as a separate file. When installing a package,
  GitLab serves the most recent file.
- When publishing packages to GitLab, they aren't displayed in the packages user
  interface of your project immediately. It can take up to 10 minutes to process
  a package.

### Publish a package with the NuGet CLI

Prerequisites:

- [A NuGet package created with NuGet CLI](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/create-packages/creating-a-package).
- Set a [project-level endpoint](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages).

Publish a package by running this command:

```shell
nuget push <package_file> -Source <source_name>
```

- `<package_file>` is your package filename, ending in `.nupkg`.
- `<source_name>` is the [source name used during setup](#add-a-source-with-the-nuget-cli).

### Publish a package with the .NET CLI

Prerequisites:

- [A NuGet package created with .NET CLI](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/create-packages/creating-a-package-dotnet-cli).
- Set a [project-level endpoint](#use-the-gitlab-endpoint-for-nuget-packages).

Publish a package by running this command:

```shell
dotnet nuget push <package_file> --source <source_name>
```

- `<package_file>` is your package filename, ending in `.nupkg`.
- `<source_name>` is the [source name used during setup](#add-a-source-with-the-net-cli).

For example:

```shell
dotnet nuget push MyPackage.1.0.0.nupkg --source gitlab
```

### Publish a NuGet package by using CI/CD

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/36424) in GitLab 13.3.

If you're using NuGet with GitLab CI/CD, a CI job token can be used instead of a
personal access token or deploy token. The token inherits the permissions of the
user that generates the pipeline.

This example shows how to create a new package each time the `main` branch is
updated:

1. Add a `deploy` job to your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file:

   ```yaml
   image: mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/core/sdk:3.1

   stages:
     - deploy

   deploy:
     stage: deploy
     script:
       - dotnet pack -c Release
       - dotnet nuget add source "${CI_API_V4_URL}/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/packages/nuget/index.json" --name gitlab --username gitlab-ci-token --password $CI_JOB_TOKEN --store-password-in-clear-text
       - dotnet nuget push "bin/Release/*.nupkg" --source gitlab
     only:
       - main
   ```

1. Commit the changes and push it to your GitLab repository to trigger a new CI/CD build.

### Publishing a package with the same name or version

When you publish a package with the same name or version as an existing package,
the existing package is overwritten.

## Install packages

If multiple packages have the same name and version, when you install
a package, the most recently-published package is retrieved.

To install a NuGet package from the Package Registry, you must first
[add a project-level or group-level endpoint](#add-the-package-registry-as-a-source-for-nuget-packages).

### Install a package with the NuGet CLI

WARNING:
By default, `nuget` checks the official source at `nuget.org` first. If you have
a NuGet package in the Package Registry with the same name as a package at
`nuget.org`, you must specify the source name to install the correct package.

Install the latest version of a package by running this command:

```shell
nuget install <package_id> -OutputDirectory <output_directory> \
  -Version <package_version> \
  -Source <source_name>
```

- `<package_id>` is the package ID.
- `<output_directory>` is the output directory, where the package is installed.
- `<package_version>` The package version. Optional.
- `<source_name>` The source name. Optional.

### Install a package with the .NET CLI

WARNING:
If you have a package in the Package Registry with the same name as a package at
a different source, verify the order in which `dotnet` checks sources during
install. This is defined in the `nuget.config` file.

Install the latest version of a package by running this command:

```shell
dotnet add package <package_id> \
       -v <package_version>
```

- `<package_id>` is the package ID.
- `<package_version>` is the package version. Optional.

## Symbol packages

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/262081) in GitLab 14.1.

If you push a `.nupkg`, symbol package files in the `.snupkg` format are uploaded automatically. You
can also push them manually:

```shell
nuget push My.Package.snupkg -Source <source_name>
```

Consuming symbol packages is not yet guaranteed using clients such as Visual Studio or
dotnet-symbol. The `.snupkg` files are available for download through the UI or the
[API](../../../api/packages/nuget.md#download-a-package-file).

Follow the [NuGet symbol package issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/262081)
for further updates.

## Supported CLI commands

The GitLab NuGet repository supports the following commands for the NuGet CLI (`nuget`) and the .NET
CLI (`dotnet`):

- `nuget push`: Upload a package to the registry.
- `dotnet nuget push`: Upload a package to the registry.
- `nuget install`: Install a package from the registry.
- `dotnet add`: Install a package from the registry.

## Example project

For an example, see the Guided Exploration project
[Utterly Automated Software and Artifact Versioning with GitVersion](https://gitlab.com/guided-explorations/devops-patterns/utterly-automated-versioning).
This project:

- Generates NuGet packages by the `msbuild` method.
- Generates NuGet packages by the `nuget.exe` method.
- Uses GitLab releases and `release-cli` in connection with NuGet packaging.
- Uses a tool called [GitVersion](https://gitversion.net/)
  to automatically determine and increment versions for the NuGet package in complex repositories.

You can copy this example project to your own group or instance for testing. See the project page
for more details on what other GitLab CI patterns are demonstrated.

## Troubleshooting

To improve performance, NuGet caches files related to a package. If you encounter issues, clear the
cache with this command:

```shell
nuget locals all -clear
```
