--- title: Architecture Tests in .NET | daily.dev description: Architecture tests are automated checks that verify a codebase follows established architectural rules, similar to unit tests but focused on structure rather... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/architecture-tests-in-net-twwnx1dsn twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Architecture Tests in .NET | daily.dev og:description: Architecture tests are automated checks that verify a codebase follows established architectural rules, similar to unit tests but focused on structure rather... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/architecture-tests-in-net-twwnx1dsn og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/TWwNx1dsN.png og:image:alt: Architecture Tests in .NET og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Architecture Tests in .NET **[NikolaTech](https://daily.dev/sources/nikolatech)** · 5 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Architecture tests are automated checks that verify a codebase follows established architectural rules, similar to unit tests but focused on structure rather than business logic. Using the NetArchTest.Rules NuGet package with XUnit, developers can enforce layered separation in Clean Architecture (e.g., preventing the Domain layer from depending on Business, Persistence, or Presentation), enforce inheritance rules like requiring entities to extend a base class or requests to be sealed, and enforce naming conventions such as handler classes ending with 'Handler'. The fluent API lets you select types via Types.InAssembly(), filter with That(), and assert with Should()/ShouldNot(), retrieving results with GetResult(). These tests can be added to CI/CD pipelines to catch architectural violations before they accumulate as technical debt. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How do I test that my Domain layer doesn't depend on other layers in a .NET Clean Architecture project? Use the NetArchTest.Rules library with a fluent API: select the Domain assembly via Types.InAssembly(), then assert NotHaveDependencyOn() or NotHaveDependencyOnAny() against the Business, Persistence, and Presentation assembly names, and check result.IsSuccessful inside an XUnit fact. This runs as a normal unit test and can be added to CI/CD pipelines to catch violations early. _daily.dev surfaces practical guides like this for developers enforcing layered architecture in .NET._ ### Which NuGet package can I use to write architecture tests in .NET? NetArchTest.Rules is a library for testing .NET application architecture, supporting checks on layer boundaries, project dependencies, and class relationships. Install it via 'Install-Package NetArchTest.Rules', then use its fluent API starting with the static Types class to load, filter, and assert conditions on types, retrieving pass/fail results with GetResult(). _developers evaluating testing tools for .NET architecture can track options like this via daily.dev._ ### How can I enforce naming conventions automatically in a .NET codebase? Write an architecture test with NetArchTest.Rules that selects types implementing a specific interface, such as IRequestHandler<>, and asserts HaveNameEndingWith('Handler') using the Should() method, then checks result.IsSuccessful in an XUnit test. This catches naming violations automatically instead of relying on manual code review. _teams standardizing naming rules across a codebase can keep up with such patterns via daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [5 Architecture Tests You Should Add to Your .NET Projects](https://daily.dev/posts/5-architecture-tests-you-should-add-to-your-net-projects-srtuu4tjc) · Milan Jovanović · 20 upvotes · 0 comments - [Testing Plugin Architectures in C\#: Strategies for Extensible Systems](https://daily.dev/posts/testing-plugin-architectures-in-c-strategies-for-extensible-systems-z5mfejwwe) · We Are .NET · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Hire .NET Architect](https://daily.dev/posts/hire-net-architect-lejkx17sa) · C\# Corner · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#testing](https://daily.dev/tags/testing), [#architecture](https://daily.dev/tags/architecture), [#.net](https://daily.dev/tags/.net) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/architecture-tests-in-net-twwnx1dsn) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Architecture Tests in .NET","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/architecture-tests-in-net-twwnx1dsn","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/architecture-tests-in-net-twwnx1dsn"},"datePublished":"2026-10-04T13:05:46.655Z","dateModified":"2026-10-04T13:11:56.067Z","description":"Architecture tests are automated checks that verify a codebase follows established architectural rules, similar to unit tests but focused on structure rather...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/49cc5bf59791e23b840c7f6f31e3279b?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/49cc5bf59791e23b840c7f6f31e3279b?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"NikolaTech","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NikolaTech","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--1h2fO6FL--/f_auto,q_auto/v1791119050/logos/nikolatech?_a=BAMAMicg0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/nikolatech"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/architecture-tests-in-net-twwnx1dsn","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"testing,architecture,.net","timeRequired":"PT5M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"NikolaTech","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/nikolatech"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Architecture Tests in .NET"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/architecture-tests-in-net-twwnx1dsn#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I test that my Domain layer doesn't depend on other layers in a .NET Clean Architecture project?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Use the NetArchTest.Rules library with a fluent API: select the Domain assembly via Types.InAssembly(), then assert NotHaveDependencyOn() or NotHaveDependencyOnAny() against the Business, Persistence, and Presentation assembly names, and check result.IsSuccessful inside an XUnit fact. 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