--- title: Before You Start a .NET Web API, Add These 3 Files description: Before writing the first endpoint in a .NET Web API project, three configuration files can prevent common team-scale problems. An `.editorconfig` enforces... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/before-you-start-a-net-web-api-add-these-3-files-yfqv8ww9z twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Before You Start a .NET Web API, Add These 3 Files | daily.dev og:description: Before writing the first endpoint in a .NET Web API project, three configuration files can prevent common team-scale problems. An `.editorconfig` enforces... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/before-you-start-a-net-web-api-add-these-3-files-yfqv8ww9z og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/YFqV8ww9z.png og:image:alt: Before You Start a .NET Web API, Add These 3 Files 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. # Before You Start a .NET Web API, Add These 3 Files **[Waseem .NET Newsletter](https://daily.dev/sources/mwaseemzakir)** · 5 min read · 16 upvotes · 1 comments ## Summary Before writing the first endpoint in a .NET Web API project, three configuration files can prevent common team-scale problems. An `.editorconfig` enforces consistent code style across all developers, eliminating formatting debates in code reviews. A `Directory.Packages.props` file enables Central NuGet Package Management, keeping package versions consistent across all projects in a solution and reducing dependency conflicts. A `CLAUDE.md` file provides AI coding assistants like Claude Code with explicit project architecture rules, folder conventions, and prohibited actions — preventing the AI from making decisions that violate your design. A recommended setup order is provided, emphasizing that these foundational files should be added before any feature development begins. ## 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 set up central NuGet package management in a .NET solution? Create a Directory.Packages.props file at the solution root with ManagePackageVersionsCentrally set to true and a list of PackageVersion entries specifying the package name and version. Individual .csproj files then reference packages via PackageReference without specifying versions, so every project pulls its version from one central file, reducing dependency conflicts and drift. _Developers wiring up multi-project .NET solutions can find setup patterns like this through daily.dev._ ### What should I include in a CLAUDE.md file for a .NET project using Claude Code? A CLAUDE.md file should describe what the application does, its technology stack, solution structure, where new features belong, required commands, migration and testing conventions, architectural rules that must never be broken, and actions requiring explicit approval, such as never running git push without being asked. This prevents the AI assistant from guessing at unwritten conventions. _Teams configuring AI coding assistants for consistent output often compare CLAUDE.md conventions via daily.dev._ ## Community discussion Top comments from developers on daily.dev. **@agustinbarrientos** · 0 upvotes > I'd want the repository to build cleanly before the first endpoint exists. [Directory.Build](http://Directory.Build).props can wait until the second project appears. ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [6 Steps for Setting Up a New .NET Project the Right Way](https://daily.dev/posts/6-steps-for-setting-up-a-new-net-project-the-right-way-fjdpiz9bk) · Milan Jovanović · 36 upvotes · 0 comments - [Configuring Claude Code for Real .NET Projects](https://daily.dev/posts/configuring-claude-code-for-real-net-projects-xmahxhskc) · We Are .NET · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [20 Advanced Claude Code Tips for .NET Developers](https://daily.dev/posts/20-advanced-claude-code-tips-for-net-developers-pvzjo58ni) · Code with Mukesh · 8 upvotes · 0 comments - [4 Claude Code settings I change before letting it touch a project](https://daily.dev/posts/4-claude-code-settings-i-change-before-letting-it-touch-a-project-x4q0kzxh9) · XDA Developers · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [How to Organize Minimal APIs](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-organize-minimal-apis-o8gyfuyf1) · Telerik · 10 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#.net](https://daily.dev/tags/.net), [#claude-code](https://daily.dev/tags/claude-code), [#nuget](https://daily.dev/tags/nuget) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/before-you-start-a-net-web-api-add-these-3-files-yfqv8ww9z) ```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":"Before You Start a .NET Web API, Add These 3 Files","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/before-you-start-a-net-web-api-add-these-3-files-yfqv8ww9z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/before-you-start-a-net-web-api-add-these-3-files-yfqv8ww9z"},"datePublished":"2026-08-01T07:09:28.404Z","dateModified":"2026-09-14T08:04:46.663Z","description":"Before writing the first endpoint in a .NET Web API project, three configuration files can prevent common team-scale problems. 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