What Should a .NET Project Have? A Practical Checklist for Developers
If you’ve ever kicked off a new .NET project, you probably know the temptation: jump straight into writing controllers and models, and before you know it, the project grows into an unstructured mess. A well-organized project, however, saves you and your team from headaches later—especially when it comes to scaling, testing, and maintaining the application.
So, what are the essentials a solid .NET project should include? Let’s walk through the key components that every professional .NET solution (particularly web APIs and enterprise applications) should have.
1. Project Structure That Makes Sense
A good starting point is a clean, predictable folder structure. Here’s one I often use:
/MyApp
│
├── Controllers/ --> Handle HTTP requests
├── Models/ --> DTOs, ViewModels, domain models
├── Services/ --> Business logic
├── Repositories/ --> Data access layer (EF Core, Dapper, etc.)
├── Interfaces/ --> Abstractions for services/repositories
├── Data/ --> DbContext, migrations
├── Middleware/ --> Custom middleware (logging, errors, etc.)
├── Utilities/Helpers/ --> Shared helpers (JWT, encryption, etc.)
├── wwwroot/ --> Static files (for web apps)
├── Tests/ --> Unit & integration tests
│
├── appsettings.json --> Configurations
├── Program.cs --> Entry point (setup, DI, logging, pipeline)
├── Startup.cs (optional)--> Used in older templates
├── MyApp.csproj --> Project file
This structure gives clarity to anyone joining the project and enforces separation of concerns.
2. The Must-Haves
Let’s zoom into the important parts:
Program.cs / Startup.cs
Configure dependency injection (DI), middleware, routing, and logging.
This is the "wiring hub" of your application.
Dependency Injection (DI)
Promotes loose coupling and testability:
services.AddScoped<IUserService, UserService>();
appsettings.json
Configuration is king. Store:
Connection strings
API keys
JWT secrets
Environment-based overrides (Development, Production, etc.)
Logging
Use built-in logging or plug in something like Serilog or NLog for richer capabilities.
Error Handling
Centralize it with middleware so your APIs return consistent, predictable error messages.
Models / DTOs / ViewModels
Keep your domain entities separate from what you expose via APIs. This helps avoid overexposing your DB schema.
Data Access Layer
If you’re using EF Core:
DbContext
in/Data
Migrations for schema evolution
Optional repository pattern for abstraction
Services / Business Layer
Controllers should stay thin. Push business logic into services to keep things clean.
Authentication & Authorization
JWT, cookies, or OAuth depending on your project.
Secure routes using
[Authorize]
.
Middleware
Useful for logging, request tracking, authentication, or handling CORS.
Unit & Integration Tests
Use xUnit, NUnit, or MSTest. Mock dependencies with Moq (or similar) for isolated testing.
API Documentation
Swagger/OpenAPI is almost non-negotiable these days:
builder.Services.AddSwaggerGen();
Static Code Analysis
Use tools like StyleCop, SonarQube, or ReSharper to enforce coding standards and catch potential issues early.
CI/CD Pipeline
Even for small projects, prepare for:
Automated builds
Tests
Deployment (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, etc.)
3. Good-to-Have Extras
Health Checks → Monitor app health (great for Kubernetes/Docker).
Rate Limiting → Prevent abuse.
Localization → If you’re targeting multi-lingual users.
Feature Flags → Toggle features without redeploying.
Secrets Management → Use Azure Key Vault or similar instead of hardcoding secrets.
In Summary
A well-structured .NET project isn’t just about writing code—it’s about designing for the future. At a minimum, your project should have:
🧠 Clean architecture
💡 Separation of concerns
🔄 Dependency injection
🧪 Unit & integration tests
🧾 Centralized logging & error handling
🔒 Secure authentication & authorization
⚙️ Config-driven environment setup
📦 Organized folders & maintainable structure
Getting these right from day one saves countless hours later. Your future self (and your teammates) will thank you.