actions/setup-dotnet

Install the .NET SDK and optionally cache NuGet packages.

Official actionCategory: Language & Toolchain SetupLatest v4View on GitHub

What it does

actions/setup-dotnet installs the .NET SDK and puts dotnet on PATH. You can install several versions at once and pin the exact SDK via a global.json.

Enable NuGet caching with the cache input plus a lockfile, or via the built-in NuGet cache environment.

Usage

workflow (.yml)

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
    with:
      dotnet-version: '8.0.x'
  - run: dotnet test

Inputs

Input	Description	Default	Required
`dotnet-version`	SDK version(s), e.g. 8.0.x. Multiple allowed.	-	No
`global-json-file`	Path to a global.json pinning the SDK.	-	No
`cache`	Enable NuGet package caching.	`false`	No
`cache-dependency-path`	Path to packages.lock.json for the cache key.	-	No

Outputs

Output	Description
`dotnet-version`	The SDK version that was installed.
`cache-hit`	true if an exact NuGet cache was restored.

Notes

To cache NuGet packages with cache: true, commit a packages.lock.json (enable restore locking).

Common errors

A version like 8.0 that resolves to an unavailable SDK can fail; prefer 8.0.x or pin via global.json.
cache: true without a lockfile warns and does not cache. Enable NuGet lock files or point cache-dependency-path at one.

Security and pinning

Pin setup-dotnet to a commit SHA.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install multiple .NET versions?

Provide a multiline dotnet-version with each version on its own line; all are installed.