Installation - Microsoft Graph .NET SDK

This guide walks you through installing the Microsoft Graph .NET SDK and setting up your development environment.

Prerequisites

Before installing the SDK, ensure you have:

.NET SDK installed (version 5.0 or later recommended)
Visual Studio 2019/2022, Visual Studio Code, or JetBrains Rider
NuGet package manager (included with Visual Studio and .NET CLI)

The SDK targets .NET Standard 2.0, .NET Standard 2.1, and .NET 5.0+, making it compatible with a wide range of .NET applications.

Installation via NuGet

There are several ways to install the Microsoft Graph .NET SDK package.

Option 1: Package Manager Console

If you’re using Visual Studio, open the Package Manager Console and run:

Install-Package Microsoft.Graph

Option 2: .NET CLI

From your project directory, run:

dotnet add package Microsoft.Graph

Option 3: Visual Studio NuGet Manager

Open NuGet Package Manager

Right-click on your project in Solution Explorer and select “Manage NuGet Packages”

Search for Microsoft.Graph

In the Browse tab, search for Microsoft.Graph

Install the Package

Select the Microsoft.Graph package and click Install

Option 4: Project File

Add the package reference directly to your .csproj file:

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Graph" Version="5.*" />
</ItemGroup>

Using 5.* ensures you get the latest v5.x version with bug fixes and new features while avoiding breaking changes from major version updates.

Installing Authentication Dependencies

The SDK requires authentication credentials. Install Azure.Identity for TokenCredential support:

Using .NET CLI

dotnet add package Azure.Identity

Using Package Manager Console

Install-Package Azure.Identity

Azure.Identity provides production-ready authentication implementations including interactive browser, device code, client secret, and certificate-based authentication.

Target Framework Requirements

The Microsoft Graph .NET SDK supports multiple target frameworks:

Target Framework	Minimum Version	Recommended For
.NET Standard 2.0	2.0.0	.NET Framework 4.6.1+, Broad compatibility
.NET Standard 2.1	2.1.0	.NET Core 3.0+, Better performance
.NET 5+	5.0	Modern .NET applications, Latest features

Verify Your Project Configuration

Check your .csproj file to ensure compatibility:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <!-- Single target framework -->
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    
    <!-- Or multiple targets -->
    <!-- <TargetFrameworks>net6.0;net7.0;net8.0</TargetFrameworks> -->
  </PropertyGroup>
  
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Graph" Version="5.*" />
    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Identity" Version="1.*" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Package Dependencies

When you install Microsoft.Graph, the following dependencies are automatically installed:

Microsoft.Graph.Core

Version: 3.x
Purpose: Core abstractions, HTTP middleware, and request infrastructure The Core package provides:

HTTP handler middleware for retry, redirect, and authentication
Request/response abstractions
Serialization infrastructure
Batch request support

Kiota Packages

The v5 SDK uses Kiota for code generation and includes:

Microsoft.Kiota.Abstractions - Core abstractions for request building
Microsoft.Kiota.Http.HttpClientLibrary - HTTP client implementation
Microsoft.Kiota.Serialization.Json - JSON serialization
Microsoft.Kiota.Authentication.Azure - Azure authentication integration

All Kiota dependencies are automatically managed - you don’t need to install them separately.

Verifying Installation

After installation, verify the SDK is working correctly.

Create a Test File

Create a new file GraphTest.cs:

using Microsoft.Graph;
using Microsoft.Graph.Models;
using Azure.Identity;

namespace MyApp
{
    public class GraphTest
    {
        public static void VerifyInstallation()
        {
            // If this compiles, the SDK is installed correctly
            var credential = new ClientSecretCredential(
                "tenant-id", 
                "client-id", 
                "client-secret"
            );
            
            var graphClient = new GraphServiceClient(credential);
            
            Console.WriteLine("Microsoft Graph .NET SDK installed successfully!");
            Console.WriteLine($"SDK version: {typeof(GraphServiceClient).Assembly.GetName().Version}");
        }
    }
}

Build Your Project

dotnet build

If the build succeeds without errors, the SDK is installed correctly!

You can check the installed package version by running dotnet list package in your project directory.

Common Installation Issues

Issue: Package Restore Fails

Error message:

Unable to find package Microsoft.Graph

Solution:

Ensure you have internet connectivity
Clear NuGet cache: dotnet nuget locals all --clear
Restore packages: dotnet restore

Issue: Version Conflicts

Error message:

Version conflict detected for Microsoft.Graph.Core

Solution: Add explicit package references to resolve conflicts:

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Graph" Version="5.103.0" />
  <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Graph.Core" Version="3.*" />
</ItemGroup>

Issue: .NET Framework Compatibility

Error message:

Package Microsoft.Graph 5.x is not compatible with net461

Solution: For .NET Framework projects, ensure you’re targeting at least .NET Framework 4.6.1. Update your .csproj:

<TargetFramework>net462</TargetFramework>

.NET Framework 4.6.1 is the minimum supported version. For better performance and security, consider upgrading to .NET 6.0 or later.

Issue: Long Path Names (Windows)

Error message:

The specified path, file name, or both are too long

Solution: Enable long path support on Windows:

Run in command prompt as Administrator:

git config --system core.longpaths true

Set registry key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
Set LongPathsEnabled to 1

Development Environment Setup

Visual Studio Configuration

For the best development experience in Visual Studio:

Enable NuGet Package Restore

Tools → Options → NuGet Package Manager → General
Check “Allow NuGet to download missing packages”

Enable IntelliSense

The SDK includes XML documentation for full IntelliSense support
Ensure “Tools → Options → Text Editor → C# → IntelliSense” is enabled

Configure Code Analysis

Consider enabling code analysis for best practices
Project Properties → Code Analysis

Visual Studio Code Configuration

For VS Code users, install these extensions:

C# Dev Kit - Full C# language support
NuGet Package Manager - GUI for managing packages
.NET Core Test Explorer - For running tests

JetBrains Rider Configuration

Rider includes built-in NuGet support. After installation:

Enable automatic package restore: Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → NuGet
The SDK’s XML documentation will automatically provide IntelliSense

Additional Packages

Depending on your scenarios, you may want to install additional packages:

Microsoft.Graph.Beta

For beta endpoint access:

dotnet add package Microsoft.Graph.Beta

Beta APIs are not supported for production use. They may change without notice and should only be used for development and testing.

Microsoft.Identity.Client (MSAL)

For advanced authentication scenarios:

dotnet add package Microsoft.Identity.Client

Azure.Identity is built on top of MSAL and is recommended for most scenarios. Only use MSAL directly if you need advanced authentication customization.

Next Steps

Now that you have the SDK installed, you’re ready to build your first Microsoft Graph application!

Quick Start Guide

Build your first Graph API call in 5 minutes

Authentication Setup

Configure authentication for your application

Core Concepts

Learn about request builders and models

API Reference

Explore the complete API reference

Package Information

Package Name: Microsoft.Graph
Current Version: 5.103.0
License: MIT License
Repository: GitHub - microsoftgraph/msgraph-sdk-dotnet
NuGet: nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.Graph
Release Cadence: Updated during the second and fourth week of each month

View the complete changelog for detailed release notes and version history.

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Migration Guides

​Prerequisites

​Installation via NuGet

​Option 1: Package Manager Console

​Option 2: .NET CLI

​Option 3: Visual Studio NuGet Manager

​Option 4: Project File

​Installing Authentication Dependencies

​Using .NET CLI

​Using Package Manager Console

​Target Framework Requirements

​Verify Your Project Configuration

​Package Dependencies

​Microsoft.Graph.Core

​Kiota Packages

​Verifying Installation

​Create a Test File

​Build Your Project

​Common Installation Issues

​Issue: Package Restore Fails

​Issue: Version Conflicts

​Issue: .NET Framework Compatibility

​Issue: Long Path Names (Windows)

​Development Environment Setup

​Visual Studio Configuration

​Visual Studio Code Configuration

​JetBrains Rider Configuration

​Additional Packages

​Microsoft.Graph.Beta

​Microsoft.Identity.Client (MSAL)

​Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Authentication Setup

Core Concepts

API Reference

​Package Information

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Prerequisites

Installation via NuGet

Option 1: Package Manager Console

Option 2: .NET CLI

Option 3: Visual Studio NuGet Manager

Option 4: Project File

Installing Authentication Dependencies

Using .NET CLI

Using Package Manager Console

Target Framework Requirements

Verify Your Project Configuration

Package Dependencies

Microsoft.Graph.Core

Kiota Packages

Verifying Installation

Create a Test File

Build Your Project

Common Installation Issues

Issue: Package Restore Fails

Issue: Version Conflicts

Issue: .NET Framework Compatibility

Issue: Long Path Names (Windows)

Development Environment Setup

Visual Studio Configuration

Visual Studio Code Configuration

JetBrains Rider Configuration

Additional Packages

Microsoft.Graph.Beta

Microsoft.Identity.Client (MSAL)

Next Steps

Package Information