SlimDep 1.0.0-preview.1

SlimDep

SlimDep is a .NET global tool (v1.0.0-preview.1) that detects and removes unused NuGet package references from .csproj files.

Over time, .NET projects accumulate dead package references — packages added during development or experimentation that are never cleaned up. SlimDep finds them automatically and can remove them in one command.

Supports .NET 8, 9, and 10.

Installation

dotnet tool install --global SlimDep

Once installed, the slimdep command is available everywhere on your machine.

dotnet tool update --global SlimDep    # update
dotnet tool uninstall --global SlimDep # uninstall

Before You Scan

Your project must be restored so obj/project.assets.json exists:

dotnet restore

SlimDep does not require a build — only a restore.

Commands

slimdep --version

slimdep --version
# output: 1.0.0-preview.1

slimdep scan — Detect unused packages

slimdep scan <project> [options]

Argument

Options

Examples:

# Scan a single project
slimdep scan MyApp.csproj

# Scan an entire solution folder (all .csproj files found recursively)
slimdep scan C:\Dev\MySolution

# JSON output saved to a file
slimdep scan MyApp.csproj --format json --output report.json

# Include transitive dependencies
slimdep scan MyApp.csproj --include-transitive

Sample console output:

Found 3 project(s).
Scanning MyApp.Api.csproj ...

  Project : C:\Dev\MySolution\src\MyApp.Api\MyApp.Api.csproj
  Packages: 8 direct reference(s) analysed
  Duration: 142 ms

  ✗ 2 unused package(s) found:

    • Newtonsoft.Json 13.0.3
      No namespace from this package appears in any using directive
    • Serilog.Sinks.File 5.0.0
      No namespace from this package appears in any using directive

  Run 'slimdep fix <project>' to remove them automatically.

Scanning MyApp.Core.csproj ...

  ✓ All packages are used. Nothing to remove.

Sample JSON output (--format json):

{
  "projectPath": "C:\\Dev\\MySolution\\src\\MyApp.Api\\MyApp.Api.csproj",
  "totalDirectPackages": 8,
  "unusedCount": 2,
  "durationMs": 142.35,
  "unusedPackages": [
    {
      "name": "Newtonsoft.Json",
      "version": "13.0.3",
      "reason": "No namespace from this package appears in any using directive"
    },
    {
      "name": "Serilog.Sinks.File",
      "version": "5.0.0",
      "reason": "No namespace from this package appears in any using directive"
    }
  ]
}

Exit codes: 0 = all clean · 1 = unused packages found · 2 = error

slimdep fix — Remove unused packages

slimdep fix <project> [options]

Argument

Options

Examples:

# Always preview first
slimdep fix C:\Dev\MySolution --dry-run

# Remove unused packages from all projects in a folder
slimdep fix C:\Dev\MySolution

# Single project
slimdep fix MyApp.csproj

# Include transitive packages
slimdep fix MyApp.csproj --include-transitive

Sample output:

Found 2 project(s).

Scanning MyApp.Api.csproj ...
  Unused packages (2):
    - Newtonsoft.Json 13.0.3
    - Serilog.Sinks.File 5.0.0
  Removed 2 package(s) from MyApp.Api.csproj.

Scanning MyApp.Core.csproj ...
  No unused packages found.

Run 'dotnet restore' to update the lockfile.

After fixing, run:

dotnet restore

Help

slimdep --help
slimdep scan --help
slimdep fix --help

CI Pipeline Integration

scan exits with code 1 when unused packages are found — drop it straight into any pipeline:

GitHub Actions:

- name: Check for unused NuGet packages
  run: slimdep scan .

Azure DevOps:

- script: slimdep scan .
  displayName: 'SlimDep: Check unused packages'

Supported Features

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK or later (.NET 8, 9, or 10)
• Target project must be restored (dotnet restore) so that obj/project.assets.json exists

Limitations

• Packages used via fully-qualified names (no using directive) are reported as unused
• Does not analyse XAML, Razor, or other non-C# files
• Requires obj/project.assets.json — run dotnet restore before scanning
• Source generators and build-only packages (no exported namespaces) are automatically excluded

License

MIT © 2026 Vinay Diddi