Nuget Trusted Publishing

NuGet Trusted Publishing Setup

Set up NuGet trusted publishing on a GitHub Actions repo. Replaces long-lived API keys with OIDC-based short-lived tokens — no secrets to rotate or leak.

Repository integration: AGENTS.md and the repository's existing release workflow are authoritative. Preserve Central Package Management, locked restore, existing package validation, and SHA-pinned GitHub Actions. Examples below use generic action tags only as reference; do not weaken the repository's pinning policy when applying them.

Prerequisites

• GitHub Actions — this skill covers GitHub Actions setup only
• nuget.org account — the user needs access to create trusted publishing policies

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Setting up trusted publishing for a NuGet package
• Migrating from secrets.NUGET_API_KEY to OIDC-based publishing
• Asked about keyless or secure NuGet publishing
• Creating a new NuGet publish workflow from scratch
• Asked to "remove NuGet API key" or "use NuGet/login"
• Setting up publishing for a dotnet tool, MCP server, or template package
• Asked about NuGet/login@v1 or id-token: write

Safety Rules

Bail-out rule: If any phase fails after one fix attempt on an infrastructure/auth issue, stop and ask the user. Don't loop on environment problems.

Never delete or overwrite without confirmation: Removing API key secrets, deleting tags/releases, removing workflow steps, or changing package IDs. NuGet package IDs are permanent — mistakes can't be undone.

Process

Phase 1: Assess

Inspect the repo and report findings before making changes.

1. Find and classify packable projects — check .csproj files and Directory.Build.props. Classify in this order:

   • <PackageType>Template</PackageType> → Template
   • <PackageType>McpServer</PackageType> → MCP server
   • <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool> → Dotnet tool
   • Class library (IsPackable=true or no OutputType) → Library
   • <OutputType>Exe</OutputType> with <IsPackable>true</IsPackable> → Application package
   • <OutputType>Exe</OutputType> without PackAsTool or IsPackable → Not packable by default

2. Validate structure for each project's type:

   Type	Required
   All	PackageId, Version (directly or through repo-wide properties)
   Dotnet tool	PackAsTool; ToolCommandName optional but recommended
   MCP server	PackageType=McpServer, .mcp/server.json included in package
   Template	PackageType=Template, .template.config/template.json under content dir

3. Find existing publish workflows in .github/workflows/ — look for dotnet nuget push, nuget push, or dotnet pack.

4. Check version consistency for package-specific metadata.

5. Report findings before changing authentication or release behavior.

See references/package-types.md for package details.

Phase 2: Local Verification

Pack and verify before touching nuget.org — publishing errors waste a permanent version number.

1. Run the repository's existing deterministic restore/build/test/package validation first.
2. Run dotnet pack -c Release -o ./artifacts or the repository-equivalent pack command.
3. Inspect package contents and metadata before publishing.

Phase 3: nuget.org Policy

This phase requires user action on nuget.org.

1. Determine the repo owner, repo name, and exact workflow filename that publishes.
2. Create the trusted publishing policy at nuget.org with those exact values.
3. If the workflow uses a GitHub Environment, ensure the policy environment matches exactly.
4. Prefer a protected release environment when it matches the repository's release design.

Wait for the user to confirm the policy before removing old API-key paths or secrets.

Phase 4: Workflow Setup

For migration from an API key:

1. Add OIDC permission to the publishing job:

permissions:
  id-token: write
  contents: read

2. Add NuGet login before push, using the repository's approved pinned action reference:

- name: NuGet login (OIDC)
  id: login
  uses: NuGet/login@<approved-pinned-reference>
  with:
    user: ${{ secrets.NUGET_USER }}

3. Replace the static API key in the push step:

--api-key ${{ steps.login.outputs.NUGET_API_KEY }} --skip-duplicate

4. Verify a real publish before removing any legacy secret.

Troubleshooting

References

• references/package-types.md
• references/publish-workflow.md
• NuGet Trusted Publishing