diff --git a/docs/README.skills.md b/docs/README.skills.md
index c2c3090fa..61f9ff694 100644
--- a/docs/README.skills.md
+++ b/docs/README.skills.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ Skills differ from other primitives by supporting bundled assets (scripts, code
| ---- | ----------- | -------------- |
| [agentic-eval](../skills/agentic-eval/SKILL.md) | Patterns and techniques for evaluating and improving AI agent outputs. Use this skill when:
- Implementing self-critique and reflection loops
- Building evaluator-optimizer pipelines for quality-critical generation
- Creating test-driven code refinement workflows
- Designing rubric-based or LLM-as-judge evaluation systems
- Adding iterative improvement to agent outputs (code, reports, analysis)
- Measuring and improving agent response quality | None |
| [appinsights-instrumentation](../skills/appinsights-instrumentation/SKILL.md) | Instrument a webapp to send useful telemetry data to Azure App Insights | `LICENSE.txt`
`examples/appinsights.bicep`
`references/ASPNETCORE.md`
`references/AUTO.md`
`references/NODEJS.md`
`references/PYTHON.md`
`scripts/appinsights.ps1` |
+| [aspire](../skills/aspire/SKILL.md) | Aspire skill covering the Aspire CLI, AppHost orchestration, service discovery, integrations, MCP server, VS Code extension, Dev Containers, GitHub Codespaces, templates, dashboard, and deployment. Use when the user asks to create, run, debug, configure, deploy, or troubleshoot an Aspire distributed application. | `references/architecture.md`
`references/cli-reference.md`
`references/dashboard.md`
`references/deployment.md`
`references/integrations-catalog.md`
`references/mcp-server.md`
`references/polyglot-apis.md`
`references/testing.md`
`references/troubleshooting.md` |
| [azure-deployment-preflight](../skills/azure-deployment-preflight/SKILL.md) | Performs comprehensive preflight validation of Bicep deployments to Azure, including template syntax validation, what-if analysis, and permission checks. Use this skill before any deployment to Azure to preview changes, identify potential issues, and ensure the deployment will succeed. Activate when users mention deploying to Azure, validating Bicep files, checking deployment permissions, previewing infrastructure changes, running what-if, or preparing for azd provision. | `references/ERROR-HANDLING.md`
`references/REPORT-TEMPLATE.md`
`references/VALIDATION-COMMANDS.md` |
| [azure-devops-cli](../skills/azure-devops-cli/SKILL.md) | Manage Azure DevOps resources via CLI including projects, repos, pipelines, builds, pull requests, work items, artifacts, and service endpoints. Use when working with Azure DevOps, az commands, devops automation, CI/CD, or when user mentions Azure DevOps CLI. | None |
| [azure-resource-visualizer](../skills/azure-resource-visualizer/SKILL.md) | Analyze Azure resource groups and generate detailed Mermaid architecture diagrams showing the relationships between individual resources. Use this skill when the user asks for a diagram of their Azure resources or help in understanding how the resources relate to each other. | `LICENSE.txt`
`assets/template-architecture.md` |
diff --git a/skills/aspire/SKILL.md b/skills/aspire/SKILL.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..937dffae6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/SKILL.md
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+---
+name: aspire
+description: 'Aspire skill covering the Aspire CLI, AppHost orchestration, service discovery, integrations, MCP server, VS Code extension, Dev Containers, GitHub Codespaces, templates, dashboard, and deployment. Use when the user asks to create, run, debug, configure, deploy, or troubleshoot an Aspire distributed application.'
+---
+
+# Aspire — Polyglot Distributed-App Orchestration
+
+Aspire is a **code-first, polyglot toolchain** for building observable, production-ready distributed applications. It orchestrates containers, executables, and cloud resources from a single AppHost project — regardless of whether the workloads are C#, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Java, Rust, Bun, Deno, or PowerShell.
+
+> **Mental model:** The AppHost is a *conductor* — it doesn't play the instruments, it tells every service when to start, how to find each other, and watches for problems.
+
+Detailed reference material lives in the `references/` folder — load on demand.
+
+---
+
+## References
+
+| Reference | When to load |
+|---|---|
+| [CLI Reference](references/cli-reference.md) | Command flags, options, or detailed usage |
+| [MCP Server](references/mcp-server.md) | Setting up MCP for AI assistants, available tools |
+| [Integrations Catalog](references/integrations-catalog.md) | Discovering integrations via MCP tools, wiring patterns |
+| [Polyglot APIs](references/polyglot-apis.md) | Method signatures, chaining options, language-specific patterns |
+| [Architecture](references/architecture.md) | DCP internals, resource model, service discovery, networking, telemetry |
+| [Dashboard](references/dashboard.md) | Dashboard features, standalone mode, GenAI Visualizer |
+| [Deployment](references/deployment.md) | Docker, Kubernetes, Azure Container Apps, App Service |
+| [Testing](references/testing.md) | Integration tests against the AppHost |
+| [Troubleshooting](references/troubleshooting.md) | Diagnostic codes, common errors, and fixes |
+
+---
+
+## 1. Researching Aspire Documentation
+
+The Aspire team ships an **MCP server** that provides documentation tools directly inside your AI assistant. See [MCP Server](references/mcp-server.md) for setup details.
+
+### Aspire CLI 13.2+ (recommended — has built-in docs search)
+
+If running Aspire CLI **13.2 or later** (`aspire --version`), the MCP server includes docs search tools:
+
+| Tool | Description |
+|---|---|
+| `list_docs` | Lists all available documentation from aspire.dev |
+| `search_docs` | Performs weighted lexical search across indexed documentation |
+| `get_doc` | Retrieves a specific document by its slug |
+
+These tools were added in [PR #14028](https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/pull/14028). To update: `aspire update --self --channel daily`.
+
+For more on this approach, see David Pine's post: https://davidpine.dev/posts/aspire-docs-mcp-tools/
+
+### Aspire CLI 13.1 (integration tools only)
+
+On 13.1, the MCP server provides integration lookup but **not** docs search:
+
+| Tool | Description |
+|---|---|
+| `list_integrations` | Lists available Aspire hosting integrations |
+| `get_integration_docs` | Gets documentation for a specific integration package |
+
+For general docs queries on 13.1, use **Context7** as your primary source (see below).
+
+### Fallback: Context7
+
+Use **Context7** (`mcp_context7`) when the Aspire MCP docs tools are unavailable (13.1) or the MCP server isn't running:
+
+**Step 1 — Resolve the library ID** (one-time per session):
+
+Call `mcp_context7_resolve-library-id` with `libraryName: ".NET Aspire"`.
+
+| Rank | Library ID | Use when |
+|---|---|---|
+| 1 | `/microsoft/aspire.dev` | Primary source. Guides, integrations, CLI reference, deployment. |
+| 2 | `/dotnet/aspire` | API internals, source-level implementation details. |
+| 3 | `/communitytoolkit/aspire` | Non-Microsoft polyglot integrations (Go, Java, Node.js, Ollama). |
+
+**Step 2 — Query docs:**
+
+```
+libraryId: "/microsoft/aspire.dev", query: "Python integration AddPythonApp service discovery"
+libraryId: "/communitytoolkit/aspire", query: "Golang Java Node.js community integrations"
+```
+
+### Fallback: GitHub search (when Context7 is also unavailable)
+
+Search the official docs repo on GitHub:
+- **Docs repo:** `microsoft/aspire.dev` — path: `src/frontend/src/content/docs/`
+- **Source repo:** `dotnet/aspire`
+- **Samples repo:** `dotnet/aspire-samples`
+- **Community integrations:** `CommunityToolkit/Aspire`
+
+---
+
+## 2. Prerequisites & Install
+
+| Requirement | Details |
+|---|---|
+| **.NET SDK** | 10.0+ (required even for non-.NET workloads — the AppHost is .NET) |
+| **Container runtime** | Docker Desktop, Podman, or Rancher Desktop |
+| **IDE (optional)** | VS Code + C# Dev Kit, Visual Studio 2022, JetBrains Rider |
+
+```bash
+# Linux / macOS
+curl -sSL https://aspire.dev/install.sh | bash
+
+# Windows PowerShell
+irm https://aspire.dev/install.ps1 | iex
+
+# Verify
+aspire --version
+
+# Install templates
+dotnet new install Aspire.ProjectTemplates
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3. Project Templates
+
+| Template | Command | Description |
+|---|---|---|
+| **aspire-starter** | `aspire new aspire-starter` | ASP.NET Core/Blazor starter + AppHost + tests |
+| **aspire-ts-cs-starter** | `aspire new aspire-ts-cs-starter` | ASP.NET Core/React starter + AppHost |
+| **aspire-py-starter** | `aspire new aspire-py-starter` | FastAPI/React starter + AppHost |
+| **aspire-apphost-singlefile** | `aspire new aspire-apphost-singlefile` | Empty single-file AppHost |
+
+---
+
+## 4. AppHost Quick Start (Polyglot)
+
+The AppHost orchestrates all services. Non-.NET workloads run as containers or executables.
+
+```csharp
+var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
+
+// Infrastructure
+var redis = builder.AddRedis("cache");
+var postgres = builder.AddPostgres("pg").AddDatabase("catalog");
+
+// .NET API
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithReference(postgres).WithReference(redis);
+
+// Python ML service
+var ml = builder.AddPythonApp("ml-service", "../ml-service", "main.py")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8000).WithReference(redis);
+
+// React frontend (Vite)
+var web = builder.AddViteApp("web", "../frontend")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 5173).WithReference(api);
+
+// Go worker
+var worker = builder.AddGolangApp("worker", "../go-worker")
+ .WithReference(redis);
+
+builder.Build().Run();
+```
+
+For complete API signatures, see [Polyglot APIs](references/polyglot-apis.md).
+
+---
+
+## 5. Core Concepts (Summary)
+
+| Concept | Key point |
+|---|---|
+| **Run vs Publish** | `aspire run` = local dev (DCP engine). `aspire publish` = generate deployment manifests. |
+| **Service discovery** | Automatic via env vars: `ConnectionStrings__`, `services____http__0` |
+| **Resource lifecycle** | DAG ordering — dependencies start first. `.WaitFor()` gates on health checks. |
+| **Resource types** | `ProjectResource`, `ContainerResource`, `ExecutableResource`, `ParameterResource` |
+| **Integrations** | 144+ across 13 categories. Hosting package (AppHost) + Client package (service). |
+| **Dashboard** | Real-time logs, traces, metrics, GenAI visualizer. Runs automatically with `aspire run`. |
+| **MCP Server** | AI assistants can query running apps and search docs via CLI (STDIO). |
+| **Testing** | `Aspire.Hosting.Testing` — spin up full AppHost in xUnit/MSTest/NUnit. |
+| **Deployment** | Docker, Kubernetes, Azure Container Apps, Azure App Service. |
+
+---
+
+## 6. CLI Quick Reference
+
+Valid commands in Aspire CLI 13.1:
+
+| Command | Description | Status |
+|---|---|---|
+| `aspire new ` | Create from template | Stable |
+| `aspire init` | Initialize in existing project | Stable |
+| `aspire run` | Start all resources locally | Stable |
+| `aspire add ` | Add an integration | Stable |
+| `aspire publish` | Generate deployment manifests | Preview |
+| `aspire config` | Manage configuration settings | Stable |
+| `aspire cache` | Manage disk cache | Stable |
+| `aspire deploy` | Deploy to defined targets | Preview |
+| `aspire do ` | Execute a pipeline step | Preview |
+| `aspire update` | Update integrations (or `--self` for CLI) | Preview |
+| `aspire mcp init` | Configure MCP for AI assistants | Stable |
+| `aspire mcp start` | Start the MCP server | Stable |
+
+Full command reference with flags: [CLI Reference](references/cli-reference.md).
+
+---
+
+## 7. Common Patterns
+
+### Adding a new service
+
+1. Create your service directory (any language)
+2. Add to AppHost: `Add*App()` or `AddProject()`
+3. Wire dependencies: `.WithReference()`
+4. Gate on health: `.WaitFor()` if needed
+5. Run: `aspire run`
+
+### Migrating from Docker Compose
+
+1. `aspire new aspire-apphost-singlefile` (empty AppHost)
+2. Replace each `docker-compose` service with an Aspire resource
+3. `depends_on` → `.WithReference()` + `.WaitFor()`
+4. `ports` → `.WithHttpEndpoint()`
+5. `environment` → `.WithEnvironment()` or `.WithReference()`
+
+---
+
+## 8. Key URLs
+
+| Resource | URL |
+|---|---|
+| **Documentation** | https://aspire.dev |
+| **Runtime repo** | https://github.com/dotnet/aspire |
+| **Docs repo** | https://github.com/microsoft/aspire.dev |
+| **Samples** | https://github.com/dotnet/aspire-samples |
+| **Community Toolkit** | https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Aspire |
+| **Dashboard image** | `mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspire-dashboard` |
+| **Discord** | https://aka.ms/aspire/discord |
+| **Reddit** | https://www.reddit.com/r/aspiredotdev/ |
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/architecture.md b/skills/aspire/references/architecture.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..15ebbb553
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/architecture.md
@@ -0,0 +1,341 @@
+# Architecture — Deep Dive
+
+This reference covers Aspire's internal architecture: the DCP engine, resource model, service discovery, networking, telemetry, and the eventing system.
+
+---
+
+## Developer Control Plane (DCP)
+
+The DCP is the **runtime engine** that Aspire uses in `aspire run` mode. Key facts:
+
+- Written in **Go** (not .NET)
+- Exposes a **Kubernetes-compatible API server** (local only, not a real K8s cluster)
+- Manages resource lifecycle: create, start, health-check, stop, restart
+- Runs containers via the local container runtime (Docker, Podman, Rancher)
+- Runs executables as native OS processes
+- Handles networking via a proxy layer with automatic port assignment
+- Provides the foundation for the Aspire Dashboard's real-time data
+
+### DCP vs Kubernetes
+
+| Aspect | DCP (local dev) | Kubernetes (production) |
+|---|---|---|
+| API | Kubernetes-compatible | Full Kubernetes API |
+| Scope | Single machine | Cluster |
+| Networking | Local proxy, auto ports | Service mesh, ingress |
+| Storage | Local volumes | PVCs, cloud storage |
+| Purpose | Developer inner loop | Production deployment |
+
+The Kubernetes-compatible API means Aspire understands the same resource abstractions, but DCP is **not** a Kubernetes distribution — it's a lightweight local runtime.
+
+---
+
+## Resource Model
+
+Everything in Aspire is a **resource**. The resource model is hierarchical:
+
+### Type hierarchy
+
+```
+IResource (interface)
+└── Resource (abstract base)
+ ├── ProjectResource — .NET project reference
+ ├── ContainerResource — Docker/OCI container
+ ├── ExecutableResource — Native process (polyglot apps)
+ ├── ParameterResource — Config value or secret
+ └── Infrastructure resources
+ ├── RedisResource
+ ├── PostgresServerResource
+ ├── MongoDBServerResource
+ ├── SqlServerResource
+ ├── RabbitMQServerResource
+ ├── KafkaServerResource
+ └── ... (one per integration)
+```
+
+### Resource properties
+
+Every resource has:
+- **Name** — unique identifier within the AppHost
+- **State** — lifecycle state (Starting, Running, FailedToStart, Stopping, Stopped, etc.)
+- **Annotations** — metadata attached to the resource
+- **Endpoints** — network endpoints exposed by the resource
+- **Environment variables** — injected into the process/container
+
+### Annotations
+
+Annotations are metadata bags attached to resources. Common built-in annotations:
+
+| Annotation | Purpose |
+|---|---|
+| `EndpointAnnotation` | Defines an HTTP/HTTPS/TCP endpoint |
+| `EnvironmentCallbackAnnotation` | Deferred env var resolution |
+| `HealthCheckAnnotation` | Health check configuration |
+| `ContainerImageAnnotation` | Docker image details |
+| `VolumeAnnotation` | Volume mount configuration |
+| `CommandLineArgsCallbackAnnotation` | Dynamic CLI arguments |
+| `ManifestPublishingCallbackAnnotation` | Custom publish behavior |
+
+### Resource lifecycle states
+
+```
+NotStarted → Starting → Running → Stopping → Stopped
+ ↓ ↓
+ FailedToStart RuntimeUnhealthy
+ ↓
+ Restarting → Running
+```
+
+### DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph)
+
+Resources form a dependency graph. Aspire starts resources in topological order:
+
+```
+PostgreSQL ──→ API ──→ Frontend
+Redis ────────↗
+RabbitMQ ──→ Worker
+```
+
+1. PostgreSQL, Redis, and RabbitMQ start first (no dependencies)
+2. API starts after PostgreSQL and Redis are healthy
+3. Frontend starts after API is healthy
+4. Worker starts after RabbitMQ is healthy
+
+`.WaitFor()` adds a health-check gate to the dependency edge. Without it, the dependency starts but the downstream doesn't wait for health.
+
+---
+
+## Service Discovery
+
+Aspire injects environment variables into each resource so services can find each other. No service registry or DNS is needed — it's pure environment variable injection.
+
+### Connection strings
+
+For databases, caches, and message brokers:
+
+```
+ConnectionStrings__=
+```
+
+Examples:
+```
+ConnectionStrings__cache=localhost:6379
+ConnectionStrings__catalog=Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=catalog;Username=postgres;Password=...
+ConnectionStrings__messaging=amqp://guest:guest@localhost:5672
+```
+
+### Service endpoints
+
+For HTTP/HTTPS services:
+
+```
+services______0=
+```
+
+Examples:
+```
+services__api__http__0=http://localhost:5234
+services__api__https__0=https://localhost:7234
+services__ml__http__0=http://localhost:8000
+```
+
+### How .WithReference() works
+
+```csharp
+var redis = builder.AddRedis("cache");
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithReference(redis);
+```
+
+This does:
+1. Adds `ConnectionStrings__cache=localhost:` to the API's environment
+2. Creates a dependency edge in the DAG (API depends on Redis)
+3. In the API service, `builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("cache")` returns the connection string
+
+### Cross-language service discovery
+
+All languages use the same env var pattern:
+
+| Language | How to read |
+|---|---|
+| C# | `builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("cache")` |
+| Python | `os.environ["ConnectionStrings__cache"]` |
+| JavaScript | `process.env.ConnectionStrings__cache` |
+| Go | `os.Getenv("ConnectionStrings__cache")` |
+| Java | `System.getenv("ConnectionStrings__cache")` |
+| Rust | `std::env::var("ConnectionStrings__cache")` |
+
+---
+
+## Networking
+
+### Proxy architecture
+
+In `aspire run` mode, DCP runs a reverse proxy for each exposed endpoint:
+
+```
+Browser → Proxy (auto-assigned port) → Actual Service (target port)
+```
+
+- **port** (the external port) — auto-assigned by DCP unless overridden
+- **targetPort** — the port your service actually listens on
+- All inter-service traffic goes through the proxy for observability
+
+```csharp
+// Let DCP auto-assign the external port, service listens on 8000
+builder.AddPythonApp("ml", "../ml", "main.py")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8000);
+
+// Fix the external port to 3000
+builder.AddViteApp("web", "../frontend")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(port: 3000, targetPort: 5173);
+```
+
+### Endpoint types
+
+```csharp
+// HTTP endpoint
+.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)
+
+// HTTPS endpoint
+.WithHttpsEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)
+
+// Generic endpoint (TCP, custom schemes)
+.WithEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, scheme?, name?, isExternal?)
+
+// Mark endpoints as externally accessible (for deployment)
+.WithExternalHttpEndpoints()
+```
+
+---
+
+## Telemetry (OpenTelemetry)
+
+Aspire configures OpenTelemetry automatically for .NET services. For non-.NET services, you configure OpenTelemetry manually, pointing at the DCP collector.
+
+### What's auto-configured (.NET services)
+
+- **Distributed tracing** — HTTP client/server spans, database spans, messaging spans
+- **Metrics** — Runtime metrics, HTTP metrics, custom metrics
+- **Structured logging** — Logs correlated with trace context
+- **Exporter** — OTLP exporter pointing at the Aspire Dashboard
+
+### Configuring non-.NET services
+
+The DCP exposes an OTLP endpoint. Set these env vars in your non-.NET service:
+
+```
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:4317
+OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=
+```
+
+Aspire auto-injects `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT` via `.WithReference()` for the dashboard collector.
+
+### ServiceDefaults pattern
+
+The `ServiceDefaults` project is a shared configuration library that standardizes:
+- OpenTelemetry setup (tracing, metrics, logging)
+- Health check endpoints (`/health`, `/alive`)
+- Resilience policies (retries, circuit breakers via Polly)
+
+```csharp
+// In each .NET service's Program.cs
+builder.AddServiceDefaults(); // adds OTel, health checks, resilience
+// ... other service config ...
+app.MapDefaultEndpoints(); // maps /health and /alive
+```
+
+---
+
+## Health Checks
+
+### Built-in health checks
+
+Every integration adds health checks automatically on the client side:
+- Redis: `PING` command
+- PostgreSQL: `SELECT 1`
+- MongoDB: `ping` command
+- RabbitMQ: Connection check
+- etc.
+
+### WaitFor vs WithReference
+
+```csharp
+// WithReference: wires connection string + creates dependency edge
+// (downstream may start before dependency is healthy)
+.WithReference(db)
+
+// WaitFor: gates on health check — downstream won't start until healthy
+.WaitFor(db)
+
+// Typical pattern: both
+.WithReference(db).WaitFor(db)
+```
+
+### Custom health checks
+
+```csharp
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithHealthCheck("ready", "/health/ready")
+ .WithHealthCheck("live", "/health/live");
+```
+
+---
+
+## Eventing System
+
+The AppHost supports lifecycle events for reacting to resource state changes:
+
+```csharp
+builder.Eventing.Subscribe("api", (evt, ct) =>
+{
+ // Fires when "api" resource becomes healthy
+ Console.WriteLine($"API is ready at {evt.Resource.Name}");
+ return Task.CompletedTask;
+});
+
+builder.Eventing.Subscribe("db", async (evt, ct) =>
+{
+ // Run database migrations before the DB resource is marked as started
+ await RunMigrations();
+});
+```
+
+### Available events
+
+| Event | When |
+|---|---|
+| `BeforeResourceStartedEvent` | Before a resource starts |
+| `ResourceReadyEvent` | Resource is healthy and ready |
+| `ResourceStateChangedEvent` | Any state transition |
+| `BeforeStartEvent` | Before the entire application starts |
+| `AfterEndpointsAllocatedEvent` | After all ports are assigned |
+
+---
+
+## Configuration
+
+### Parameters
+
+```csharp
+// Plain parameter
+var apiKey = builder.AddParameter("api-key");
+
+// Secret parameter (prompted at run, not logged)
+var dbPassword = builder.AddParameter("db-password", secret: true);
+
+// Use in resources
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithEnvironment("API_KEY", apiKey);
+
+var db = builder.AddPostgres("db", password: dbPassword);
+```
+
+### Configuration sources
+
+Parameters are resolved from (in priority order):
+1. Command-line arguments
+2. Environment variables
+3. User secrets (`dotnet user-secrets`)
+4. `appsettings.json` / `appsettings.{Environment}.json`
+5. Interactive prompt (for secrets during `aspire run`)
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/cli-reference.md b/skills/aspire/references/cli-reference.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29f70033c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/cli-reference.md
@@ -0,0 +1,307 @@
+# CLI Reference — Complete Command Reference
+
+The Aspire CLI (`aspire`) is the primary interface for creating, running, and publishing distributed applications. It is cross-platform and installed standalone (not coupled to the .NET CLI, though `dotnet` commands also work).
+
+**Tested against:** Aspire CLI 13.1.0
+
+---
+
+## Installation
+
+```bash
+# Linux / macOS
+curl -sSL https://aspire.dev/install.sh | bash
+
+# Windows PowerShell
+irm https://aspire.dev/install.ps1 | iex
+
+# Verify
+aspire --version
+
+# Update the CLI itself
+aspire update --self
+```
+
+---
+
+## Global Options
+
+All commands support these options:
+
+| Option | Description |
+| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
+| `-d, --debug` | Enable debug logging to the console |
+| `--non-interactive` | Disable all interactive prompts and spinners |
+| `--wait-for-debugger` | Wait for a debugger to attach before executing |
+| `-?, -h, --help` | Show help and usage information |
+| `--version` | Show version information |
+
+---
+
+## Command Reference
+
+### `aspire new`
+
+Create a new project from a template.
+
+```bash
+aspire new [] [options]
+
+# Options:
+# -n, --name Project name
+# -o, --output Output directory
+# -s, --source NuGet source for templates
+# -v, --version Version of templates to use
+# --channel Channel (stable, daily)
+
+# Examples:
+aspire new aspire-starter
+aspire new aspire-starter -n MyApp -o ./my-app
+aspire new aspire-ts-cs-starter
+aspire new aspire-py-starter
+aspire new aspire-apphost-singlefile
+```
+
+Available templates:
+
+- `aspire-starter` — ASP.NET Core/Blazor starter + AppHost + tests
+- `aspire-ts-cs-starter` — ASP.NET Core/React + AppHost
+- `aspire-py-starter` — FastAPI/React + AppHost
+- `aspire-apphost-singlefile` — Empty single-file AppHost
+
+### `aspire init`
+
+Initialize Aspire in an existing project or solution.
+
+```bash
+aspire init [options]
+
+# Options:
+# -s, --source NuGet source for templates
+# -v, --version Version of templates to use
+# --channel Channel (stable, daily)
+
+# Example:
+cd my-existing-solution
+aspire init
+```
+
+Adds AppHost and ServiceDefaults projects to an existing solution. Interactive prompts guide you through selecting which projects to orchestrate.
+
+### `aspire run`
+
+Start all resources locally using the DCP (Developer Control Plane).
+
+```bash
+aspire run [options] [-- ]
+
+# Options:
+# --project Path to AppHost project file
+
+# Examples:
+aspire run
+aspire run --project ./src/MyApp.AppHost
+```
+
+Behavior:
+
+1. Builds the AppHost project
+2. Starts the DCP engine
+3. Creates resources in dependency order (DAG)
+4. Waits for health checks on gated resources
+5. Opens the dashboard in the default browser
+6. Streams logs to the terminal
+
+Press `Ctrl+C` to gracefully stop all resources.
+
+### `aspire add`
+
+Add a hosting integration to the AppHost.
+
+```bash
+aspire add [] [options]
+
+# Options:
+# --project Target project file
+# -v, --version Version of integration to add
+# -s, --source NuGet source for integration
+
+# Examples:
+aspire add redis
+aspire add postgresql
+aspire add mongodb
+```
+
+### `aspire publish` (Preview)
+
+Generate deployment manifests from the AppHost resource model.
+
+```bash
+aspire publish [options] [-- ]
+
+# Options:
+# --project Path to AppHost project file
+# -o, --output-path Output directory (default: ./aspire-output)
+# --log-level Log level (trace, debug, information, warning, error, critical)
+# -e, --environment Environment (default: Production)
+# --include-exception-details Include stack traces in pipeline logs
+
+# Examples:
+aspire publish
+aspire publish --output-path ./deploy
+aspire publish -e Staging
+```
+
+### `aspire config`
+
+Manage Aspire configuration settings.
+
+```bash
+aspire config
+
+# Subcommands:
+# get Get a configuration value
+# set Set a configuration value
+# list List all configuration values
+# delete Delete a configuration value
+
+# Examples:
+aspire config list
+aspire config set telemetry.enabled false
+aspire config get telemetry.enabled
+aspire config delete telemetry.enabled
+```
+
+### `aspire cache`
+
+Manage disk cache for CLI operations.
+
+```bash
+aspire cache
+
+# Subcommands:
+# clear Clear all cache entries
+
+# Example:
+aspire cache clear
+```
+
+### `aspire deploy` (Preview)
+
+Deploy the contents of an Aspire apphost to its defined deployment targets.
+
+```bash
+aspire deploy [options] [-- ]
+
+# Options:
+# --project Path to AppHost project file
+# -o, --output-path Output path for deployment artifacts
+# --log-level Log level (trace, debug, information, warning, error, critical)
+# -e, --environment Environment (default: Production)
+# --include-exception-details Include stack traces in pipeline logs
+# --clear-cache Clear deployment cache for current environment
+
+# Example:
+aspire deploy --project ./src/MyApp.AppHost
+```
+
+### `aspire do` (Preview)
+
+Execute a specific pipeline step and its dependencies.
+
+```bash
+aspire do [options] [-- ]
+
+# Options:
+# --project Path to AppHost project file
+# -o, --output-path Output path for artifacts
+# --log-level Log level (trace, debug, information, warning, error, critical)
+# -e, --environment Environment (default: Production)
+# --include-exception-details Include stack traces in pipeline logs
+
+# Example:
+aspire do build-images --project ./src/MyApp.AppHost
+```
+
+### `aspire update` (Preview)
+
+Update integrations in the Aspire project, or update the CLI itself.
+
+```bash
+aspire update [options]
+
+# Options:
+# --project Path to AppHost project file
+# --self Update the Aspire CLI itself to the latest version
+# --channel Channel to update to (stable, daily)
+
+# Examples:
+aspire update # Update project integrations
+aspire update --self # Update the CLI itself
+aspire update --self --channel daily # Update CLI to daily build
+```
+
+### `aspire mcp`
+
+Manage the MCP (Model Context Protocol) server.
+
+```bash
+aspire mcp
+
+# Subcommands:
+# init Initialize MCP server configuration for detected agent environments
+# start Start the MCP server
+```
+
+#### `aspire mcp init`
+
+```bash
+aspire mcp init
+
+# Interactive — detects your AI environment and creates config files.
+# Supported environments:
+# - VS Code (GitHub Copilot)
+# - Copilot CLI
+# - Claude Code
+# - OpenCode
+```
+
+Generates the appropriate configuration file for your detected AI tool.
+See [MCP Server](mcp-server.md) for details.
+
+#### `aspire mcp start`
+
+```bash
+aspire mcp start
+
+# Starts the MCP server using STDIO transport.
+# This is typically invoked by your AI tool, not run manually.
+```
+
+---
+
+## Commands That Do NOT Exist
+
+The following commands are **not valid** in Aspire CLI 13.1. Use alternatives:
+
+| Invalid Command | Alternative |
+| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `aspire build` | Use `dotnet build ./AppHost` |
+| `aspire test` | Use `dotnet test ./Tests` |
+| `aspire dev` | Use `aspire run` (includes file watching) |
+| `aspire list` | Use `aspire new --help` for templates, `aspire add` for integrations |
+
+---
+
+## .NET CLI equivalents
+
+The `dotnet` CLI can perform some Aspire tasks:
+
+| Aspire CLI | .NET CLI Equivalent |
+| --------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
+| `aspire new aspire-starter` | `dotnet new aspire-starter` |
+| `aspire run` | `dotnet run --project ./AppHost` |
+| N/A | `dotnet build ./AppHost` |
+| N/A | `dotnet test ./Tests` |
+
+The Aspire CLI adds value with `publish`, `deploy`, `add`, `mcp`, `config`, `cache`, `do`, and `update` — commands that have no direct `dotnet` equivalent.
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/dashboard.md b/skills/aspire/references/dashboard.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6cc55b1d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/dashboard.md
@@ -0,0 +1,226 @@
+# Dashboard — Complete Reference
+
+The Aspire Dashboard provides real-time observability for all resources in your distributed application. It launches automatically with `aspire run` and can also run standalone.
+
+---
+
+## Features
+
+### Resources view
+
+Displays all resources (projects, containers, executables) with:
+
+- **Name** and **type** (Project, Container, Executable)
+- **State** (Starting, Running, Stopped, FailedToStart, etc.)
+- **Start time** and **uptime**
+- **Endpoints** — clickable URLs for each exposed endpoint
+- **Source** — project path, container image, or executable path
+- **Actions** — Stop, Start, Restart buttons
+
+### Console logs
+
+Aggregated raw stdout/stderr from all resources:
+
+- Filter by resource name
+- Search within logs
+- Auto-scroll with pause
+- Color-coded by resource
+
+### Structured logs
+
+Application-level structured logs (via ILogger, OpenTelemetry):
+
+- **Filterable** by resource, log level, category, message content
+- **Expandable** — click to see full log entry with all properties
+- **Correlated** with traces — click to jump to the related trace
+- Supports .NET ILogger structured logging properties
+- Supports OpenTelemetry log signals from any language
+
+### Distributed traces
+
+End-to-end request traces across all services:
+
+- **Waterfall view** — shows the full call chain with timing
+- **Span details** — HTTP method, URL, status code, duration
+- **Database spans** — SQL queries, connection details
+- **Messaging spans** — queue operations, topic publishes
+- **Error highlighting** — failed spans shown in red
+- **Cross-service correlation** — trace context propagated automatically for .NET; manual for other languages
+
+### Metrics
+
+Real-time and historical metrics:
+
+- **Runtime metrics** — CPU, memory, GC, thread pool
+- **HTTP metrics** — request rate, error rate, latency percentiles
+- **Custom metrics** — any metrics your services emit via OpenTelemetry
+- **Chartable** — time-series graphs for each metric
+
+### GenAI Visualizer
+
+For applications using AI/LLM integrations:
+
+- **Token usage** — prompt tokens, completion tokens, total tokens per request
+- **Prompt/completion pairs** — see the exact prompt sent and response received
+- **Model metadata** — which model, temperature, max tokens
+- **Latency** — time per AI call
+- Requires services to emit [GenAI semantic conventions](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/semconv/gen-ai/) via OpenTelemetry
+
+---
+
+## Dashboard URL
+
+By default, the dashboard runs on an auto-assigned port. Find it:
+
+- In the terminal output when `aspire run` starts
+- Via MCP: `list_resources` tool
+- Override with `--dashboard-port`:
+
+```bash
+aspire run --dashboard-port 18888
+```
+
+---
+
+## Standalone Dashboard
+
+Run the dashboard without an AppHost — useful for existing applications that already emit OpenTelemetry:
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm -d \
+ -p 18888:18888 \
+ -p 4317:18889 \
+ mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspire-dashboard:latest
+```
+
+| Port | Purpose |
+| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| `18888` | Dashboard web UI |
+| `4317` → `18889` | OTLP gRPC receiver (standard OTel port → dashboard internal) |
+
+### Configure your services
+
+Point your OpenTelemetry exporters at the dashboard:
+
+```bash
+# Environment variables for any language's OpenTelemetry SDK
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:4317
+OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=my-service
+```
+
+### Docker Compose example
+
+```yaml
+services:
+ dashboard:
+ image: mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspire-dashboard:latest
+ ports:
+ - "18888:18888"
+ - "4317:18889"
+
+ api:
+ build: ./api
+ environment:
+ - OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=http://dashboard:18889
+ - OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=api
+
+ worker:
+ build: ./worker
+ environment:
+ - OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=http://dashboard:18889
+ - OTEL_SERVICE_NAME=worker
+```
+
+---
+
+## Dashboard configuration
+
+### Authentication
+
+The standalone dashboard supports authentication via browser tokens:
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm -d \
+ -p 18888:18888 \
+ -p 4317:18889 \
+ -e DASHBOARD__FRONTEND__AUTHMODE=BrowserToken \
+ -e DASHBOARD__FRONTEND__BROWSERTOKEN__TOKEN=my-secret-token \
+ mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspire-dashboard:latest
+```
+
+### OTLP configuration
+
+```bash
+# Accept OTLP over gRPC (default)
+-e DASHBOARD__OTLP__GRPC__ENDPOINT=http://0.0.0.0:18889
+
+# Accept OTLP over HTTP
+-e DASHBOARD__OTLP__HTTP__ENDPOINT=http://0.0.0.0:18890
+
+# Require API key for OTLP
+-e DASHBOARD__OTLP__AUTHMODE=ApiKey
+-e DASHBOARD__OTLP__PRIMARYAPIKEY=my-api-key
+```
+
+### Resource limits
+
+```bash
+# Limit log entries retained
+-e DASHBOARD__TELEMETRYLIMITS__MAXLOGCOUNT=10000
+
+# Limit trace entries retained
+-e DASHBOARD__TELEMETRYLIMITS__MAXTRACECOUNT=10000
+
+# Limit metric data points
+-e DASHBOARD__TELEMETRYLIMITS__MAXMETRICCOUNT=50000
+```
+
+---
+
+## Copilot integration
+
+The dashboard integrates with GitHub Copilot in VS Code:
+
+- Ask questions about resource status
+- Query logs and traces in natural language
+- The MCP server (see [MCP Server](mcp-server.md)) provides the bridge
+
+---
+
+## Non-.NET service telemetry
+
+For non-.NET services to appear in the dashboard, they must emit OpenTelemetry signals. Aspire auto-injects the OTLP endpoint env var when using `.WithReference()`:
+
+### Python (OpenTelemetry SDK)
+
+```python
+from opentelemetry import trace
+from opentelemetry.exporter.otlp.proto.grpc.trace_exporter import OTLPSpanExporter
+from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import TracerProvider
+from opentelemetry.sdk.trace.export import BatchSpanProcessor
+import os
+
+# Aspire injects OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT automatically
+endpoint = os.environ.get("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT", "http://localhost:4317")
+
+provider = TracerProvider()
+provider.add_span_processor(BatchSpanProcessor(OTLPSpanExporter(endpoint=endpoint)))
+trace.set_tracer_provider(provider)
+```
+
+### JavaScript (OpenTelemetry SDK)
+
+```javascript
+const { NodeTracerProvider } = require("@opentelemetry/sdk-trace-node");
+const { OTLPTraceExporter } = require("@opentelemetry/exporter-trace-otlp-grpc");
+
+const provider = new NodeTracerProvider();
+provider.addSpanProcessor(
+ new BatchSpanProcessor(
+ new OTLPTraceExporter({
+ url: process.env.OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT || "http://localhost:4317",
+ })
+ )
+);
+provider.register();
+```
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/deployment.md b/skills/aspire/references/deployment.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb1521a14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/deployment.md
@@ -0,0 +1,237 @@
+# Deployment — Complete Reference
+
+Aspire separates **orchestration** (what to run) from **deployment** (where to run it). The `aspire publish` command translates your AppHost resource model into deployment manifests for your target platform.
+
+---
+
+## Publish vs Deploy
+
+| Concept | What it does |
+|---|---|
+| **`aspire publish`** | Generates deployment artifacts (Dockerfiles, Helm charts, Bicep, etc.) |
+| **Deploy** | You run the generated artifacts through your CI/CD pipeline |
+
+Aspire does NOT deploy directly. It generates the manifests — you deploy them.
+
+---
+
+## Supported Targets
+
+### Docker
+
+**Package:** `Aspire.Hosting.Docker`
+
+```bash
+aspire publish -p docker -o ./docker-output
+```
+
+Generates:
+- `docker-compose.yml` — service definitions matching your AppHost
+- `Dockerfile` for each .NET project
+- Environment variable configuration
+- Volume mounts
+- Network configuration
+
+```csharp
+// AppHost configuration for Docker publishing
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .PublishAsDockerFile(); // override default publish behavior
+```
+
+### Kubernetes
+
+**Package:** `Aspire.Hosting.Kubernetes`
+
+```bash
+aspire publish -p kubernetes -o ./k8s-output
+```
+
+Generates:
+- Kubernetes YAML manifests (Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, Secrets)
+- Helm chart (optional)
+- Ingress configuration
+- Resource limits based on AppHost configuration
+
+```csharp
+// AppHost: customize K8s publishing
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithReplicas(3) // maps to K8s replicas
+ .WithExternalHttpEndpoints(); // maps to Ingress/LoadBalancer
+```
+
+### Azure Container Apps
+
+**Package:** `Aspire.Hosting.Azure.AppContainers`
+
+```bash
+aspire publish -p azure -o ./azure-output
+```
+
+Generates:
+- Bicep templates for Azure Container Apps Environment
+- Container App definitions for each service
+- Azure Container Registry configuration
+- Managed identity configuration
+- Dapr components (if using Dapr integration)
+- VNET configuration
+
+```csharp
+// AppHost: Azure-specific configuration
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithExternalHttpEndpoints() // maps to external ingress
+ .WithReplicas(3); // maps to min replicas
+
+// Azure resources are auto-provisioned
+var storage = builder.AddAzureStorage("storage"); // creates Storage Account
+var cosmos = builder.AddAzureCosmosDB("cosmos"); // creates Cosmos DB account
+var sb = builder.AddAzureServiceBus("messaging"); // creates Service Bus namespace
+```
+
+### Azure App Service
+
+**Package:** `Aspire.Hosting.Azure.AppService`
+
+```bash
+aspire publish -p appservice -o ./appservice-output
+```
+
+Generates:
+- Bicep templates for App Service Plans and Web Apps
+- Connection string configuration
+- Application settings
+
+---
+
+## Resource model to deployment mapping
+
+| AppHost concept | Docker Compose | Kubernetes | Azure Container Apps |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `AddProject()` | `service` with Dockerfile | `Deployment` + `Service` | `Container App` |
+| `AddContainer()` | `service` with `image:` | `Deployment` + `Service` | `Container App` |
+| `AddRedis()` | `service: redis` | `StatefulSet` | Managed Redis |
+| `AddPostgres()` | `service: postgres` | `StatefulSet` | Azure PostgreSQL |
+| `.WithReference()` | `environment:` vars | `ConfigMap` / `Secret` | App settings |
+| `.WithReplicas(n)` | `deploy: replicas: n` | `replicas: n` | `minReplicas: n` |
+| `.WithVolume()` | `volumes:` | `PersistentVolumeClaim` | Azure Files |
+| `.WithHttpEndpoint()` | `ports:` | `Service` port | Ingress |
+| `.WithExternalHttpEndpoints()` | `ports:` (host) | `Ingress` / `LoadBalancer` | External ingress |
+| `AddParameter(secret: true)` | `.env` file | `Secret` | Key Vault reference |
+
+---
+
+## CI/CD integration
+
+### GitHub Actions example
+
+```yaml
+name: Deploy
+on:
+ push:
+ branches: [main]
+
+jobs:
+ deploy:
+ runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+ steps:
+ - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+ - name: Setup .NET
+ uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
+ with:
+ dotnet-version: '10.0.x'
+
+ - name: Install Aspire CLI
+ run: curl -sSL https://aspire.dev/install.sh | bash
+
+ - name: Generate manifests
+ run: aspire publish -p azure -o ./deploy
+
+ - name: Deploy to Azure
+ uses: azure/arm-deploy@v2
+ with:
+ template: ./deploy/main.bicep
+ parameters: ./deploy/main.parameters.json
+```
+
+### Azure DevOps example
+
+```yaml
+trigger:
+ branches:
+ include: [main]
+
+pool:
+ vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
+
+steps:
+ - task: UseDotNet@2
+ inputs:
+ version: '10.0.x'
+
+ - script: curl -sSL https://aspire.dev/install.sh | bash
+ displayName: 'Install Aspire CLI'
+
+ - script: aspire publish -p azure -o $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/deploy
+ displayName: 'Generate deployment manifests'
+
+ - task: AzureResourceManagerTemplateDeployment@3
+ inputs:
+ deploymentScope: 'Resource Group'
+ templateLocation: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/deploy/main.bicep'
+```
+
+---
+
+## Environment-specific configuration
+
+### Using parameters for secrets
+
+```csharp
+// AppHost
+var dbPassword = builder.AddParameter("db-password", secret: true);
+var postgres = builder.AddPostgres("db", password: dbPassword);
+```
+
+In deployment:
+- **Docker:** Loaded from `.env` file
+- **Kubernetes:** Loaded from `Secret` resource
+- **Azure:** Loaded from Key Vault via managed identity
+
+### Conditional resources
+
+```csharp
+// Use Azure services in production, emulators locally
+if (builder.ExecutionContext.IsPublishMode)
+{
+ var cosmos = builder.AddAzureCosmosDB("cosmos"); // real Azure resource
+}
+else
+{
+ var cosmos = builder.AddAzureCosmosDB("cosmos")
+ .RunAsEmulator(); // local emulator
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Dev Containers & GitHub Codespaces
+
+Aspire templates include `.devcontainer/` configuration:
+
+```json
+{
+ "name": "Aspire App",
+ "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/dotnet:10.0",
+ "features": {
+ "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/docker-in-docker:2": {},
+ "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/node:1": {}
+ },
+ "postCreateCommand": "curl -sSL https://aspire.dev/install.sh | bash",
+ "forwardPorts": [18888],
+ "portsAttributes": {
+ "18888": { "label": "Aspire Dashboard" }
+ }
+}
+```
+
+Port forwarding works automatically in Codespaces — the dashboard and all service endpoints are accessible via forwarded URLs.
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/integrations-catalog.md b/skills/aspire/references/integrations-catalog.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e8fbb60c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/integrations-catalog.md
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# Integrations Catalog
+
+Aspire has **144+ integrations** across 13 categories. Rather than maintaining a static list, use the MCP tools to get live, up-to-date integration data.
+
+---
+
+## Discovering integrations (MCP tools)
+
+The Aspire MCP server provides two tools for integration discovery — these work on **all CLI versions** (13.1+) and do **not** require a running AppHost.
+
+| Tool | What it does | When to use |
+| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `list_integrations` | Returns all available Aspire hosting integrations with their NuGet package IDs | "What integrations are available for databases?" / "Show me all Redis-related integrations" |
+| `get_integration_docs` | Retrieves detailed documentation for a specific integration package (setup, configuration, code samples) | "How do I configure PostgreSQL?" / "Show me the docs for `Aspire.Hosting.Redis`" |
+
+### Workflow
+
+1. **Browse** — Call `list_integrations` to see what's available. Filter results by category or keyword.
+2. **Deep dive** — Call `get_integration_docs` with the package ID (e.g., `Aspire.Hosting.Redis`) and version (e.g., `9.0.0`) to get full setup instructions.
+3. **Add** — Run `aspire add ` to install the hosting package into your AppHost.
+
+> **Tip:** These tools return the same data as the [official integrations gallery](https://aspire.dev/integrations/gallery/). Prefer them over static docs — integrations are added frequently.
+
+---
+
+## Integration pattern
+
+Every integration follows a two-package pattern:
+
+- **Hosting package** (`Aspire.Hosting.*`) — adds the resource to the AppHost
+- **Client package** (`Aspire.*`) — configures the client SDK in your service with health checks, telemetry, and retries
+- **Community Toolkit** (`CommunityToolkit.Aspire.*`) — community-maintained integrations from [Aspire Community Toolkit](https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Aspire)
+
+```csharp
+// === AppHost (hosting side) ===
+var redis = builder.AddRedis("cache"); // Aspire.Hosting.Redis
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithReference(redis);
+
+// === Service (client side) — in API's Program.cs ===
+builder.AddRedisClient("cache"); // Aspire.StackExchange.Redis
+// Automatically configures: connection string, health checks, OpenTelemetry, retries
+```
+
+---
+
+## Categories at a glance
+
+Use `list_integrations` for the full live list. This summary covers the major categories:
+
+| Category | Key integrations | Example hosting package |
+| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
+| **AI** | Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, GitHub Models, Ollama | `Aspire.Hosting.Azure.CognitiveServices` |
+| **Caching** | Redis, Garnet, Valkey, Azure Cache for Redis | `Aspire.Hosting.Redis` |
+| **Cloud / Azure** | Storage, Cosmos DB, Service Bus, Key Vault, Event Hubs, Functions, SQL, SignalR (25+) | `Aspire.Hosting.Azure.Storage` |
+| **Cloud / AWS** | AWS SDK integration | `Aspire.Hosting.AWS` |
+| **Databases** | PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, MySQL, Oracle, Elasticsearch, Milvus, Qdrant, SQLite | `Aspire.Hosting.PostgreSQL` |
+| **DevTools** | Data API Builder, Dev Tunnels, Mailpit, k6, Flagd, Ngrok, Stripe | `Aspire.Hosting.DevTunnels` |
+| **Messaging** | RabbitMQ, Kafka, NATS, ActiveMQ, LavinMQ | `Aspire.Hosting.RabbitMQ` |
+| **Observability** | OpenTelemetry (built-in), Seq, OTel Collector | `Aspire.Hosting.Seq` |
+| **Compute** | Docker Compose, Kubernetes | `Aspire.Hosting.Docker` |
+| **Reverse Proxies** | YARP | `Aspire.Hosting.Yarp` |
+| **Security** | Keycloak | `Aspire.Hosting.Keycloak` |
+| **Frameworks** | JavaScript, Python, Go, Java, Rust, Bun, Deno, Orleans, MAUI, Dapr, PowerShell | `Aspire.Hosting.Python` |
+
+For polyglot framework method signatures, see [Polyglot APIs](polyglot-apis.md).
+
+---
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/mcp-server.md b/skills/aspire/references/mcp-server.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bca2d9340
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/mcp-server.md
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+# MCP Server — Complete Reference
+
+Aspire exposes an **MCP (Model Context Protocol) server** that lets AI coding assistants query and control your running distributed application, and search Aspire documentation. This enables AI tools to inspect resource status, read logs, view traces, restart services, and look up docs — all from within the AI assistant's context.
+
+Reference: https://aspire.dev/get-started/configure-mcp/
+
+---
+
+## Setup: `aspire mcp init`
+
+The easiest way to configure the MCP server is using the Aspire CLI:
+
+```bash
+# Open a terminal in your project directory
+aspire mcp init
+```
+
+The command walks you through an interactive setup:
+
+1. **Workspace root** — prompts for the path to your workspace root (defaults to current directory)
+2. **Environment detection** — detects supported AI environments (VS Code, Copilot CLI, Claude Code, OpenCode) and asks which to configure
+3. **Playwright MCP** — optionally offers to configure the Playwright MCP server alongside Aspire
+4. **Config creation** — writes the appropriate configuration files (e.g., `.vscode/mcp.json`)
+5. **AGENTS.md** — if one doesn't already exist, creates an `AGENTS.md` with Aspire-specific instructions for AI agents
+
+> **Note:** `aspire mcp init` uses interactive prompts (Spectre.Console). It must be run in a real terminal — the VS Code integrated terminal may not handle the prompts correctly. Use an external terminal if needed.
+
+---
+
+## Understanding the Configuration
+
+When you run `aspire mcp init`, the CLI creates configuration files appropriate for your detected environment.
+
+### VS Code (GitHub Copilot)
+
+Creates or updates `.vscode/mcp.json`:
+
+```json
+{
+ "servers": {
+ "aspire": {
+ "type": "stdio",
+ "command": "aspire",
+ "args": ["mcp", "start"]
+ }
+ }
+}
+```
+
+## MCP Tools
+
+The tools available depend on your Aspire CLI version. Check with `aspire --version`.
+
+### Tools available in 13.1+ (stable)
+
+#### Resource management tools
+
+These tools require a running AppHost (`aspire run`).
+
+| Tool | Description |
+| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| `list_resources` | Lists all resources, including state, health status, source, endpoints, and commands |
+| `list_console_logs` | Lists console logs for a resource |
+| `list_structured_logs` | Lists structured logs, optionally filtered by resource name |
+| `list_traces` | Lists distributed traces. Traces can be filtered using an optional resource name parameter |
+| `list_trace_structured_logs` | Lists structured logs for a specific trace |
+| `execute_resource_command` | Executes a resource command (accepts resource name and command name) |
+
+#### AppHost management tools
+
+| Tool | Description |
+| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `list_apphosts` | Lists all detected AppHost connections, showing which are in/out of working directory scope |
+| `select_apphost` | Selects which AppHost to use when multiple are running |
+
+#### Integration tools
+
+These work without a running AppHost.
+
+| Tool | Description |
+| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `list_integrations` | Lists available Aspire hosting integrations (NuGet packages for databases, message brokers, cloud services, etc.) |
+| `get_integration_docs` | Gets documentation for a specific Aspire hosting integration package |
+
+### Tools added in 13.2+ (documentation search)
+
+> **Version gate:** These tools were added in [PR #14028](https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/pull/14028) and ship in Aspire CLI **13.2**. If you are on 13.1, these tools will NOT appear. To get them early, update to the daily channel: `aspire update --self --channel daily`.
+
+| Tool | Description |
+| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| `list_docs` | Lists all available documentation from aspire.dev |
+| `search_docs` | Performs weighted lexical search across indexed aspire.dev documentation |
+| `get_doc` | Retrieves a specific document by its slug |
+
+These tools index aspire.dev content using the `llms.txt` specification and provide weighted lexical search (titles 10x, summaries 8x, headings 6x, code 5x, body 1x). They work without a running AppHost.
+
+### Fallback for documentation (13.1 users)
+
+If you are on Aspire CLI 13.1 and don't have `list_docs`/`search_docs`/`get_doc`, use **Context7** as a fallback for documentation queries. See the [SKILL.md documentation research section](../SKILL.md#1-researching-aspire-documentation) for details.
+
+---
+
+## Excluding Resources from MCP
+
+Resources and associated telemetry can be excluded from MCP results by annotating the resource:
+
+```csharp
+var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
+
+var apiService = builder.AddProject("apiservice")
+ .ExcludeFromMcp(); // Hidden from MCP tools
+
+builder.AddProject("webfrontend")
+ .WithExternalHttpEndpoints()
+ .WithReference(apiService);
+
+builder.Build().Run();
+```
+
+---
+
+## Supported AI Assistants
+
+The `aspire mcp init` command supports:
+
+- [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/mcp-servers) (GitHub Copilot)
+- [Copilot CLI](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/use-copilot-cli#add-an-mcp-server)
+- [Claude Code](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/mcp)
+- [OpenCode](https://opencode.ai/docs/mcp-servers/)
+
+The MCP server uses the **STDIO transport protocol** and may work with other agentic coding environments that support this protocol.
+
+---
+
+## Usage Patterns
+
+### Debugging with AI assistance
+
+Once MCP is configured, your AI assistant can:
+
+1. **Inspect running state:**
+
+ - "List all my Aspire resources and their status"
+ - "Is the database healthy?"
+ - "What port is the API running on?"
+
+2. **Read logs:**
+
+ - "Show me the recent logs from the ML service"
+ - "Are there any errors in the worker logs?"
+
+3. **View traces:**
+
+ - "Show me the trace for the last failed request"
+ - "What's the latency for API → Database calls?"
+
+4. **Control resources:**
+
+ - "Restart the API service"
+ - "Stop the worker while I debug the queue"
+
+5. **Search docs (13.2+):**
+ - "Search the Aspire docs for Redis caching"
+ - "How do I configure service discovery?"
+ - _(Requires CLI 13.2+. On 13.1, use Context7 or `list_integrations`/`get_integration_docs` for integration-specific docs.)_
+
+---
+
+## Security Considerations
+
+- The MCP server only exposes resources from the local AppHost
+- No authentication is required (local development only)
+- The STDIO transport only works for the AI tool that spawned the process
+- **Do not expose the MCP endpoint to the network in production**
+
+---
+
+## Limitations
+
+- AI models have limits on data processing. Large data fields (e.g., stack traces) may be truncated.
+- Requests involving large collections of telemetry may be shortened by omitting older items.
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+If you run into issues, check the [open MCP issues on GitHub](https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Aarea-mcp).
+
+## See Also
+
+- [aspire mcp command](https://aspire.dev/reference/cli/commands/aspire-mcp/)
+- [aspire mcp init command](https://aspire.dev/reference/cli/commands/aspire-mcp-init/)
+- [aspire mcp start command](https://aspire.dev/reference/cli/commands/aspire-mcp-start/)
+- [GitHub Copilot in the Dashboard](https://aspire.dev/dashboard/copilot/)
+- [How I taught AI to read Aspire docs](https://davidpine.dev/posts/aspire-docs-mcp-tools/)
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/polyglot-apis.md b/skills/aspire/references/polyglot-apis.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec4796fa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/polyglot-apis.md
@@ -0,0 +1,296 @@
+# Polyglot APIs — Complete Reference
+
+Aspire supports 10+ languages/runtimes. The AppHost is always .NET, but orchestrated workloads can be any language. Each language has a hosting method that returns a resource you wire into the dependency graph.
+
+---
+
+## Hosting model differences
+
+| Model | Resource type | How it runs | Examples |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Project** | `ProjectResource` | .NET project reference, built by SDK | `AddProject()` |
+| **Container** | `ContainerResource` | Docker/OCI image | `AddContainer()`, `AddRedis()`, `AddPostgres()` |
+| **Executable** | `ExecutableResource` | Native OS process | `AddExecutable()`, all `Add*App()` polyglot methods |
+
+All polyglot `Add*App()` methods create `ExecutableResource` instances under the hood. They don't require the target language's SDK on the AppHost side — only that the workload's runtime is installed on the dev machine.
+
+---
+
+## Official (Microsoft-maintained)
+
+### .NET / C\#
+
+```csharp
+builder.AddProject("api")
+```
+
+**Chaining methods:**
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)` — expose HTTP endpoint
+- `.WithHttpsEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)` — expose HTTPS endpoint
+- `.WithEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, scheme?, name?)` — generic endpoint
+- `.WithReference(resource)` — wire dependency (connection string or service discovery)
+- `.WithReplicas(count)` — run multiple instances
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)` — set environment variable
+- `.WithEnvironment(callback)` — set env vars via callback (deferred resolution)
+- `.WaitFor(resource)` — don't start until dependency is healthy
+- `.WithExternalHttpEndpoints()` — mark endpoints as externally accessible
+- `.WithOtlpExporter()` — configure OpenTelemetry exporter
+- `.PublishAsDockerFile()` — override publish behavior to Dockerfile
+
+### Python
+
+```csharp
+// Standard Python script
+builder.AddPythonApp("service", "../python-service", "main.py")
+
+// Uvicorn ASGI server (FastAPI, Starlette, etc.)
+builder.AddUvicornApp("fastapi", "../fastapi-app", "app:app")
+```
+
+**`AddPythonApp(name, projectDirectory, scriptPath, args?)`**
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)` — expose HTTP
+- `.WithVirtualEnvironment(path?)` — use venv (default: `.venv`)
+- `.WithPipPackages(packages)` — install pip packages on start
+- `.WithReference(resource)` — wire dependency
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)` — set env var
+- `.WaitFor(resource)` — wait for dependency health
+
+**`AddUvicornApp(name, projectDirectory, appModule, args?)`**
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)` — expose HTTP
+- `.WithVirtualEnvironment(path?)` — use venv
+- `.WithReference(resource)` — wire dependency
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)` — set env var
+- `.WaitFor(resource)` — wait for dependency health
+
+**Python service discovery:** Environment variables are injected automatically. Use `os.environ` to read:
+```python
+import os
+redis_conn = os.environ["ConnectionStrings__cache"]
+api_url = os.environ["services__api__http__0"]
+```
+
+### JavaScript / TypeScript
+
+```csharp
+// Generic JavaScript app (npm start)
+builder.AddJavaScriptApp("frontend", "../web-app")
+
+// Vite dev server
+builder.AddViteApp("spa", "../vite-app")
+
+// Node.js script
+builder.AddNodeApp("worker", "server.js", "../node-worker")
+```
+
+**`AddJavaScriptApp(name, workingDirectory)`**
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)` — expose HTTP
+- `.WithNpmPackageInstallation()` — run `npm install` before start
+- `.WithReference(resource)` — wire dependency
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)` — set env var
+- `.WaitFor(resource)` — wait for dependency health
+
+**`AddViteApp(name, workingDirectory)`**
+
+Chaining methods (same as `AddJavaScriptApp` plus):
+- `.WithNpmPackageInstallation()` — run `npm install` before start
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)` — Vite defaults to 5173
+
+**`AddNodeApp(name, scriptPath, workingDirectory)`**
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)` — expose HTTP
+- `.WithNpmPackageInstallation()` — run `npm install` before start
+- `.WithReference(resource)` — wire dependency
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)` — set env var
+
+**JS/TS service discovery:** Environment variables are injected. Use `process.env`:
+```javascript
+const redisUrl = process.env.ConnectionStrings__cache;
+const apiUrl = process.env.services__api__http__0;
+```
+
+---
+
+## Community (CommunityToolkit/Aspire)
+
+All community integrations follow the same pattern: install the NuGet package in your AppHost, then use the `Add*App()` method.
+
+### Go
+
+**Package:** `CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.Golang`
+
+```csharp
+builder.AddGolangApp("go-api", "../go-service")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8080)
+ .WithReference(redis)
+ .WithEnvironment("LOG_LEVEL", "debug")
+ .WaitFor(redis);
+```
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)`
+- `.WithReference(resource)`
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)`
+- `.WaitFor(resource)`
+
+**Go service discovery:** Standard env vars via `os.Getenv()`:
+```go
+redisAddr := os.Getenv("ConnectionStrings__cache")
+```
+
+### Java (Spring Boot)
+
+**Package:** `CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.Java`
+
+```csharp
+builder.AddSpringApp("spring-api", "../spring-service")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8080)
+ .WithReference(postgres)
+ .WaitFor(postgres);
+```
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)`
+- `.WithReference(resource)`
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)`
+- `.WaitFor(resource)`
+- `.WithMavenBuild()` — run Maven build before start
+- `.WithGradleBuild()` — run Gradle build before start
+
+**Java service discovery:** Env vars via `System.getenv()`:
+```java
+String dbConn = System.getenv("ConnectionStrings__db");
+```
+
+### Rust
+
+**Package:** `CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.Rust`
+
+```csharp
+builder.AddRustApp("rust-worker", "../rust-service")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 3000)
+ .WithReference(redis)
+ .WaitFor(redis);
+```
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)`
+- `.WithReference(resource)`
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)`
+- `.WaitFor(resource)`
+- `.WithCargoBuild()` — run `cargo build` before start
+
+### Bun
+
+**Package:** `CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.Bun`
+
+```csharp
+builder.AddBunApp("bun-api", "../bun-service")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 3000)
+ .WithReference(redis);
+```
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)`
+- `.WithReference(resource)`
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)`
+- `.WaitFor(resource)`
+- `.WithBunPackageInstallation()` — run `bun install` before start
+
+### Deno
+
+**Package:** `CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.Deno`
+
+```csharp
+builder.AddDenoApp("deno-api", "../deno-service")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8000)
+ .WithReference(redis);
+```
+
+Chaining methods:
+- `.WithHttpEndpoint(port?, targetPort?, name?)`
+- `.WithReference(resource)`
+- `.WithEnvironment(key, value)`
+- `.WaitFor(resource)`
+
+### PowerShell
+
+```csharp
+builder.AddPowerShell("ps-script", "../scripts/process.ps1")
+ .WithReference(storageAccount);
+```
+
+### Dapr
+
+**Package:** `Aspire.Hosting.Dapr` (official)
+
+```csharp
+var dapr = builder.AddDapr();
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithDaprSidecar("api-sidecar");
+```
+
+---
+
+## Complete mixed-language example
+
+```csharp
+var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
+
+// Infrastructure
+var redis = builder.AddRedis("cache");
+var postgres = builder.AddPostgres("pg").AddDatabase("catalog");
+var mongo = builder.AddMongoDB("mongo").AddDatabase("analytics");
+var rabbit = builder.AddRabbitMQ("messaging");
+
+// .NET API (primary)
+var api = builder.AddProject("api")
+ .WithReference(postgres)
+ .WithReference(redis)
+ .WithReference(rabbit)
+ .WaitFor(postgres)
+ .WaitFor(redis);
+
+// Python ML service (FastAPI)
+var ml = builder.AddUvicornApp("ml", "../ml-service", "app:app")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8000)
+ .WithVirtualEnvironment()
+ .WithReference(redis)
+ .WithReference(mongo)
+ .WaitFor(redis);
+
+// TypeScript frontend (Vite + React)
+var web = builder.AddViteApp("web", "../frontend")
+ .WithNpmPackageInstallation()
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 5173)
+ .WithReference(api);
+
+// Go event processor
+var processor = builder.AddGolangApp("processor", "../go-processor")
+ .WithReference(rabbit)
+ .WithReference(mongo)
+ .WaitFor(rabbit);
+
+// Java analytics service (Spring Boot)
+var analytics = builder.AddSpringApp("analytics", "../spring-analytics")
+ .WithHttpEndpoint(targetPort: 8080)
+ .WithReference(mongo)
+ .WithReference(rabbit)
+ .WaitFor(mongo);
+
+// Rust high-perf worker
+var worker = builder.AddRustApp("worker", "../rust-worker")
+ .WithReference(redis)
+ .WithReference(rabbit)
+ .WaitFor(redis);
+
+builder.Build().Run();
+```
+
+This single AppHost starts 6 services across 5 languages plus 4 infrastructure resources, all wired together with automatic service discovery.
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/testing.md b/skills/aspire/references/testing.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7642ffc9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/testing.md
@@ -0,0 +1,281 @@
+# Testing — Complete Reference
+
+Aspire provides `Aspire.Hosting.Testing` for running integration tests against your full AppHost. Tests spin up the entire distributed application (or a subset) and run assertions against real services.
+
+---
+
+## Package
+
+```xml
+
+```
+
+---
+
+## Core pattern: DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+
+```csharp
+// 1. Create a testing builder from your AppHost
+var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync();
+
+// 2. (Optional) Override resources for testing
+// ... see customization section below
+
+// 3. Build and start the application
+await using var app = await builder.BuildAsync();
+await app.StartAsync();
+
+// 4. Create HTTP clients for your services
+var client = app.CreateHttpClient("api");
+
+// 5. Run assertions
+var response = await client.GetAsync("/health");
+Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.OK, response.StatusCode);
+```
+
+---
+
+## xUnit examples
+
+### Basic health check test
+
+```csharp
+public class HealthTests(ITestOutputHelper output)
+{
+ [Fact]
+ public async Task AllServicesAreHealthy()
+ {
+ var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync();
+
+ await using var app = await builder.BuildAsync();
+ await app.StartAsync();
+
+ // Test each service's health endpoint
+ var apiClient = app.CreateHttpClient("api");
+ var apiHealth = await apiClient.GetAsync("/health");
+ Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.OK, apiHealth.StatusCode);
+
+ var workerClient = app.CreateHttpClient("worker");
+ var workerHealth = await workerClient.GetAsync("/health");
+ Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.OK, workerHealth.StatusCode);
+ }
+}
+```
+
+### API integration test
+
+```csharp
+public class ApiTests(ITestOutputHelper output)
+{
+ [Fact]
+ public async Task CreateOrder_ReturnsCreated()
+ {
+ var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync();
+
+ await using var app = await builder.BuildAsync();
+ await app.StartAsync();
+
+ var client = app.CreateHttpClient("api");
+
+ var order = new { ProductId = 1, Quantity = 2 };
+ var response = await client.PostAsJsonAsync("/orders", order);
+
+ Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.Created, response.StatusCode);
+
+ var created = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync();
+ Assert.NotNull(created);
+ Assert.Equal(1, created.ProductId);
+ }
+}
+```
+
+### Testing with wait for readiness
+
+```csharp
+[Fact]
+public async Task DatabaseIsSeeded()
+{
+ var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync();
+
+ await using var app = await builder.BuildAsync();
+ await app.StartAsync();
+
+ // Wait for the API to be fully ready (all dependencies healthy)
+ await app.WaitForResourceReadyAsync("api");
+
+ var client = app.CreateHttpClient("api");
+ var response = await client.GetAsync("/products");
+
+ Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.OK, response.StatusCode);
+ var products = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync>();
+ Assert.NotEmpty(products);
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## MSTest examples
+
+```csharp
+[TestClass]
+public class IntegrationTests
+{
+ [TestMethod]
+ public async Task ApiReturnsProducts()
+ {
+ var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync();
+
+ await using var app = await builder.BuildAsync();
+ await app.StartAsync();
+
+ var client = app.CreateHttpClient("api");
+ var response = await client.GetAsync("/products");
+
+ Assert.AreEqual(HttpStatusCode.OK, response.StatusCode);
+ }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## NUnit examples
+
+```csharp
+[TestFixture]
+public class IntegrationTests
+{
+ [Test]
+ public async Task ApiReturnsProducts()
+ {
+ var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync();
+
+ await using var app = await builder.BuildAsync();
+ await app.StartAsync();
+
+ var client = app.CreateHttpClient("api");
+ var response = await client.GetAsync("/products");
+
+ Assert.That(response.StatusCode, Is.EqualTo(HttpStatusCode.OK));
+ }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Customizing the test AppHost
+
+### Override resources
+
+```csharp
+var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync();
+
+// Replace a real database with a test container
+builder.Services.ConfigureHttpClientDefaults(http =>
+{
+ http.AddStandardResilienceHandler();
+});
+
+// Add test-specific configuration
+builder.Configuration["TestMode"] = "true";
+
+await using var app = await builder.BuildAsync();
+await app.StartAsync();
+```
+
+### Exclude resources
+
+```csharp
+var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync(args =>
+ {
+ // Don't start the worker for API-only tests
+ args.Args = ["--exclude-resource", "worker"];
+ });
+```
+
+### Test with specific environment
+
+```csharp
+var builder = await DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder
+ .CreateAsync(args =>
+ {
+ args.Args = ["--environment", "Testing"];
+ });
+```
+
+---
+
+## Connection string access
+
+```csharp
+// Get the connection string for a resource in tests
+var connectionString = await app.GetConnectionStringAsync("db");
+
+// Use it to query the database directly in tests
+using var conn = new NpgsqlConnection(connectionString);
+await conn.OpenAsync();
+var count = await conn.ExecuteScalarAsync("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM products");
+Assert.True(count > 0);
+```
+
+---
+
+## Best practices
+
+1. **Use `WaitForResourceReadyAsync`** before making requests — ensures all dependencies are healthy
+2. **Each test should be independent** — don't rely on state from previous tests
+3. **Use `await using`** for the app — ensures cleanup even on test failure
+4. **Test real infrastructure** — Aspire spins up real containers (Redis, PostgreSQL, etc.), giving you high-fidelity integration tests
+5. **Keep test AppHost lean** — exclude resources you don't need for specific test scenarios
+6. **Use test-specific configuration** — override settings for test isolation
+7. **Timeout protection** — set reasonable test timeouts since containers take time to start:
+
+```csharp
+[Fact(Timeout = 120_000)] // 2 minutes
+public async Task SlowIntegrationTest() { ... }
+```
+
+---
+
+## Project structure
+
+```
+MyApp/
+├── src/
+│ ├── MyApp.AppHost/ # AppHost project
+│ ├── MyApp.Api/ # API service
+│ ├── MyApp.Worker/ # Worker service
+│ └── MyApp.ServiceDefaults/ # Shared defaults
+└── tests/
+ └── MyApp.Tests/ # Integration tests
+ ├── MyApp.Tests.csproj # References AppHost + Testing package
+ └── ApiTests.cs # Test classes
+```
+
+```xml
+
+
+
+ net10.0
+ true
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+```
diff --git a/skills/aspire/references/troubleshooting.md b/skills/aspire/references/troubleshooting.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c59991d52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skills/aspire/references/troubleshooting.md
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+# Troubleshooting — Diagnostics & Common Issues
+
+---
+
+## Diagnostic Codes
+
+Aspire emits diagnostic codes for common issues. These appear in build warnings/errors and IDE diagnostics.
+
+### Standard diagnostics
+
+| Code | Severity | Description |
+| ------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
+| **ASPIRE001** | Warning | Resource name contains invalid characters |
+| **ASPIRE002** | Warning | Duplicate resource name detected |
+| **ASPIRE003** | Error | Missing required package reference |
+| **ASPIRE004** | Warning | Deprecated API usage |
+| **ASPIRE005** | Error | Invalid endpoint configuration |
+| **ASPIRE006** | Warning | Health check not configured for resource with `.WaitFor()` |
+| **ASPIRE007** | Warning | Container image tag not specified (using `latest`) |
+| **ASPIRE008** | Error | Circular dependency detected in resource graph |
+
+### Experimental diagnostics (ASPIREHOSTINGX\*)
+
+These codes indicate usage of experimental/preview APIs. They may require `#pragma warning disable` or `` if you intentionally use experimental features:
+
+| Code | Area |
+| ------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
+| ASPIRE_HOSTINGX_0001–0005 | Experimental hosting APIs |
+| ASPIRE_HOSTINGX_0006–0010 | Experimental integration APIs |
+| ASPIRE_HOSTINGX_0011–0015 | Experimental deployment APIs |
+| ASPIRE_HOSTINGX_0016–0022 | Experimental resource model APIs |
+
+To suppress experimental warnings:
+
+```xml
+
+
+ $(NoWarn);ASPIRE_HOSTINGX_0001
+
+```
+
+Or per-line:
+
+```csharp
+#pragma warning disable ASPIRE_HOSTINGX_0001
+var resource = builder.AddExperimentalResource("test");
+#pragma warning restore ASPIRE_HOSTINGX_0001
+```
+
+---
+
+## Common Issues & Solutions
+
+### Container runtime
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| "Cannot connect to Docker daemon" | Start Docker Desktop / Podman / Rancher Desktop |
+| Container fails to start | Check `docker ps -a` for exit codes; check dashboard console logs |
+| Port already in use | Another process is using the port; Aspire auto-assigns, but `targetPort` must be free on the container |
+| Container image pull fails | Check network connectivity; verify image name and tag |
+| "Permission denied" on Linux | Add user to `docker` group: `sudo usermod -aG docker $USER` |
+
+### Service discovery
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Service can't find dependency | Verify `.WithReference()` in AppHost; check env vars in dashboard |
+| Connection string is null | The reference resource name doesn't match; check `ConnectionStrings__` |
+| Wrong port in service URL | Check `targetPort` vs actual service listen port |
+| Env var not set | Rebuild AppHost; verify resource name matches exactly |
+
+### Python workloads
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| "Python not found" | Ensure Python is on PATH; specify full path in `AddPythonApp()` |
+| venv not found | Use `.WithVirtualEnvironment()` or create venv manually |
+| pip packages fail to install | Use `.WithPipPackages()` or install in venv before `aspire run` |
+| ModuleNotFoundError | venv isn't activated; `.WithVirtualEnvironment()` handles this |
+| "Port already in use" for Uvicorn | Check `targetPort` — another instance may be running |
+
+### JavaScript / TypeScript workloads
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| "node_modules not found" | Use `.WithNpmPackageInstallation()` to auto-install |
+| npm install fails | Check `package.json` is valid; check npm registry connectivity |
+| Vite dev server won't start | Verify `vite` is in devDependencies; check Vite config |
+| Port mismatch | Ensure `targetPort` matches the port in your JS framework config |
+| TypeScript compilation errors | These happen in the service, not Aspire — check service logs |
+
+### Go workloads
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
+| "go not found" | Ensure Go is installed and on PATH |
+| Build fails | Check `go.mod` exists in working directory |
+| "no Go files in directory" | Verify `workingDir` points to the directory with `main.go` |
+
+### Java workloads
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
+| "java not found" | Ensure JDK is installed and `JAVA_HOME` is set |
+| Maven/Gradle build fails | Verify build files exist; check build tool installation |
+| Spring Boot won't start | Check `application.properties`; verify main class |
+
+### Rust workloads
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| "cargo not found" | Install Rust via rustup |
+| Build takes too long | Rust compile times are normal; use `.WithCargoBuild()` for pre-build |
+
+### Health checks & startup
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| Resource stuck in "Starting" | Health check endpoint not responding; check service logs |
+| `.WaitFor()` timeout | Increase timeout or fix health endpoint; default is 30 seconds |
+| Health check always fails | Verify endpoint path (default: `/health`); check service binds to correct port |
+| Cascading startup failures | A dependency failed; check the root resource first |
+
+### Dashboard
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Dashboard doesn't open | Check terminal for URL; use `--dashboard-port` for fixed port |
+| No logs appearing | Service may not be writing to stdout/stderr; check console output |
+| No traces for non-.NET services | Configure OpenTelemetry SDK in the service; see [Dashboard](dashboard.md) |
+| Traces don't show cross-service calls | Propagate trace context headers (`traceparent`, `tracestate`) |
+
+### Build & configuration
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| "Project not found" for `AddProject()` | Ensure `.csproj` is in the solution and referenced by AppHost |
+| Package version conflicts | Pin all Aspire packages to the same version |
+| AppHost won't build | Check `Aspire.AppHost.Sdk` is in the project; run `dotnet restore` |
+| `aspire run` build error | Fix the build error first; `aspire run` requires a successful build |
+
+### Deployment
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+| ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `aspire publish` fails | Check publisher package is installed (e.g., `Aspire.Hosting.Docker`) |
+| Generated Bicep has errors | Check for unsupported resource configurations |
+| Container image push fails | Verify registry credentials and permissions |
+| Missing connection strings in deployment | Check generated ConfigMaps/Secrets match resource names |
+
+---
+
+## Debugging strategies
+
+### 1. Check the dashboard first
+
+The dashboard shows resource state, logs, traces, and metrics. Start here for any issue.
+
+### 2. Check environment variables
+
+In the dashboard, click a resource to see all injected environment variables. Verify connection strings and service URLs are correct.
+
+### 3. Read console logs
+
+Dashboard → Console Logs → filter by the failing resource. Raw stdout/stderr often contains the root cause.
+
+### 4. Check the DAG
+
+If services fail to start, check the dependency order. A failed dependency blocks all downstream resources.
+
+### 5. Use MCP for AI-assisted debugging
+
+If MCP is configured (see [MCP Server](mcp-server.md)), ask your AI assistant:
+
+- "What resources are failing?"
+- "Show me the logs for [service]"
+- "What traces show errors?"
+
+### 6. Isolate the problem
+
+Run just the failing resource by commenting out others in the AppHost. This narrows whether the issue is the resource itself or a dependency.
+
+---
+
+## Getting help
+
+| Channel | URL |
+| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
+| GitHub Issues (runtime) | https://github.com/dotnet/aspire/issues |
+| GitHub Issues (docs) | https://github.com/microsoft/aspire.dev/issues |
+| Discord | https://aka.ms/aspire/discord |
+| Stack Overflow | Tag: `dotnet-aspire` |
+| Reddit | https://www.reddit.com/r/aspiredotdev/ |