Before you can build ASP.NET Core applications, you need to install Visual Studio 2026 with the correct workloads and components. Choosing the right setup at the beginning will save you time and prevent unnecessary configuration problems later.
Visual Studio is a powerful integrated development environment. However, it uses a workload-based installer, meaning that not every development feature is installed by default. If you want to build web applications with ASP.NET Core, you must select the web development workload during installation.
First, download the Visual Studio 2026 installer from the official Microsoft website. After downloading, run the installer to begin setup.
In the installer, you will see a list of available workloads. For ASP.NET Core development, select:
This workload typically includes the tools, templates, and SDKs required to create web applications, MVC projects, Razor Pages, and Web APIs.
In addition to the main web development workload, it is a good idea to install several related components:
The installer allows you to select where Visual Studio should be installed. Unless you have special storage needs, the default location is usually fine.
Click the install button and allow the setup process to finish. This may take some time depending on your internet speed and the components selected.
After installation, open Visual Studio 2026. Click Create a new project and search for templates such as:
If these templates appear, your installation is ready for ASP.NET Core development.
Visual Studio 2026 offers many features that make ASP.NET Core development more productive:
Beginners often face a few common issues:
Most of these can be fixed by reopening the Visual Studio Installer and modifying the installed workloads.
A proper installation is the foundation of a smooth ASP.NET Core learning experience. Once Visual Studio 2026 is configured correctly, you are ready to create your first web application and begin exploring how ASP.NET Core projects work.