SDKs

Authorization for .NET applications

Add Cerbos authorization to your ASP.NET or .NET application with the official NuGet package. Async/await API with strongly typed request and response models.

NuGet package

Install via NuGet and integrate with ASP.NET Core dependency injection, middleware, and controller-based authorization patterns

Async/await support

All SDK methods are async, returning Tasks that integrate naturally with the .NET async programming model and avoid blocking threads

Strongly typed models

Work with typed C# classes for principals, resources, and authorization responses rather than raw dictionaries or JSON

What is Cerbos?

Cerbos is an enterprise authorization solution built to secure access across complex, distributed environments, SaaS products, and regulated systems.

It externalizes authorization logic from application code, making access control consistent and centrally managed across all your services. Instead of scattering permission checks throughout your codebase, you make a single API call to the Cerbos PDP.

Authorization policies are written in human-readable YAML supporting RBAC, ABAC, and conditional rules. They live outside your application and can be updated, tested, and deployed independently.

The .NET SDK makes integrating Cerbos straightforward, checking authorization is as simple as calling a function, and the stateless PDP scales horizontally with your infrastructure.

Policy-as-codeHuman-readable YAML policies managed like source code Scalable PDPStateless policy decision point with sub-millisecond latency Centralized managementManage, test, and deploy policies from a single control plane

How to authorize with the .NET SDK

Install the .NET SDK. Add the package to your project with dotnet add package Cerbos.Sdk.
Initialize the Cerbos client. Create a CerbosClient instance pointing at your Cerbos PDP running as a sidecar, remote service, or connected via Cerbos Hub. Register it in your DI container for ASP.NET Core applications.
Call CheckResourcesAsync(). Pass the principal, resource, and actions. The method returns a Task with a strongly typed response.
Cerbos returns allow or deny. The PDP evaluates your YAML policies and returns a decision your application can enforce immediately.

FAQ

How do I use the Cerbos .NET SDK?

Install the package with `dotnet add package Cerbos.Sdk`, create a CerbosClient pointing at your PDP instance, and call CheckResourcesAsync with the principal, resource, and actions. The SDK uses async/await and returns strongly typed response objects.

Does the .NET SDK work with ASP.NET Core?

Yes. The SDK integrates with ASP.NET Core dependency injection and can be registered as a service. It works with middleware pipelines and controller-based authorization patterns.