How to use Newtonsoft.Json as default in Asp.net Core Web Api?

Question

I am new to ASP.Net Web Api Core. I have been using ASP.Net MVC for past few years and I always have written an ActionFilter and used JSON.Net for Serializing data into JSON. So, in that way I replaced Microsoft's JavaScript Serializer (which is slower than JSON.Net) with JSON.Net (it is claimed to be 400% faster).

How to do all this in ASP.Net Web Api Core? Where to change the default formattor?

Note: Please feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Thanks

Answer 1

In .NET Core 3.0+ include the NuGet package Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.NewtonsoftJson and then replace

services.AddControllers();  

in ConfigureServices with

services.AddControllers().AddNewtonsoftJson();  

This is a pre-release NuGet package in .NET Core 3.0 but a full release package in .NET Core 3.1.

I came across this myself, but I've found that the same answer with some additional info is in this SO question and answer.

Edit: As a useful update: code with the call to AddNewtonsoftJson() will compile and run even without installing the Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.NewtonsoftJson NuGet package. If you do that, it runs with both converters installed, but defaulting to the System.Text.Json converter which you presumably don't want since you're reading this answer. So you must remember to install the NuGet package for this to work properly (and remember to re-install it if you ever clear down and redo your NuGet dependencies).

Answer 2

ASP.NET Core already uses JSON.NET as JavaScriptSerializer isn't implemented/ported to .NET Core.

Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc depends on Microsoft.AspNetCore.Formatter.Json which depends on Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch, which depends on Newtonsoft.Json (see source).

Update

This is only true for ASP.NET Core 1.0 to 2.2. ASP.NET Core 3.0 removes the dependency on JSON.NET and uses it's own JSON serializer.