NuGet Cache
NuGet stores a local HTTP response cache for V3 feed metadata and package source queries, plus a plugins cache used by credential providers and other NuGet plugins during package restore and package source authentication. These cached JSON index responses, registration pages, search results, and plugin-generated artifacts speed up restore operations, but stale entries can leave Visual Studio, dotnet restore, or nuget.exe using outdated feed data or broken plugin state. Kudu removes the contents of NuGet's v3-cache and plugins-cache without touching installed SDKs, project files, package references, accounts, or saved credentials.
Why clean NuGet Cache?
- Stale V3 feed index and registration responses can make dotnet restore report package versions as missing even though they exist on the server
- Cached package source metadata that no longer matches the feed causes Visual Studio to show old search results or fail to discover newly published packages
- Corrupted HTTP cache entries can trigger inconsistent restore behavior where one project restores and another fails until NuGet refetches metadata
- Outdated plugin cache state from a credential provider can cause repeated authentication prompts or 401 errors against private feeds
- A changed feed URL, upstream proxy, or repository configuration can leave NuGet using cached responses from the previous source, which shows up as restore failures against the wrong endpoint
- Large accumulations of V3 JSON response files slow cache scans and increase disk usage, making package restore feel sluggish before fresh metadata is downloaded
- Clearing plugin cache data helps when a plugin update leaves incompatible cached artifacts behind, which users notice as restore hanging during feed authentication or package source initialization
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%LocalAppData%/NuGet/v3-cache |
%LocalAppData%/NuGet/plugins-cache |
Common questions about NuGet Cache
Download Kudu and reclaim your disk space.
Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.