Do you use BannedApiAnalyzers to prevent unwanted APIs creeping back in?

You finally dumped BinaryFormatter, replaced WebClient with HttpClient, and standardised on System.Text.Json!

But in a big codebase (or with a rotating team) someone can unknowingly add the old API back in a new feature branch, undoing days of migration work. The same risk appears with library preferences: you want everybody using FluentValidation, yet the next pull request pulls in DataAnnotations again.

Ban unwanted APIs at the compiler gate

BannedApiAnalyzers (the Microsoft-maintained NuGet package Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.BannedApiAnalyzers) lets you fail the build the instant a forbidden symbol is referenced. It’s compatible with SDK-style projects (e.g., <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">), including those targeting .NET Framework.

❌ Figure: Bad example – Project builds without errors or warnings, but it uses unwanted or obsolete APIs

✅ Figure: Good example – The analyzer blocks the build and guides the developer towards the approved approach

Step 1: Install the NuGet package

dotnet add package Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.BannedApiAnalyzers

<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.BannedApiAnalyzers" Version="3.3.4" PrivateAssets="all" />

Step 2: Create BannedSymbols.txt file in the project directory

If you can name the symbol, you can ban it.

See the BannedApiAnalyzers documentation for symbol syntax details.

# Obsolete .NET APIs
T:System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter; Use System.Text.Json instead
T:System.Net.WebClient; Use HttpClient instead

# Non-preferred libraries
T:System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.RequiredAttribute; Use FluentValidation instead
M:Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(System.Object); Use System.Text.Json instead
M:Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(System.Object, Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter[]); Use System.Text.Json instead
M:Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(System.Object, Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializerSettings); Use System.Text.Json instead

Step 3: Add the BannedSymbols.txt to the .csproj

<ItemGroup>
  <AdditionalFiles Include="BannedSymbols.txt" />
</ItemGroup>

Step 4: Make it fail on build to give instant feedback to the developer

<WarningsAsErrors>RS0030</WarningsAsErrors>

The analyzer emits diagnostic RS0030 (Banned Symbol), so you can elevate it to an error.

Putting it all together, your .csproj should look like this:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net4.8</TargetFramework>
    <WarningsAsErrors>RS0030</WarningsAsErrors>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <AdditionalFiles Include="BannedSymbols.txt" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.BannedApiAnalyzers" Version="3.3.4" PrivateAssets="all" />
    <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.3" />
    <PackageReference Include="System.ComponentModel.Annotations" Version="5.0.0" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Tips for a high-impact BannedSymbols.txt