What is content negotiation in ASP.NET Core?
PICTURE THIS: DJANGO MVT
Simple meaning
Formatters choose JSON or XML based on Accept headers when configured.
WHY — API instead of guessing?
Why interviewers care about API:
who only read docs from people who shipped.
and tied to .NET work.
Name the idea, why it exists, then one short example.
End with when you use it and one common pitfall.
STEPS — What happens step by step?
Before you speak the answer, walk the interviewer through these steps:
- 1Formatters choose JSON or
XML based on Accept headers when configured.
- 2Most APIs standardize on
JSON only.
- 3Returning the wrong formatter
breaks clients quietly.
- 4Give an example
One tiny concrete case you can say aloud.
- 5Common mistake
What juniors usually get wrong.
- 6Close
When you pick this over the alternative.
EXAMPLE — See it in action
Here's a short line you can speak, broken into clear beats:
Note: Adapt this scaffold to your own project — keep it under 60–90 seconds.
Key takeaway
Formatters choose JSON or XML based on Accept headers when configured. Most APIs standardize on JSON only.