


What are C# attributes and how to create a custom attribute?
To create your own C# custom properties, you first need to define a class inherited from System.Attribute, then add the constructor and attributes, specify the scope of application through AttributeUsage, and finally read and use them through reflection. For example, define the [CustomAuthor("John")] attribute to mark the code author, use the [CustomAuthor("Alice")] to modify the class or method when applying, and then obtain the attribute information at runtime through the Attribute.GetCustomAttribute method. Common uses include verification, serialization control, dependency injection and unit testing. It is recommended to keep the attribute logic lightweight and reasonably limit its scope of use.
C# attributes let you add metadata or declarative information to your code elements like classes, methods, properties, etc. They're commonly used for things like serialization, validation, logging, and more. You've probably seen them before, like [Serializable]
or [Obsolete]
. But what if you want to create your own?

Here's how to understand and build your own custom attribute in C#.
What Exactly Is a Custom Attribute?
An attribute is essentially a class that inherits from System.Attribute
. When you create your own, you're defining a type that can be attached to various parts of your code to provide additional information at runtime (or compile time).

For example, you might create a [CustomAuthor("John")]
attribute to mark who wrote a specific class.
Custom attributes are useful when you want to inspect code structure or behavior through reflection, or when you're building frameworks or libraries that need to respond to metadata.

How to Create a Custom Attribute
Creating a custom attribute is straightforward. Here's how:
- Define a class that inherits from
Attribute
- Add constructors and properties as needed
- Apply the attribute to code elements
Here's a simple example:
[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class | AttributeTargets.Method)] public class CustomAuthorAttribute : Attribute { public string AuthorName { get; } public CustomAuthorAttribute(string authorName) { AuthorName = authorName; } }
Now you can use it like this:
[CustomAuthor("Alice")] public class MyService { [CustomAuthor("Bob")] public void DoWork() { // Method logic } }
A few notes:
- You can control where the attribute can be applied using
[AttributeUsage]
. - You can include multiple parameters or properties.
- The constructor defines what you can set when applying the attribute.
How to Use Custom Attributes in Code
Once you've defined and applied your custom attribute, you'll probably want to access it at runtime. That's where reflection comes in.
Here's how you can check for your [CustomAuthor]
attribute on a class or method:
var type = typeof(MyService); var classAttribute = (CustomAuthorAttribute)Attribute.GetCustomAttribute( type, typeof(CustomAuthorAttribute)); Console.WriteLine($"Class author: {classAttribute?.AuthorName}"); var method = type.GetMethod("DoWork"); var methodAttribute = (CustomAuthorAttribute)Attribute.GetCustomAttribute( method, typeof(CustomAuthorAttribute)); Console.WriteLine($"Method author: {methodAttribute?.AuthorName}");
This is useful in scenarios like:
- Logging or auditing code authors
- Building a plugin system that scans for specific attributes
- Custom validation or behavior based on metadata
Just remember: reflection can be slow, so avoid doing it in performance-critical paths unless you cache the results.
Common Use Cases and Tips
- Validation attributes – Like
[Required]
or[Range]
in ASP.NET - Serialization control – For example,
[JsonProperty("name")]
in JSON libraries - Dependency injection markers – Some frameworks use attributes to auto-register services
- Testing frameworks – Attributes like
[Test]
or[SetUp]
are common in unit testing tools
Tips:
- Keep your attribute logic lightweight – they're metadata, not business logic
- Use
AttributeUsage
carefully – restrict to only what makes sense - You can combine attributes with reflection-based services to build extended systems
So that's the core of custom attributes in C#. You define a class, apply it to code elements, and then use reflection to read and act on it later. It's not complicated once you get the hang of it, but it opens up a lot of possibilities for clean, extended code design.
Basically that's it.
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