Middleware in ASP.NET Core (Interview Guide)

Most developers say: “Middleware handles requests.”
That’s not enough.

What is Middleware?

❌ Bad answer

It processes requests.

✅ Senior answer

Middleware is a component in the ASP.NET Core pipeline that handles HTTP requests and responses. Each middleware can process the request and either pass it to the next component or stop the pipeline.

Pipeline order matters

app.UseAuthentication();
app.UseAuthorization();
app.MapControllers();

👉 Order defines behavior. Wrong order = bugs.

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