WCF 4.5 focuses on simplicity and ease of use. One of the features that supports this statement is its streamlining of generated configuration files that have ceased to showcase default values, reducing their size greatly. Configuring the ASP.NET compatibility is also easier since WCF configuration files are validated by Visual Studio 2012 as part of the build process. It has also improved in HTTPS protocol mapping and increased designer functionalities, such as XML editor tooltips.

Other additions include Contract First development, asynchronous streaming support, and WebSockets support.