diff --git a/build/Common.nonprod.props b/build/Common.nonprod.props
index cdcba2f64..84759cd32 100644
--- a/build/Common.nonprod.props
+++ b/build/Common.nonprod.props
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
     <CodeAnalysisRuleSet>$([MSBuild]::GetDirectoryNameOfFileAbove($(MSBuildProjectDirectory), 'OpenTelemetry.sln'))\build\OpenTelemetry.test.ruleset</CodeAnalysisRuleSet>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <DefaultTargetFrameworkForExampleApps>net7.0</DefaultTargetFrameworkForExampleApps>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
   <PropertyGroup Condition="$(MSBuildProjectName.EndsWith('.Tests'))">
     <IsTestProject>true</IsTestProject>
   </PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/examples/AspNetCore/Examples.AspNetCore.csproj b/examples/AspNetCore/Examples.AspNetCore.csproj
index fe6b61f89..abeb40669 100644
--- a/examples/AspNetCore/Examples.AspNetCore.csproj
+++ b/examples/AspNetCore/Examples.AspNetCore.csproj
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>$(DefaultTargetFrameworkForExampleApps)</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/examples/AspNetCore/Program.cs b/examples/AspNetCore/Program.cs
index 33e2a08ab..2ee28a5da 100644
--- a/examples/AspNetCore/Program.cs
+++ b/examples/AspNetCore/Program.cs
@@ -26,20 +26,20 @@ using OpenTelemetry.Trace;
 var appBuilder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
 
 // Note: Switch between Zipkin/Jaeger/OTLP/Console by setting UseTracingExporter in appsettings.json.
-var tracingExporter = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("UseTracingExporter").ToLowerInvariant();
+var tracingExporter = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("UseTracingExporter", defaultValue: "console")!.ToLowerInvariant();
 
 // Note: Switch between Prometheus/OTLP/Console by setting UseMetricsExporter in appsettings.json.
-var metricsExporter = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("UseMetricsExporter").ToLowerInvariant();
+var metricsExporter = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("UseMetricsExporter", defaultValue: "console")!.ToLowerInvariant();
 
 // Note: Switch between Console/OTLP by setting UseLogExporter in appsettings.json.
-var logExporter = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("UseLogExporter").ToLowerInvariant();
+var logExporter = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("UseLogExporter", defaultValue: "console")!.ToLowerInvariant();
 
 // Note: Switch between Explicit/Exponential by setting HistogramAggregation in appsettings.json
-var histogramAggregation = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("HistogramAggregation").ToLowerInvariant();
+var histogramAggregation = appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("HistogramAggregation", defaultValue: "explicit")!.ToLowerInvariant();
 
 // Build a resource configuration action to set service information.
 Action<ResourceBuilder> configureResource = r => r.AddService(
-    serviceName: appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("ServiceName"),
+    serviceName: appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("ServiceName", defaultValue: "otel-test")!,
     serviceVersion: typeof(Program).Assembly.GetName().Version?.ToString() ?? "unknown",
     serviceInstanceId: Environment.MachineName);
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ appBuilder.Services.AddOpenTelemetry()
                 builder.AddOtlpExporter(otlpOptions =>
                 {
                     // Use IConfiguration directly for Otlp exporter endpoint option.
-                    otlpOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("Otlp:Endpoint"));
+                    otlpOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("Otlp:Endpoint", defaultValue: "http://localhost:4317")!);
                 });
                 break;
 
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ appBuilder.Services.AddOpenTelemetry()
                 builder.AddOtlpExporter(otlpOptions =>
                 {
                     // Use IConfiguration directly for Otlp exporter endpoint option.
-                    otlpOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("Otlp:Endpoint"));
+                    otlpOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("Otlp:Endpoint", defaultValue: "http://localhost:4317")!);
                 });
                 break;
             default:
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ appBuilder.Logging.AddOpenTelemetry(options =>
             options.AddOtlpExporter(otlpOptions =>
             {
                 // Use IConfiguration directly for Otlp exporter endpoint option.
-                otlpOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue<string>("Otlp:Endpoint"));
+                otlpOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(appBuilder.Configuration.GetValue("Otlp:Endpoint", defaultValue: "http://localhost:4317")!);
             });
             break;
         default:
diff --git a/examples/Console/Examples.Console.csproj b/examples/Console/Examples.Console.csproj
index 2f4f047c0..9b03f7e08 100644
--- a/examples/Console/Examples.Console.csproj
+++ b/examples/Console/Examples.Console.csproj
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
-    <TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>$(DefaultTargetFrameworkForExampleApps)</TargetFramework>
     <NoWarn>$(NoWarn),CS0618</NoWarn>
 
     <!-- this is temporary. will remove in future PR. -->
diff --git a/examples/GrpcService/Examples.GrpcService.csproj b/examples/GrpcService/Examples.GrpcService.csproj
index 4d7aed6d3..0203f0d80 100644
--- a/examples/GrpcService/Examples.GrpcService.csproj
+++ b/examples/GrpcService/Examples.GrpcService.csproj
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>$(DefaultTargetFrameworkForExampleApps)</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/examples/GrpcService/Startup.cs b/examples/GrpcService/Startup.cs
index 85fbc5bb8..0d5ddeda9 100644
--- a/examples/GrpcService/Startup.cs
+++ b/examples/GrpcService/Startup.cs
@@ -36,24 +36,24 @@ public class Startup
             .WithTracing(builder =>
             {
                 builder
-                    .ConfigureResource(r => r.AddService(this.Configuration.GetValue<string>("ServiceName")))
+                    .ConfigureResource(r => r.AddService(this.Configuration.GetValue("ServiceName", defaultValue: "otel-test")!))
                     .AddAspNetCoreInstrumentation();
 
                 // Switch between Jaeger/Zipkin/Console by setting UseExporter in appsettings.json.
-                var exporter = this.Configuration.GetValue<string>("UseExporter").ToLowerInvariant();
+                var exporter = this.Configuration.GetValue("UseExporter", defaultValue: "console")!.ToLowerInvariant();
                 switch (exporter)
                 {
                     case "jaeger":
-                        builder.AddJaegerExporter(jaegerOptions =>
+                        _ = builder.AddJaegerExporter(jaegerOptions =>
                         {
-                            jaegerOptions.AgentHost = this.Configuration.GetValue<string>("Jaeger:Host");
-                            jaegerOptions.AgentPort = this.Configuration.GetValue<int>("Jaeger:Port");
+                            jaegerOptions.AgentHost = this.Configuration.GetValue("Jaeger:Host", defaultValue: "localhost");
+                            jaegerOptions.AgentPort = this.Configuration.GetValue("Jaeger:Port", defaultValue: 6831);
                         });
                         break;
                     case "zipkin":
                         builder.AddZipkinExporter(zipkinOptions =>
                         {
-                            zipkinOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(this.Configuration.GetValue<string>("Zipkin:Endpoint"));
+                            zipkinOptions.Endpoint = new Uri(this.Configuration.GetValue("Zipkin:Endpoint", defaultValue: "http://localhost:9411/api/v2/spans")!);
                         });
                         break;
                     default:
diff --git a/examples/MicroserviceExample/WebApi/WebApi.csproj b/examples/MicroserviceExample/WebApi/WebApi.csproj
index 3697a9042..57bf07e76 100644
--- a/examples/MicroserviceExample/WebApi/WebApi.csproj
+++ b/examples/MicroserviceExample/WebApi/WebApi.csproj
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>$(DefaultTargetFrameworkForExampleApps)</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/examples/MicroserviceExample/WorkerService/WorkerService.csproj b/examples/MicroserviceExample/WorkerService/WorkerService.csproj
index 78f616613..b9b1a6807 100644
--- a/examples/MicroserviceExample/WorkerService/WorkerService.csproj
+++ b/examples/MicroserviceExample/WorkerService/WorkerService.csproj
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Worker">
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>$(DefaultTargetFrameworkForExampleApps)</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>