diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 6becfa674..c00ef21ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches:
       - main
   pull_request:
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 jobs:
   test:
diff --git a/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content.ts b/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content.ts
index f70743fb2..68d2cb55e 100644
--- a/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content.ts
+++ b/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content.ts
@@ -1,23 +1,12 @@
-import type {
-  ChapterSchema,
-  FilesRefList,
-  Lesson,
-  LessonSchema,
-  PartSchema,
-  Tutorial,
-  TutorialSchema,
-} from '@tutorialkit/types';
-import { folderPathToFilesRef, interpolateString } from '@tutorialkit/types';
+import type { ChapterSchema, Lesson, LessonSchema, PartSchema, Tutorial, TutorialSchema } from '@tutorialkit/types';
+import { interpolateString } from '@tutorialkit/types';
 import { getCollection } from 'astro:content';
-import glob from 'fast-glob';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { IGNORED_FILES } from './constants';
 import { DEFAULT_LOCALIZATION } from './content/default-localization';
 import { squash } from './content/squash.js';
 import { logger } from './logger';
 import { joinPaths } from './url';
-
-const CONTENT_DIR = path.join(process.cwd(), 'src/content/tutorial');
+import { getFilesRefList } from './content/files-ref';
 
 export async function getTutorial(): Promise<Tutorial> {
   const collection = sortCollection(await getCollection('tutorial'));
@@ -331,24 +320,6 @@ function getSlug(entry: CollectionEntryTutorial) {
   return slug;
 }
 
-async function getFilesRefList(pathToFolder: string): Promise<FilesRefList> {
-  const root = path.join(CONTENT_DIR, pathToFolder);
-
-  const filePaths = (
-    await glob(`${glob.convertPathToPattern(root)}/**/*`, {
-      onlyFiles: true,
-      ignore: IGNORED_FILES,
-      dot: true,
-    })
-  ).map((filePath) => `/${path.relative(root, filePath)}`);
-
-  filePaths.sort();
-
-  const filesRef = folderPathToFilesRef(pathToFolder);
-
-  return [filesRef, filePaths];
-}
-
 interface CollectionEntryTutorial {
   id: string;
   slug: string;
diff --git a/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content/files-ref.spec.ts b/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content/files-ref.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5aa5c70c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content/files-ref.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { expect, test } from 'vitest';
+
+import { getFilesRefList } from './files-ref';
+
+test('getFilesRefList returns files', async () => {
+  const files = await getFilesRefList('test/fixtures/files', '');
+
+  expect(files).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    [
+      "test-fixtures-files.json",
+      [
+        "/first.js",
+        "/nested/directory/second.ts",
+      ],
+    ]
+  `);
+});
diff --git a/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content/files-ref.ts b/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content/files-ref.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..553c3a127
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/astro/src/default/utils/content/files-ref.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import type { FilesRefList } from '@tutorialkit/types';
+import { folderPathToFilesRef } from '@tutorialkit/types';
+import glob from 'fast-glob';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { IGNORED_FILES } from '../constants';
+
+const CONTENT_DIR = path.join(process.cwd(), 'src/content/tutorial');
+
+export async function getFilesRefList(pathToFolder: string, base = CONTENT_DIR): Promise<FilesRefList> {
+  const root = path.join(base, pathToFolder);
+
+  const filePaths = (
+    await glob(`${glob.convertPathToPattern(root)}/**/*`, {
+      onlyFiles: true,
+      ignore: IGNORED_FILES,
+      dot: true,
+    })
+  ).map((filePath) => `/${path.relative(root, filePath).replaceAll(path.sep, '/')}`);
+
+  filePaths.sort();
+
+  const filesRef = folderPathToFilesRef(pathToFolder);
+
+  return [filesRef, filePaths];
+}
diff --git a/packages/astro/test/fixtures/files/first.js b/packages/astro/test/fixtures/files/first.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..424f47511
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/astro/test/fixtures/files/first.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export default 'Example JS file';
diff --git a/packages/astro/test/fixtures/files/nested/directory/second.ts b/packages/astro/test/fixtures/files/nested/directory/second.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c70e3c00c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/astro/test/fixtures/files/nested/directory/second.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export default 'Example TS file';
diff --git a/packages/cli/tests/__snapshots__/create-tutorial.test.ts.snap b/packages/cli/tests/__snapshots__/create-tutorial.test.ts.snap
index ee67bba96..381191655 100644
--- a/packages/cli/tests/__snapshots__/create-tutorial.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/cli/tests/__snapshots__/create-tutorial.test.ts.snap
@@ -94,6 +94,58 @@ exports[`create a project 1`] = `
 ]
 `;
 
+exports[`create and build a project > built project file references 1`] = `
+{
+  "1-basics-1-introduction-1-welcome-files.json": [
+    "/src/index.js",
+    "/src/test/bar.js",
+  ],
+  "1-basics-1-introduction-1-welcome-solution.json": [
+    "/src/index.js",
+  ],
+  "1-basics-1-introduction-2-foo-files.json": [
+    "/bar/styles.css",
+    "/src/index.html",
+    "/src/unicorn.js",
+    "/src/windows_xp.png",
+  ],
+  "1-basics-1-introduction-2-foo-solution.json": [
+    "/src/index.html",
+  ],
+  "1-basics-1-introduction-3-bar-files.json": [
+    "/src/index.html",
+  ],
+  "template-default.json": [
+    "/package-lock.json",
+    "/package.json",
+    "/src/index.js",
+  ],
+  "template-vite-app-2.json": [
+    "/.gitignore",
+    "/counter.js",
+    "/foo.txt",
+    "/index.html",
+    "/javascript.svg",
+    "/main.js",
+    "/package-lock.json",
+    "/package.json",
+    "/public/vite.svg",
+    "/style.css",
+  ],
+  "template-vite-app.json": [
+    "/.gitignore",
+    "/counter.js",
+    "/index.html",
+    "/javascript.svg",
+    "/main.js",
+    "/package-lock.json",
+    "/package.json",
+    "/public/vite.svg",
+    "/style.css",
+  ],
+}
+`;
+
 exports[`create and build a project 1`] = `
 [
   "1-basics",
@@ -253,6 +305,7 @@ exports[`create and eject a project 1`] = `
   "src/utils/content",
   "src/utils/content.ts",
   "src/utils/content/default-localization.ts",
+  "src/utils/content/files-ref.ts",
   "src/utils/content/squash.ts",
   "src/utils/logger.ts",
   "src/utils/nav.ts",
diff --git a/packages/cli/tests/create-tutorial.test.ts b/packages/cli/tests/create-tutorial.test.ts
index 0809e4e8a..dce8f256a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/tests/create-tutorial.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/tests/create-tutorial.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { execa } from 'execa';
 import fs from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, expect, test } from 'vitest';
@@ -67,6 +68,20 @@ test('create and build a project', async (context) => {
   const distFiles = await fs.readdir(path.join(dest, 'dist'), { recursive: true });
 
   expect(distFiles.map(normaliseSlash).sort()).toMatchSnapshot();
+
+  // create snapshot of lesson, solution and template file reference JSONs
+  const lessonJsons = distFiles.filter((file) => file.endsWith('-files.json'));
+  const solutionJsons = distFiles.filter((file) => file.endsWith('-solution.json'));
+  const templateJsons = distFiles.filter((file) => file.startsWith('template-') && file.endsWith('.json'));
+
+  const contents = [...lessonJsons, ...solutionJsons, ...templateJsons].reduce((jsons, current) => {
+    const fileJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(path.join(dest, 'dist', current), 'utf8'));
+    const filenames = Object.keys(fileJson);
+
+    return { ...jsons, [current]: filenames };
+  }, {});
+
+  expect(contents).toMatchSnapshot('built project file references');
 });
 
 test('create and eject a project', async (context) => {