page_title: Remote API v1.1
page_description: API Documentation for Docker
page_keywords: API, Docker, rcli, REST, documentation
# Docker Remote API v1.1
# 1. Brief introduction
- The Remote API is replacing rcli
- Default port in the docker daemon is 2375
- The API tends to be REST, but for some complex commands, like attach
or pull, the HTTP connection is hijacked to transport stdout stdin
and stderr
# 2. Endpoints
## 2.1 Containers
### List containers
`GET /containers/json`
List containers
**Example request**:
GET /containers/json?all=1&before=8dfafdbc3a40 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
[
{
"Id": "8dfafdbc3a40",
"Image": "ubuntu:latest",
"Command": "echo 1",
"Created": 1367854155,
"Status": "Exit 0"
},
{
"Id": "9cd87474be90",
"Image": "ubuntu:latest",
"Command": "echo 222222",
"Created": 1367854155,
"Status": "Exit 0"
},
{
"Id": "3176a2479c92",
"Image": "centos:latest",
"Command": "echo 3333333333333333",
"Created": 1367854154,
"Status": "Exit 0"
},
{
"Id": "4cb07b47f9fb",
"Image": "fedora:latest",
"Command": "echo 444444444444444444444444444444444",
"Created": 1367854152,
"Status": "Exit 0"
}
]
Query Parameters:
- **all** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, Show all containers.
Only running containers are shown by default
- **limit** – Show `limit` last created
containers, include non-running ones.
- **since** – Show only containers created since Id, include
non-running ones.
- **before** – Show only containers created before Id, include
non-running ones.
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **400** – bad parameter
- **500** – server error
### Create a container
`POST /containers/create`
Create a container
**Example request**:
POST /containers/create HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
{
"Hostname":"",
"User":"",
"Memory":0,
"MemorySwap":0,
"AttachStdin":false,
"AttachStdout":true,
"AttachStderr":true,
"PortSpecs":null,
"Tty":false,
"OpenStdin":false,
"StdinOnce":false,
"Env":null,
"Cmd":[
"date"
],
"Dns":null,
"Image":"ubuntu",
"Volumes":{},
"VolumesFrom":""
}
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Content-Type: application/json
{
"Id":"e90e34656806"
"Warnings":[]
}
Json Parameters:
- **config** – the container's configuration
Status Codes:
- **201** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **406** – impossible to attach (container not running)
- **500** – server error
### Inspect a container
`GET /containers/(id)/json`
Return low-level information on the container `id`
**Example request**:
GET /containers/4fa6e0f0c678/json HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{
"Id": "4fa6e0f0c6786287e131c3852c58a2e01cc697a68231826813597e4994f1d6e2",
"Created": "2013-05-07T14:51:42.041847+02:00",
"Path": "date",
"Args": [],
"Config": {
"Hostname": "4fa6e0f0c678",
"User": "",
"Memory": 0,
"MemorySwap": 0,
"AttachStdin": false,
"AttachStdout": true,
"AttachStderr": true,
"PortSpecs": null,
"Tty": false,
"OpenStdin": false,
"StdinOnce": false,
"Env": null,
"Cmd": [
"date"
],
"Dns": null,
"Image": "ubuntu",
"Volumes": {},
"VolumesFrom": ""
},
"State": {
"Running": false,
"Pid": 0,
"ExitCode": 0,
"StartedAt": "2013-05-07T14:51:42.087658+02:01360",
"Ghost": false
},
"Image": "b750fe79269d2ec9a3c593ef05b4332b1d1a02a62b4accb2c21d589ff2f5f2dc",
"NetworkSettings": {
"IpAddress": "",
"IpPrefixLen": 0,
"Gateway": "",
"Bridge": "",
"PortMapping": null
},
"SysInitPath": "/home/kitty/go/src/github.com/docker/docker/bin/docker",
"ResolvConfPath": "/etc/resolv.conf",
"Volumes": {}
}
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Inspect changes on a container's filesystem
`GET /containers/(id)/changes`
Inspect changes on container `id`'s filesystem
**Example request**:
GET /containers/4fa6e0f0c678/changes HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
[
{
"Path": "/dev",
"Kind": 0
},
{
"Path": "/dev/kmsg",
"Kind": 1
},
{
"Path": "/test",
"Kind": 1
}
]
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Export a container
`GET /containers/(id)/export`
Export the contents of container `id`
**Example request**:
GET /containers/4fa6e0f0c678/export HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/octet-stream
{{ STREAM }}
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Start a container
`POST /containers/(id)/start`
Start the container `id`
**Example request**:
POST /containers/e90e34656806/start HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Stop a container
`POST /containers/(id)/stop`
Stop the container `id`
**Example request**:
POST /containers/e90e34656806/stop?t=5 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 204 OK
Query Parameters:
- **t** – number of seconds to wait before killing the container
Status Codes:
- **204** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Restart a container
`POST /containers/(id)/restart`
Restart the container `id`
**Example request**:
POST /containers/e90e34656806/restart?t=5 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 204 No Content
Query Parameters:
- **t** – number of seconds to wait before killing the container
Status Codes:
- **204** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Kill a container
`POST /containers/(id)/kill`
Kill the container `id`
**Example request**:
POST /containers/e90e34656806/kill HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 204 No Content
Status Codes:
- **204** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Attach to a container
`POST /containers/(id)/attach`
Attach to the container `id`
**Example request**:
POST /containers/16253994b7c4/attach?logs=1&stream=0&stdout=1 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/vnd.docker.raw-stream
{{ STREAM }}
Query Parameters:
- **logs** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, return logs. Defaul
false
- **stream** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, return stream.
Default false
- **stdin** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, if stream=true, attach
to stdin. Default false
- **stdout** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, if logs=true, return
stdout log, if stream=true, attach to stdout. Default false
- **stderr** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, if logs=true, return
stderr log, if stream=true, attach to stderr. Default false
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **400** – bad parameter
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Attach to a container (websocket)
`GET /containers/(id)/attach/ws`
Attach to the container `id` via websocket
Implements websocket protocol handshake according to [RFC 6455](http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6455)
**Example request**
GET /containers/e90e34656806/attach/ws?logs=0&stream=1&stdin=1&stdout=1&stderr=1 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**
{{ STREAM }}
Query Parameters:
- **logs** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, return logs. Default false
- **stream** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, return stream.
Default false
- **stdin** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, if stream=true, attach
to stdin. Default false
- **stdout** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, if logs=true, return
stdout log, if stream=true, attach to stdout. Default false
- **stderr** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, if logs=true, return
stderr log, if stream=true, attach to stderr. Default false
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **400** – bad parameter
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Wait a container
`POST /containers/(id)/wait`
Block until container `id` stops, then returns the exit code
**Example request**:
POST /containers/16253994b7c4/wait HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{"StatusCode": 0}
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
### Remove a container
`DELETE /containers/(id)`
Remove the container `id` from the filesystem
**Example request**:
DELETE /containers/16253994b7c4?v=1 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 204 OK
Query Parameters:
- **v** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, Remove the volumes
associated to the container. Default false
Status Codes:
- **204** – no error
- **400** – bad parameter
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
## 2.2 Images
### List Images
`GET /images/(format)`
List images `format` could be json or viz (json default)
**Example request**:
GET /images/json?all=0 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
[
{
"Repository":"ubuntu",
"Tag":"precise",
"Id":"b750fe79269d",
"Created":1364102658
},
{
"Repository":"ubuntu",
"Tag":"12.04",
"Id":"b750fe79269d",
"Created":1364102658
}
]
**Example request**:
GET /images/viz HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/plain
digraph docker {
"d82cbacda43a" -> "074be284591f"
"1496068ca813" -> "08306dc45919"
"08306dc45919" -> "0e7893146ac2"
"b750fe79269d" -> "1496068ca813"
base -> "27cf78414709" [style=invis]
"f71189fff3de" -> "9a33b36209ed"
"27cf78414709" -> "b750fe79269d"
"0e7893146ac2" -> "d6434d954665"
"d6434d954665" -> "d82cbacda43a"
base -> "e9aa60c60128" [style=invis]
"074be284591f" -> "f71189fff3de"
"b750fe79269d" [label="b750fe79269d\nubuntu",shape=box,fillcolor="paleturquoise",style="filled,rounded"];
"e9aa60c60128" [label="e9aa60c60128\ncentos",shape=box,fillcolor="paleturquoise",style="filled,rounded"];
"9a33b36209ed" [label="9a33b36209ed\nfedora",shape=box,fillcolor="paleturquoise",style="filled,rounded"];
base [style=invisible]
}
Query Parameters:
- **all** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, Show all containers.
Only running containers are shown by defaul
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **400** – bad parameter
- **500** – server error
### Create an image
`POST /images/create`
Create an image, either by pull it from the registry or by importing i
**Example request**:
POST /images/create?fromImage=ubuntu HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{"status":"Pulling..."}
{"status":"Pulling", "progress":"1/? (n/a)"}
{"error":"Invalid..."}
...
Query Parameters:
- **fromImage** – name of the image to pull
- **fromSrc** – source to import, - means stdin
- **repo** – repository
- **tag** – tag
- **registry** – the registry to pull from
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **500** – server error
### Insert a file in an image
`POST /images/(name)/insert`
Insert a file from `url` in the image `name` at `path`
**Example request**:
POST /images/test/insert?path=/usr&url=myurl HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{"status":"Inserting..."}
{"status":"Inserting", "progress":"1/? (n/a)"}
{"error":"Invalid..."}
...
Query Parameters:
- **url** – The url from where the file is taken
- **path** – The path where the file is stored
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **500** – server error
### Inspect an image
`GET /images/(name)/json`
Return low-level information on the image `name`
**Example request**:
GET /images/centos/json HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{
"id":"b750fe79269d2ec9a3c593ef05b4332b1d1a02a62b4accb2c21d589ff2f5f2dc",
"parent":"27cf784147099545",
"created":"2013-03-23T22:24:18.818426-07:00",
"container":"3d67245a8d72ecf13f33dffac9f79dcdf70f75acb84d308770391510e0c23ad0",
"container_config":
{
"Hostname":"",
"User":"",
"Memory":0,
"MemorySwap":0,
"AttachStdin":false,
"AttachStdout":false,
"AttachStderr":false,
"PortSpecs":null,
"Tty":true,
"OpenStdin":true,
"StdinOnce":false,
"Env":null,
"Cmd": ["/bin/bash"],
"Dns":null,
"Image":"centos",
"Volumes":null,
"VolumesFrom":""
}
}
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such image
- **500** – server error
### Get the history of an image
`GET /images/(name)/history`
Return the history of the image `name`
**Example request**:
GET /images/fedora/history HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
[
{
"Id": "b750fe79269d",
"Created": 1364102658,
"CreatedBy": "/bin/bash"
},
{
"Id": "27cf78414709",
"Created": 1364068391,
"CreatedBy": ""
}
]
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such image
- **500** – server error
### Push an image on the registry
`POST /images/(name)/push`
Push the image `name` on the registry
> **Example request**:
>
> POST /images/test/push HTTP/1.1
>
> **Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{"status":"Pushing..."}
{"status":"Pushing", "progress":"1/? (n/a)"}
{"error":"Invalid..."}
...
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **404** – no such image
- **500** – server error
### Tag an image into a repository
`POST /images/(name)/tag`
Tag the image `name` into a repository
**Example request**:
POST /images/test/tag?repo=myrepo&force=0&tag=v42 HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 201 OK
Query Parameters:
- **repo** – The repository to tag in
- **force** – 1/True/true or 0/False/false, default false
- **tag** - The new tag name
Status Codes:
- **201** – no error
- **400** – bad parameter
- **404** – no such image
- **409** – conflict
- **500** – server error
### Remove an image
`DELETE /images/(name)`
Remove the image `name` from the filesystem
**Example request**:
DELETE /images/test HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 204 No Content
Status Codes:
- **204** – no error
- **404** – no such image
- **500** – server error
### Search images
`GET /images/search`
Search for an image on [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com)
**Example request**:
GET /images/search?term=sshd HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
[
{
"Name":"cespare/sshd",
"Description":""
},
{
"Name":"johnfuller/sshd",
"Description":""
},
{
"Name":"dhrp/mongodb-sshd",
"Description":""
}
]
:query term: term to search
:statuscode 200: no error
:statuscode 500: server error
## 2.3 Misc
### Build an image from Dockerfile via stdin
`POST /build`
Build an image from Dockerfile via stdin
**Example request**:
POST /build HTTP/1.1
{{ STREAM }}
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
{{ STREAM }}
Query Parameters:
- **t** – tag to be applied to the resulting image in case of
success
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **500** – server error
### Get default username and email
`GET /auth`
Get the default username and email
**Example request**:
GET /auth HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{
"username":"hannibal",
"email":"hannibal@a-team.com"
}
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **500** – server error
### Check auth configuration and store i
`POST /auth`
Get the default username and email
**Example request**:
POST /auth HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
{
"username":"hannibal",
"password:"xxxx",
"email":"hannibal@a-team.com"
}
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/plain
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **204** – no error
- **500** – server error
### Display system-wide information
`GET /info`
Display system-wide information
**Example request**:
GET /info HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{
"Containers":11,
"Images":16,
"Debug":false,
"NFd": 11,
"NGoroutines":21,
"MemoryLimit":true,
"SwapLimit":false
}
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **500** – server error
### Show the docker version information
`GET /version`
Show the docker version information
**Example request**:
GET /version HTTP/1.1
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{
"Version":"0.2.2",
"GitCommit":"5a2a5cc+CHANGES",
"GoVersion":"go1.0.3"
}
Status Codes:
- **200** – no error
- **500** – server error
### Create a new image from a container's changes
`POST /commit`
Create a new image from a container's changes
**Example request**:
POST /commit?container=44c004db4b17&m=message&repo=myrepo HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
{
"Cmd": ["cat", "/world"],
"PortSpecs":["22"]
}
**Example response**:
HTTP/1.1 201 OK
Content-Type: application/vnd.docker.raw-stream
{"Id": "596069db4bf5"}
Query Parameters:
- **container** – source container
- **repo** – repository
- **tag** – tag
- **m** – commit message
- **author** – author (e.g., "John Hannibal Smith
<[hannibal@a-team.com](mailto:hannibal%40a-team.com)>")
Status Codes:
- **201** – no error
- **404** – no such container
- **500** – server error
# 3. Going further
## 3.1 Inside `docker run`
Here are the steps of `docker run` :
- Create the container
- If the status code is 404, it means the image doesn't exist:
- Try to pull it
- Then retry to create the container
- Start the container
- If you are not in detached mode:
- Attach to the container, using logs=1 (to have stdout and
stderr from the container's start) and stream=1
- If in detached mode or only stdin is attached:
- Display the container's
## 3.2 Hijacking
In this version of the API, /attach uses hijacking to transport stdin,
stdout and stderr on the same socket. This might change in the future.