Quick Answer

# Copy from host to container
docker cp ./local-file.txt my-container:/app/file.txt

# Copy from container to host
docker cp my-container:/app/file.txt ./local-file.txt

What You’re Trying to Do

Sometimes you just need to drop a single config file into a running container, or pull a log file or DB dump out of one, without rebuilding the whole image. docker cp copies files and directories between the host and a container, making it ideal for quick, one-off transfers that don’t require changing the Dockerfile or rebuilding.

Environment

  • Docker: verified on 20.10 and later
  • OS: Linux / macOS / Windows (WSL2)

Solution

1. Find the Container Name or ID

docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE     NAMES
a1b2c3d4e5f6   nginx     my-container

Use the value in the NAMES column (my-container) or the CONTAINER ID.

2. Copy From Host to Container

docker cp ./config.yml my-container:/etc/app/config.yml

The destination directory (/etc/app/ in this example) must already exist inside the container, or the copy will fail.

3. Copy From Container to Host

docker cp my-container:/var/log/app.log ./app.log

This is the pattern you’ll use most often to pull log files or database dumps out to the host.

4. Copy an Entire Directory

# Host to container (whole directory)
docker cp ./dist my-container:/usr/share/nginx/html

# Container to host (whole directory)
docker cp my-container:/app/logs ./logs

The same docker cp command works for both files and directories.

5. Copy to a Stopped Container

docker ps -a
docker cp ./config.yml stopped-container:/etc/app/config.yml

docker cp works even if the container isn’t running, since it operates directly on the container’s filesystem rather than on a live process.

6. Finding Container Names in docker-compose

docker compose ps

Containers started with docker compose are often named like project_service_1. Check the exact name with docker ps or docker compose ps before copying.

Common Errors

Error: No such container:path: my-container:/app/file.txt

The source path doesn’t exist inside the container. Check it directly:

docker exec -it my-container ls /app

lstat /path/to/local-file: no such file or directory

The source path on the host is wrong. If you’re using a relative path, double-check your current directory.

pwd
ls -la ./local-file.txt

Destination Directory Doesn’t Exist

Error response from daemon: ... no such file or directory

docker cp fails if the destination directory doesn’t already exist inside the container. Create it first:

docker exec my-container mkdir -p /etc/app
docker cp ./config.yml my-container:/etc/app/config.yml

Copied File Ends Up Owned by root

docker cp often copies files in as root by default, which can cause permission errors if the app runs as a different user.

docker exec my-container chown appuser:appuser /app/file.txt

FAQ

Q: Does docker cp work on a stopped container? Yes. It accesses the container’s filesystem directly, so it works whether or not the container is running.

Q: Can I use wildcards (*)? No, docker cp doesn’t support wildcards directly. To copy multiple files, copy the whole containing directory, or combine it with tar.

Q: How are symbolic links handled? By default, docker cp copies the symlink itself rather than the file it points to. Use the -L flag if you want to follow the link and copy the target.

Q: When should I use docker cp vs. a bind mount (-v)? Use a bind mount if you need files to stay continuously in sync. docker cp is better suited for a one-time, temporary transfer.

Q: Does it work with docker-compose setups? Yes. Check the container name with docker compose ps first, then use docker cp the same way as usual.

Q: What happens if the container stops mid-copy? The copy is handled directly by the Docker daemon against the filesystem, so it’s fairly resilient to state changes, but it’s best practice to let a copy finish before performing other operations on the container.

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