Quick Answer

# Show full JSON details for a container
docker inspect <container-name-or-id>

# Extract a single field (IP address example)
docker inspect -f '{{.NetworkSettings.IPAddress}}' <container-name>

What You’re Trying to Do

You want to know what’s actually going on inside a container: its IP address, which volumes are mounted, or some other detail that docker ps and docker logs simply don’t show. This is usually the point where people discover docker inspect.

docker inspect dumps the full configuration of a Docker-managed object — a container, image, network, or volume — as JSON. Because there’s so much data, the real skill is knowing how to filter down to the field you actually need.

Environment

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

Solution

1. Basic Syntax

docker inspect <container-name-or-id>
docker inspect <image-name-or-id>

As long as the container name and image name don’t collide, docker inspect automatically figures out what type of object you mean. To be explicit, use --type.

docker inspect --type container <name>
docker inspect --type image <name>

2. Checking the IP Address

docker inspect -f '{{.NetworkSettings.IPAddress}}' <container-name>

If the container is attached to a custom network (created with docker network create) instead of the default bridge, use this instead:

docker inspect -f '{{range .NetworkSettings.Networks}}{{.IPAddress}}{{end}}' <container-name>

3. Checking Environment Variables

docker inspect -f '{{.Config.Env}}' <container-name>

4. Checking Mounted Volumes

docker inspect -f '{{.Mounts}}' <container-name>

For a more readable view, pipe the full JSON into jq:

docker inspect <container-name> | jq '.[0].Mounts'

5. Checking Health Check Status

docker inspect -f '{{.State.Health.Status}}' <container-name>

Returns healthy, unhealthy, or starting. Images without a HEALTHCHECK defined return <no value>.

6. Checking the Exit Code

docker inspect -f '{{.State.ExitCode}}' <container-name>

Checking the exit code is usually the first step when investigating why a container crashed.

7. Inspecting Multiple Containers at Once

docker inspect -f '{{.Name}}: {{.State.Status}}' $(docker ps -aq)

Common Errors

Error: No such object: <name>

Usually a typo in the container or image name, or the object has already been removed. Verify the exact name first.

docker ps -a
docker inspect <correct-name>

template: :1: unexpected "}" in operand

A syntax error in the Go template passed to -f (--format) — check that your {{ }} braces are balanced and the field path is correct.

# Wrong
docker inspect -f '{{.NetworkSettings.IPAddress' <container-name>

# Correct
docker inspect -f '{{.NetworkSettings.IPAddress}}' <container-name>

Output Is an Empty []

This happens when no container/image name was provided, or when none of the names you specified matched anything. Double-check your arguments.

The JSON Output Is Too Long to Read

docker inspect output is deeply nested and can be overwhelming to read raw. Use jq or --format to narrow it down to just the fields you need.

docker inspect <container-name> | jq '.[0] | {Name, State, NetworkSettings}'

FAQ

Q: What’s the difference between docker inspect and docker stats? docker inspect shows a static snapshot of configuration data (IP address, environment variables, mounts, etc.). docker stats shows live resource usage like CPU and memory — they serve different purposes.

Q: Can I use docker inspect on a stopped container? Yes. Configuration data and the last exit code (State.ExitCode) are still available for stopped containers, though some network details won’t be populated while it’s stopped.

Q: What’s the difference between --format and -f? None — -f is just the short form of --format.

Q: What can docker inspect tell me about an image? Layer composition, default environment variables, the CMD/ENTRYPOINT, exposed ports, and creation timestamp, among other details.

Q: Does docker inspect work on networks and volumes too? Yes. You can also run it as a resource-specific subcommand, like docker network inspect <network-name> or docker volume inspect <volume-name>.

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