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Docker Inspect Cheat Sheet

Inspect low-level container, image, and network metadata using JSON output and Go templates.

What this cheat sheet is for

This docker inspect reference helps you complete common developer tasks quickly and avoid repeated trial-and-error when working under deadlines.

  • When you need a reliable command or pattern during debugging and incident response.
  • When you are implementing a feature and want a known-good syntax example immediately.
  • When onboarding teammates and documenting repeatable workflows for daily use.
  • When reviewing pull requests and verifying that command usage follows best practices.
  • Find container IP address and mounted volumes.
  • Check image entrypoint and environment defaults.
  • Debug networking and restart policy settings.

Inspect containers

Print full JSON metadata

docker inspect app

Example:

docker inspect $(docker ps -q)

Extract key fields with format

docker inspect -f "{{.State.Status}}" app

Example:

docker inspect -f "{{range .Mounts}}{{.Source}} -> {{.Destination}}{{println}}{{end}}" app

Inspect images and networks

Inspect image config

docker image inspect nginx:latest

Example:

docker image inspect -f "{{.Config.Entrypoint}}" nginx:latest

Inspect network details

docker network inspect bridge

Example:

docker network inspect app_default

Pipe JSON to jq

Read container IP

docker inspect app | jq -r ".[0].NetworkSettings.IPAddress"

Example:

docker inspect app | jq ".[0].HostConfig.RestartPolicy"

List mounted volume sources

docker inspect app | jq -r ".[0].Mounts[].Source"

Example:

docker inspect app | jq ".[0].Config.Env"

Common mistakes / Pitfalls

  • Template expressions fail silently if field names are wrong; verify with raw JSON first.
  • Container IP from bridge network may not be reachable from host as expected.
  • Inspect output can expose secrets in env vars; avoid sharing raw dumps publicly.

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Last updated: February 2026