Docker containers are the building blocks of modern containerized applications. Whether you’re debugging an issue, monitoring your app, or managing system resources, knowing how to list Docker containers is essential for any developer or DevOps engineer.
In this post, we’ll cover how to list running, stopped, and all containers using simple Docker commands — along with a few useful options to make your workflow smoother.
🐳 Basic Command to List Running Containers
To see all currently running containers:
docker ps
This will output a table with useful information like:
- Container ID
- Image used
- Command executed
- Status (Up X minutes)
- Ports exposed
- Container name
📋 List All Containers (Running + Stopped)
To include stopped, exited, and created containers in the list:
docker ps -a
This is helpful when you want to inspect containers that have exited or failed.
🔎 Filter Containers
Docker allows you to filter the output based on criteria like status, name, or container ID.
Example: List only exited containers
docker ps -a --filter "status=exited"
Example: List container with a specific name
docker ps -a --filter "name=my-app"
🧾 Show Only Container IDs
If you want to get just the container IDs (useful in scripts):
docker ps -q
Combine it with -a to include all:
docker ps -aq
📦 Format the Output
Use the --format flag to customize the output with Go-style templates:
docker ps --format "table {{.ID}}\t{{.Names}}\t{{.Status}}"
This can make the output easier to read or script against.
🧠 Summary of Useful Commands
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| List running containers | docker ps |
| List all containers | docker ps -a |
| List only container IDs | docker ps -q |
| Filter by status | docker ps -a --filter "status=exited" |
| Filter by name | docker ps -a --filter "name=app" |
| Custom output | docker ps --format |
🚀 Bonus Tip: Clean Up Stopped Containers
To list and remove all stopped containers:
docker container prune
This will prompt for confirmation before removing exited containers to free up system resources.
🧭 Conclusion
Understanding how to list and filter Docker containers is a key skill for managing your containerized environment effectively. Whether you’re troubleshooting, cleaning up, or monitoring, these commands will help you stay in control of your Docker workflow.
Tip: Make these commands part of your daily dev/ops routine or integrate them into scripts for automation.