How to Export a Container in Docker: Simple Guide

Use the docker export command followed by the container ID or name and redirect the output to a .tar file to export a Docker container. For example, docker export container_name > container.tar saves the container's filesystem as a tar archive.

Syntax

The docker export command exports the filesystem of a running or stopped container as a tar archive.

• docker export [OPTIONS] CONTAINER: Exports the container's filesystem.
• CONTAINER: The container ID or name to export.
• Redirect the output to a file using > to save the archive.

bash

docker export [OPTIONS] CONTAINER > filename.tar

Example

This example exports a container named mycontainer to a file called mycontainer_export.tar. The tar file contains the container's filesystem without its history or metadata.

bash

docker export mycontainer > mycontainer_export.tar

Common Pitfalls

• Forgetting to redirect output to a file will print the tar archive to the terminal, causing unreadable output.
• Using docker export does not include Docker image layers or history, only the container filesystem.
• To save the image with history, use docker save instead.
• Exporting a running container is allowed, but the filesystem may not be consistent if files change during export.

bash

docker export mycontainer
# Wrong: outputs tar to terminal

docker export mycontainer > mycontainer.tar
# Correct: saves tar file

Quick Reference

Remember these tips when exporting containers:

• Use docker export CONTAINER > file.tar to export.
• Exported tar contains only container filesystem.
• Use docker save to export images with history.
• Redirect output to a file to avoid terminal clutter.

Key Takeaways

Use docker export CONTAINER > file.tar to export a container's filesystem as a tar archive.

Always redirect the output to a file to save the export instead of printing to the terminal.

docker export exports only the container filesystem, not image layers or history.

For exporting images with history, use docker save instead.

Exporting a running container may produce inconsistent filesystem snapshots.