docker events

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Edge only: This is the CLI reference for Docker CE Edge versions. Some of these options may not be available to Docker CE stable or Docker EE. You can view the stable version of this CLI reference or learn about Docker CE Edge.

Description

Get real time events from the server

Usage

docker events [OPTIONS]

Options

Name, shorthand Default Description
--filter , -f Filter output based on conditions provided
--format Format the output using the given Go template
--since Show all events created since timestamp
--until Stream events until this timestamp

Parent command

Command Description
docker The base command for the Docker CLI.

Extended description

Use docker events to get real-time events from the server. These events differ per Docker object type.

Object types

Containers

Docker containers report the following events:

  • attach
  • commit
  • copy
  • create
  • destroy
  • detach
  • die
  • exec_create
  • exec_detach
  • exec_start
  • export
  • health_status
  • kill
  • oom
  • pause
  • rename
  • resize
  • restart
  • start
  • stop
  • top
  • unpause
  • update

Images

Docker images report the following events:

  • delete
  • import
  • load
  • pull
  • push
  • save
  • tag
  • untag

Plugins

Docker plugins report the following events:

  • enable
  • disable
  • install
  • remove

Volumes

Docker volumes report the following events:

  • create
  • destroy
  • mount
  • unmount

Networks

Docker networks report the following events:

  • create
  • connect
  • destroy
  • disconnect
  • remove

Daemons

Docker daemons report the following events:

  • reload

Services

Docker services report the following events:

  • create
  • remove
  • update

Nodes

Docker nodes report the following events:

  • create
  • remove
  • update

Secrets

Docker secrets report the following events:

  • create
  • remove
  • update

Configs

Docker configs report the following events:

  • create
  • remove
  • update

Limiting, filtering, and formatting the output

Limit events by time

The --since and --until parameters can be Unix timestamps, date formatted timestamps, or Go duration strings (e.g. 10m, 1h30m) computed relative to the client machine’s time. If you do not provide the --since option, the command returns only new and/or live events. Supported formats for date formatted time stamps include RFC3339Nano, RFC3339, 2006-01-02T15:04:05, 2006-01-02T15:04:05.999999999, 2006-01-02Z07:00, and 2006-01-02. The local timezone on the client will be used if you do not provide either a Z or a +-00:00 timezone offset at the end of the timestamp. When providing Unix timestamps enter seconds[.nanoseconds], where seconds is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 (midnight UTC/GMT), not counting leap seconds (aka Unix epoch or Unix time), and the optional .nanoseconds field is a fraction of a second no more than nine digits long.

Filtering

The filtering flag (-f or --filter) format is of “key=value”. If you would like to use multiple filters, pass multiple flags (e.g., --filter "foo=bar" --filter "bif=baz")

Using the same filter multiple times will be handled as a OR; for example --filter container=588a23dac085 --filter container=a8f7720b8c22 will display events for container 588a23dac085 OR container a8f7720b8c22

Using multiple filters will be handled as a AND; for example --filter container=588a23dac085 --filter event=start will display events for container container 588a23dac085 AND the event type is start

The currently supported filters are:

  • config (config=<name or id>)
  • container (container=<name or id>)
  • daemon (daemon=<name or id>)
  • event (event=<event action>)
  • image (image=<tag or id>)
  • label (label=<key> or label=<key>=<value>)
  • network (network=<name or id>)
  • node (node=<id>)
  • plugin (plugin=<name or id>)
  • scope (scope=<local or swarm>)
  • secret (secret=<name or id>)
  • service (service=<name or id>)
  • type (type=<container or image or volume or network or daemon or plugin or service or node or secret or config>)
  • volume (volume=<name>)

Format

If a format (--format) is specified, the given template will be executed instead of the default format. Go’s text/template package describes all the details of the format.

If a format is set to {{json .}}, the events are streamed as valid JSON Lines. For information about JSON Lines, please refer to http://jsonlines.org/ .

Examples

Basic example

You’ll need two shells for this example.

Shell 1: Listening for events:

$ docker events

Shell 2: Start and Stop containers:

$ docker create --name test alpine:latest top
$ docker start test
$ docker stop test

Shell 1: (Again .. now showing events):

2017-01-05T00:35:58.859401177+08:00 container create 0fdb48addc82871eb34eb23a847cfd033dedd1a0a37bef2e6d9eb3870fc7ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.703631903+08:00 network connect e2e1f5ceda09d4300f3a846f0acfaa9a8bb0d89e775eb744c5acecd60e0529e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.795031609+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.830268747+08:00 container kill 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test, signal=15)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.840186338+08:00 container die 0fdb...ff37 (exitCode=143, image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.880113663+08:00 network disconnect e2e...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.890214053+08:00 container stop 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

To exit the docker events command, use CTRL+C.

Filter events by time

You can filter the output by an absolute timestamp or relative time on the host machine, using the following different time syntaxes:

$ docker events --since 1483283804
2017-01-05T00:35:41.241772953+08:00 volume create testVol (driver=local)
2017-01-05T00:35:58.859401177+08:00 container create d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.703631903+08:00 network connect e2e1...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.795031609+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.830268747+08:00 container kill 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test, signal=15)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.840186338+08:00 container die 0fdb...ff37 (exitCode=143, image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.880113663+08:00 network disconnect e2e...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.890214053+08:00 container stop 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

$ docker events --since '2017-01-05'
2017-01-05T00:35:41.241772953+08:00 volume create testVol (driver=local)
2017-01-05T00:35:58.859401177+08:00 container create d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.703631903+08:00 network connect e2e1...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.795031609+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.830268747+08:00 container kill 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test, signal=15)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.840186338+08:00 container die 0fdb...ff37 (exitCode=143, image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.880113663+08:00 network disconnect e2e...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.890214053+08:00 container stop 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

$ docker events --since '2013-09-03T15:49:29'
2017-01-05T00:35:41.241772953+08:00 volume create testVol (driver=local)
2017-01-05T00:35:58.859401177+08:00 container create d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.703631903+08:00 network connect e2e1...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.795031609+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.830268747+08:00 container kill 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test, signal=15)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.840186338+08:00 container die 0fdb...ff37 (exitCode=143, image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.880113663+08:00 network disconnect e2e...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.890214053+08:00 container stop 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

$ docker events --since '10m'
2017-01-05T00:35:41.241772953+08:00 volume create testVol (driver=local)
2017-01-05T00:35:58.859401177+08:00 container create d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.703631903+08:00 network connect e2e1...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.795031609+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.830268747+08:00 container kill 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test, signal=15)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.840186338+08:00 container die 0fdb...ff37 (exitCode=143, image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.880113663+08:00 network disconnect e2e...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:09.890214053+08:00 container stop 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

$ docker events --since '2017-01-05T00:35:30' --until '2017-01-05T00:36:05'
2017-01-05T00:35:41.241772953+08:00 volume create testVol (driver=local)
2017-01-05T00:35:58.859401177+08:00 container create d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.703631903+08:00 network connect e2e1...29e2 (container=0fdb...ff37, name=bridge, type=bridge)
2017-01-05T00:36:04.795031609+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

Filter events by criteria

The following commands show several different ways to filter the docker event output.

$ docker events --filter 'event=stop'

2017-01-05T00:40:22.880175420+08:00 container stop 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:41:17.888104182+08:00 container stop 2a8f...4e78 (image=alpine, name=kickass_brattain)

$ docker events --filter 'image=alpine'

2017-01-05T00:41:55.784240236+08:00 container create d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine, name=happy_meitner)
2017-01-05T00:41:55.913156783+08:00 container start d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine, name=happy_meitner)
2017-01-05T00:42:01.106875249+08:00 container kill d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine, name=happy_meitner, signal=15)
2017-01-05T00:42:11.111934041+08:00 container kill d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine, name=happy_meitner, signal=9)
2017-01-05T00:42:11.119578204+08:00 container die d9cd...4d70 (exitCode=137, image=alpine, name=happy_meitner)
2017-01-05T00:42:11.173276611+08:00 container stop d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine, name=happy_meitner)

$ docker events --filter 'container=test'

2017-01-05T00:43:00.139719934+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:43:09.259951086+08:00 container kill 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test, signal=15)
2017-01-05T00:43:09.270102715+08:00 container die 0fdb...ff37 (exitCode=143, image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:43:09.312556440+08:00 container stop 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

$ docker events --filter 'container=test' --filter 'container=d9cdb1525ea8'

2017-01-05T00:44:11.517071981+08:00 container start 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:44:17.685870901+08:00 container start d9cd...4d70 (image=alpine, name=happy_meitner)
2017-01-05T00:44:29.757658470+08:00 container kill 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test, signal=9)
2017-01-05T00:44:29.767718510+08:00 container die 0fdb...ff37 (exitCode=137, image=alpine:latest, name=test)
2017-01-05T00:44:29.815798344+08:00 container destroy 0fdb...ff37 (image=alpine:latest, name=test)

$ docker events --filter 'container=test' --filter 'event=stop'

2017-01-05T00:46:13.664099505+08:00 container stop a9d1...e130 (image=alpine, name=test)

$ docker events --filter 'type=volume'

2015-12-23T21:05:28.136212689Z volume create test-event-volume-local (driver=local)
2015-12-23T21:05:28.383462717Z volume mount test-event-volume-local (read/write=true, container=562f...5025, destination=/foo, driver=local, propagation=rprivate)
2015-12-23T21:05:28.650314265Z volume unmount test-event-volume-local (container=562f...5025, driver=local)
2015-12-23T21:05:28.716218405Z volume destroy test-event-volume-local (driver=local)

$ docker events --filter 'type=network'

2015-12-23T21:38:24.705709133Z network create 8b11...2c5b (name=test-event-network-local, type=bridge)
2015-12-23T21:38:25.119625123Z network connect 8b11...2c5b (name=test-event-network-local, container=b4be...c54e, type=bridge)

$ docker events --filter 'container=container_1' --filter 'container=container_2'

2014-09-03T15:49:29.999999999Z07:00 container die 4386fb97867d (image=ubuntu-1:14.04)
2014-05-10T17:42:14.999999999Z07:00 container stop 4386fb97867d (image=ubuntu-1:14.04)
2014-05-10T17:42:14.999999999Z07:00 container die 7805c1d35632 (imager=redis:2.8)
2014-09-03T15:49:29.999999999Z07:00 container stop 7805c1d35632 (image=redis:2.8)

$ docker events --filter 'type=volume'

2015-12-23T21:05:28.136212689Z volume create test-event-volume-local (driver=local)
2015-12-23T21:05:28.383462717Z volume mount test-event-volume-local (read/write=true, container=562fe10671e9273da25eed36cdce26159085ac7ee6707105fd534866340a5025, destination=/foo, driver=local, propagation=rprivate)
2015-12-23T21:05:28.650314265Z volume unmount test-event-volume-local (container=562fe10671e9273da25eed36cdce26159085ac7ee6707105fd534866340a5025, driver=local)
2015-12-23T21:05:28.716218405Z volume destroy test-event-volume-local (driver=local)

$ docker events --filter 'type=network'

2015-12-23T21:38:24.705709133Z network create 8b111217944ba0ba844a65b13efcd57dc494932ee2527577758f939315ba2c5b (name=test-event-network-local, type=bridge)
2015-12-23T21:38:25.119625123Z network connect 8b111217944ba0ba844a65b13efcd57dc494932ee2527577758f939315ba2c5b (name=test-event-network-local, container=b4be644031a3d90b400f88ab3d4bdf4dc23adb250e696b6328b85441abe2c54e, type=bridge)

$ docker events --filter 'type=plugin'

2016-07-25T17:30:14.825557616Z plugin pull ec7b87f2ce84330fe076e666f17dfc049d2d7ae0b8190763de94e1f2d105993f (name=tiborvass/sample-volume-plugin:latest)
2016-07-25T17:30:14.888127370Z plugin enable ec7b87f2ce84330fe076e666f17dfc049d2d7ae0b8190763de94e1f2d105993f (name=tiborvass/sample-volume-plugin:latest)

$ docker events -f type=service

2017-07-12T06:34:07.999446625Z service create wj64st89fzgchxnhiqpn8p4oj (name=reverent_albattani)
2017-07-12T06:34:21.405496207Z service remove wj64st89fzgchxnhiqpn8p4oj (name=reverent_albattani)

$ docker events -f type=node

2017-07-12T06:21:51.951586759Z node update 3xyz5ttp1a253q74z1thwywk9 (name=ip-172-31-23-42, state.new=ready, state.old=unknown)

$ docker events -f type=secret

2017-07-12T06:32:13.915704367Z secret create s8o6tmlnndrgzbmdilyy5ymju (name=new_secret)
2017-07-12T06:32:37.052647783Z secret remove s8o6tmlnndrgzbmdilyy5ymju (name=new_secret)

$  docker events -f type=config
2017-07-12T06:44:13.349037127Z config create u96zlvzdfsyb9sg4mhyxfh3rl (name=abc)
2017-07-12T06:44:36.327694184Z config remove u96zlvzdfsyb9sg4mhyxfh3rl (name=abc)

$ docker events --filter 'scope=swarm'

2017-07-10T07:46:50.250024503Z service create m8qcxu8081woyof7w3jaax6gk (name=affectionate_wilson)
2017-07-10T07:47:31.093797134Z secret create 6g5pufzsv438p9tbvl9j94od4 (name=new_secret)

Format the output

$ docker events --filter 'type=container' --format 'Type={{.Type}}  Status={{.Status}}  ID={{.ID}}'

Type=container  Status=create  ID=2ee349dac409e97974ce8d01b70d250b85e0ba8189299c126a87812311951e26
Type=container  Status=attach  ID=2ee349dac409e97974ce8d01b70d250b85e0ba8189299c126a87812311951e26
Type=container  Status=start  ID=2ee349dac409e97974ce8d01b70d250b85e0ba8189299c126a87812311951e26
Type=container  Status=resize  ID=2ee349dac409e97974ce8d01b70d250b85e0ba8189299c126a87812311951e26
Type=container  Status=die  ID=2ee349dac409e97974ce8d01b70d250b85e0ba8189299c126a87812311951e26
Type=container  Status=destroy  ID=2ee349dac409e97974ce8d01b70d250b85e0ba8189299c126a87812311951e26

Format as JSON

    $ docker events --format '{{json .}}'

    {"status":"create","id":"196016a57679bf42424484918746a9474cd905dd993c4d0f4..
    {"status":"attach","id":"196016a57679bf42424484918746a9474cd905dd993c4d0f4..
    {"Type":"network","Action":"connect","Actor":{"ID":"1b50a5bf755f6021dfa78e..
    {"status":"start","id":"196016a57679bf42424484918746a9474cd905dd993c4d0f42..
    {"status":"resize","id":"196016a57679bf42424484918746a9474cd905dd993c4d0f4..