Create repositories

Table of contents

Repositories let you share container images with your team, customers, or the Docker community at large.

A single Docker Hub repository can hold many Docker images which are stored as tags. You can push Docker images to Docker Hub with the docker pushcommand.

Create a repository

  1. Sign in to Docker Hub.
  2. Select Repositories.
  3. Near the top-right corner, select Create Repository.

When creating a new repository:

  • You can choose to locate it under your own user account, or under any organization where you are an owner or editor.

  • The repository name needs to:

    • Be unique
    • Have between 2 and 255 characters
    • Only contain lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens (-), and underscores (_)

    Note

    You can't rename a Docker Hub repository once it's created.

  • The description can be up to 100 characters. It's used in the search results.

  • If you're a Docker Verified Publisher (DVP) or Docker-Sponsored Open Source (DSOS) organization, you can also add a logo to a repository. The maximum size in pixels is 1000x1000.

  • You can link a GitHub or Bitbucket account now, or choose to do it later in the repository settings.

  • You can set the repository's default visibility to public or private.

    Note

    For organizations creating a new repository, it's recommended you select Private.

Add a repository overview

Once you have created a repository, add an overview to the Repository overview field. This describes what your image does and how to use it.

Consider the following repository overview best practices.

  • Describe what the image is, the features it offers, and why it should be used. Can include examples of usage or the team behind the project.
  • Explain how to get started with running a container using the image. You can include a minimal example of how to use the image in a Dockerfile.
  • List the key image variants and tags to use them, as well as use cases for the variants.
  • Link to documentation or support sites, communities, or mailing lists for additional resources.
  • Provide contact information for the image maintainers.
  • Include the license for the image and where to find more details if needed.

Push a Docker container image to Docker Hub

Once you have created a repository, you can start using docker push to push images.

To push an image to Docker Hub, you must first name your local image using your Docker ID and the repository name that you created.

If you want to add multiple images to a repository, add a specific :<tag> to them, for example docs/base:testing. If it's not specified, the tag defaults to latest.

Name your local images using one of these methods:

  • When you build them, using docker build -t <hub-user>/<repo-name>[:<tag>
  • By re-tagging the existing local image with docker tag <existing-image> <hub-user>/<repo-name>[:<tag>].
  • By using docker commit <existing-container> <hub-user>/<repo-name>[:<tag>] to commit changes.

Then, you can push this image to the repository designated by its name or tag:

$ docker push <hub-user>/<repo-name>:<tag>

The image is then uploaded and available for use by your teammates and/or the community.