The dependable Docker pattern is to run pg_dump inside the running PostgreSQL container and redirect its standard output to a file on the host. For a portable archive, use -Fc and restore it with pg_restore; for a human-readable script, omit -Fc and restore with psql. Do not allocate a TTY while redirecting a dump, and create a separate globals dump when you need roles or tablespaces.
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What you are backing up
pg_dump creates a logical backup of one PostgreSQL database. It contains that database’s schema and data, but not cluster-wide objects such as roles, role passwords, or tablespaces. Those objects belong to the PostgreSQL cluster and must be exported separately with pg_dumpall --globals-only.
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pg_dumpall can also produce one SQL script containing every database in the cluster. That is useful for a complete logical export, but it is a script for psql, not a custom archive for pg_restore.
The commands below assume a running container named postgres, a database named mydb, and a database user named myuser. Replace those example names with the names in your deployment. The redirection operator is deliberately outside docker exec: the shell running the command writes the file on the Docker host.
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Choose a dump format and scope
| Method | Command shape | Output | Restore with | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom archive | pg_dump -Fc |
Binary archive, not intended to be read as SQL | pg_restore |
Selective object restores and flexible restore options |
| Plain SQL | pg_dump without -Fc |
SQL text that can be inspected or edited | psql |
Simple full-database restores and text-based workflows |
| All databases | pg_dumpall |
One SQL script for the cluster | psql |
A logical export of every database |
| Cluster globals | pg_dumpall --globals-only |
Roles, passwords and tablespace definitions | psql |
Restoring cluster-wide objects alongside a database dump |
A custom archive is usually the most useful default when you may need to restore selected objects or use restore-time options. A plain SQL dump is preferable when you need a script that a person can read. Neither format is a Docker-volume snapshot; these procedures export PostgreSQL logically through its client utilities.
Check the container and client version first
-
List running containers and confirm the database container name:
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Check the
pg_dumpversion inside the container:docker exec postgres pg_dump --version -
Check the server version from the same container:
docker exec postgres psql -U myuser -d mydb -c 'SELECT version();'
Use a pg_dump client that is the same major version as the server or newer. Running it inside the database container is a practical way to meet that requirement because the image normally includes client utilities aligned with the server image. The PostgreSQL 18 pg_dump documentation states that it can dump servers back to PostgreSQL 9.2, but an output archive is not guaranteed to load into an older major version. If you are intentionally moving to an older server, expect possible manual edits; the documentation recommends --quote-all-identifiers for cross-version dumps.
Authentication depends on the image and its pg_hba.conf configuration. The official PostgreSQL image commonly permits connections over the container’s local Unix socket without a password, but that is an observation about common configurations, not a guarantee. If your setup requires a password or a different host, use the credentials and connection options configured for that deployment rather than assuming the local-socket behavior.
Back up one database as a custom archive
Run the dump without a TTY
From the host, run:
docker exec postgres pg_dump -U myuser -d mydb -Fc > mydb.dumpdocker exec starts pg_dump in the running container. The host shell receives the archive on standard output and writes mydb.dump in the current host directory. The -Fc option selects PostgreSQL’s custom format, which is designed for pg_restore.
Do not add -t or -it to a command whose output is redirected. A pseudo-terminal can alter line endings or allow diagnostic output to become mixed with the dump, producing an archive that cannot be restored reliably. A successful-looking file is not proof that the command completed successfully, so check the command’s exit status in your shell and investigate any error output.
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For scheduled jobs, write to a temporary name and rename only after pg_dump succeeds. That prevents a failed or interrupted run from replacing the last known-good backup:
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docker exec postgres pg_dump -U myuser -d mydb -Fc > mydb.dump.part && mv mydb.dump.part mydb.dumpStore the resulting file on storage with enough free space for the archive. The dump is written on the host, not into the container’s writable layer.
Back up one database as plain SQL
For a text script, leave out -Fc:
docker exec postgres pg_dump -U myuser -d mydb > mydb.sqlThe file can be opened as text and is restored through psql. The same no-TTY rule applies. In particular, do not copy a guide’s docker exec -t option into a redirected backup command simply because it appears in an example; a TTY is unnecessary here and can damage the stream.
Back up every database and the cluster globals
Export all databases in one SQL script
Run pg_dumpall inside the container and redirect its SQL output to the host:
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docker exec postgres pg_dumpall -U postgres > cluster.sqlThis is a plain SQL script for psql. It is not a custom-format archive, so pg_restore cannot read it. The command covers all databases that the connected administrative user can access, but the cluster’s roles and tablespaces are still represented as cluster-wide statements and should be handled deliberately.
Export globals separately
If you are using individual pg_dump files, create a separate globals file:
docker exec postgres pg_dumpall -U postgres --globals-only > globals.sqlGlobals include roles, role passwords and tablespace definitions. A database dump does not contain them. Keep globals.sql with the database archive so a rebuild has the identity and ownership objects expected by the restored schema.
Restore a custom-format dump
Restore into an existing database
Create or select the target database, then stream the host archive into pg_restore running in the container:
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cat mydb.dump | docker exec -i postgres pg_restore -U myuser -d mydbThe -i option keeps standard input open; it is required because the archive is being piped into the container. A custom dump is not a script for psql; it must be processed by pg_restore.
Replace objects in the target
When the target database already contains an older copy, guides commonly use:
cat mydb.dump | docker exec -i postgres pg_restore --verbose --clean --no-acl --no-owner -U myuser -d mydb--cleanremoves database objects before recreating them. Use it only when replacing the target is intended.--no-aclskips access-control statements, which is useful when permissions will be managed separately.--no-owneravoids restoring ownership statements that refer to roles absent from the target.--verboseprints progress and object-level diagnostics.
If ownership and permissions must be reproduced exactly, restore the required roles and grants instead of automatically suppressing them. A globals restore is often the appropriate first step for a like-for-like cluster migration.
Restore roles and tablespaces before dependent objects
Apply the globals script as an administrative user:
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docker exec -i postgres psql -U postgres -f - < globals.sqlAfter the roles and tablespace definitions exist, restore the database archive. If the destination intentionally uses different roles, omit ownership and ACL statements and map permissions through your normal deployment process.
Restore plain SQL and pg_dumpall output
Restore a single-database SQL dump
Pipe the script to psql in the destination container:
docker exec -i postgres psql -U myuser -d mydb < mydb.sqlHere -i is appropriate because the SQL file is supplied through standard input. A plain SQL file is the format that psql executes directly.
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Restore an all-databases script
Use an administrative connection and feed the pg_dumpall output to psql:
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docker exec -i postgres psql -U postgres -f - < cluster.sqlThe script contains statements for creating and loading databases, so perform this against a cluster where the connected role has the privileges required by the script. Do not pass cluster.sql to pg_restore; that utility expects an archive such as the custom format created with -Fc.
Docker Compose equivalent
With Docker Compose, use the service name instead of a container name. Compose allocates a TTY for exec by default, so disable it explicitly:
docker compose exec -T db pg_dump -U myuser -d mydb -Fc > mydb.dumpFor a plain SQL file, keep the same -T option:
docker compose exec -T db pg_dump -U myuser -d mydb > mydb.sqlFor restores, preserve standard input with -T and pipe the host file:
cat mydb.dump | docker compose exec -T db pg_restore -U myuser -d mydbThe service name db is only an example; use the database service name from your Compose file.
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“The input is a PostgreSQL custom-format dump” or similar errors from psql
You are feeding a -Fc archive to the SQL client. Restore it with pg_restore, not psql. Conversely, restore a plain SQL file or pg_dumpall output with psql.
The archive is corrupt or contains terminal escape characters
Re-run the backup without -t or -it. For Compose, include -T. A redirected dump must be a clean byte stream; a pseudo-terminal can change line endings or mix diagnostics into that stream.
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“No such container” or “service not found”
Run docker ps and use the exact running container name with docker exec. With Compose, run the command against the service name, not the generated container name.
Authentication or permission errors
Confirm the database user, database name and connection method. Local-socket trust is common in the official PostgreSQL image but is not universal. A user may also lack permission to read every object being dumped or to create objects during restore; use the administrative account or grants appropriate to your environment.
“Role does not exist” during restore
The original role was not present in the destination. Restore globals.sql first, or repeat the custom-archive restore with --no-owner and, when appropriate, --no-acl. Suppressing ownership changes the resulting ownership, so decide which behavior you need.
Version-related errors
Check both versions with the commands in the version section. Use a pg_dump client at least as new as the server for the normal case. When moving between major versions, remember that newer clients can read older servers, but the generated output is not guaranteed to load into an older server. For a cross-version operation, test the restore against the exact destination version and consider --quote-all-identifiers.
The dump file is empty or unexpectedly small
Check the exit status immediately after the command and inspect error output. Verify that the database name is correct and that the connected user can access it. In automation, the temporary-file-and-rename pattern prevents an incomplete file from being mistaken for a successful backup.
Operational checklist
- Confirm the container or Compose service is running.
- Use a same-major-or-newer
pg_dumpclient; running it inside the database container commonly provides that match. - Choose custom format (
-Fc) when you needpg_restorefeatures, or plain SQL when you need an editable script. - Never allocate a TTY for a redirected dump; use
-Twith Compose. - Write the output to host storage and use a temporary filename for scheduled jobs.
- Export cluster globals separately with
pg_dumpall --globals-onlywhen roles or tablespaces matter. - Restore custom archives with
pg_restoreand SQL files withpsql. - Test a restore against the destination version and account for ownership, ACL and role differences.
What this procedure does not cover
These commands are logical PostgreSQL exports. They do not describe copying a Docker data volume, taking a filesystem snapshot, or designing a physical-replication backup. A volume-level copy is a separate method with its own consistency and recovery requirements. If your recovery plan depends on such a copy, document and test that method independently rather than treating a pg_dump file as an interchangeable substitute.
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