Use Docker Compose to describe your application’s containers in one compose.yaml file, then start the whole stack with docker compose up. Each container is declared as a named service. Compose creates the project network, starts the services in dependency order, and manages their lifecycle together.
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The practical details that determine whether a multi-container setup works are readiness checks, service-name networking, persistent volumes, and environment-specific service selection. The walkthrough below builds a web service and PostgreSQL database, then shows how to operate, adapt, and troubleshoot the stack.
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Docker describes Compose as “a tool for defining and running multi-container applications.” Instead of starting every container with separate docker run commands, you keep the application model in YAML. The model records each service’s image or build context, ports, environment variables, dependencies, health checks, networks, and storage.
Run Compose commands from the directory containing the file. Compose treats that directory and its project name as the scope for the resources it creates, so the services, network, and named volumes belonging to one application can be operated together.
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When Compose is a good fit
- Local development where an application needs several cooperating containers.
- Repeatable test or demonstration environments.
- Small deployments where one Compose model should define the complete application stack.
- Optional supporting tools, such as a debugger or administration interface, that should remain available without starting on every run.
What Compose does not guarantee by itself
Starting a dependency first does not prove that the dependency is ready to accept requests. A database process can be running while it is still initializing. If an application must wait for readiness, pair a database healthcheck with the long-form depends_on condition described later.
Prerequisites and project layout
Install Docker with the Compose command available as docker compose. Create a project directory containing your application source and a file named compose.yaml. The example below assumes the web service has a Dockerfile in the project directory, because its service uses build: ..
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A simple layout can look like this:
my-app/
├── compose.yaml
├── Dockerfile
└── application-source/The database image is pulled automatically if it is not already present. The web image is built from the local Dockerfile when Compose starts the stack.
A minimal two-container Compose application
Save this as compose.yaml:
services:
web:
build: .
ports:
- "8080:8080"
environment:
DATABASE_URL: postgres://app:secret@db:5432/app
depends_on:
db:
condition: service_healthy
db:
image: postgres:18
environment:
POSTGRES_DB: app
POSTGRES_USER: app
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: secret
volumes:
- db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U app -d app"]
interval: 5s
timeout: 5s
retries: 10
volumes:
db-data:The web service
build: . tells Compose to build an image using the Dockerfile in the current directory. The ports entry publishes host port 8080 to port 8080 in the web container, allowing a browser or another host process to reach the application at that published port.
The DATABASE_URL value deliberately uses db as the hostname. db is the service key, and Compose provides DNS resolution for that name on the project network. The URL therefore targets PostgreSQL’s container port 5432 rather than a host-published port.
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The long-form dependency declaration says that web may start after db reports healthy. That condition only has meaning because the database service defines a health check.
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image: postgres:18 selects the PostgreSQL image and tag used by this example. The three environment variables initialize the database name, user, and password expected by the application.
The healthcheck runs pg_isready through CMD-SHELL. Compose checks it every five seconds, allows five seconds for each attempt, and retries ten times. These values are part of the readiness policy: adjust them when initialization routinely takes longer or when checks are too aggressive.
The named volume
The top-level volumes declaration creates the named volume db-data. The service mounts it at PostgreSQL’s data directory, so the database files live outside the container’s disposable writable layer. Recreating the database container does not erase that volume unless you explicitly remove it.
Start and inspect the stack
- Open a terminal in the directory containing
compose.yaml. - Start the application in the background with
docker compose up -d. Compose builds the web image if necessary, pulls the database image if needed, creates the project network and named volume, and starts the services. - Check service state with
docker compose ps. Confirm that both services are running and that the database health status becomes healthy. - Follow the web service logs with
docker compose logs -f web. PressCtrl+Cto stop following logs; this does not stop the services.
For a foreground run, omit -d. The terminal then displays service output until you interrupt it. Foreground mode is useful when diagnosing an initial startup failure.
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Commands you will use repeatedly
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
docker compose up -d |
Build or pull required images and start the declared services in detached mode. |
docker compose up --build |
Rebuild images before starting, useful after changing the Dockerfile or application image contents. |
docker compose ps |
Show the project’s service and container state. |
docker compose logs -f web |
Follow logs for one service; replace web with another service name as needed. |
docker compose run --rm web <command> |
Run a one-off command with the web service configuration, then remove that temporary container. |
docker compose down |
Stop and remove the project’s containers and network while retaining declared named-volume data. |
docker compose down -v |
Stop and remove containers, networks, and named volumes. Use only when deleting the stored data is intentional. |
docker compose config |
Render and validate the Compose model after files, profiles, or overrides are merged. |
How containers find one another
Compose normally creates one default project network and attaches every service to it. Containers on that network can address one another by service name. In the example, the web container connects to db:5432; it should not use a container IP address, because container IPs can change when services are recreated.
Use the container port for internal traffic. The 8080:8080 mapping is needed for access from the host, but a second service connecting to the web service would use the web service name and its container port. Publishing every internal port unnecessarily increases exposure and is not required for service-to-service communication.
Separate networks when isolation matters
You can declare custom top-level networks and attach services selectively. For example, a front-end service and web service can share a network while the database is attached only to the web network:
services:
frontend:
image: example-frontend
networks:
- edge
web:
build: .
networks:
- edge
- data
db:
image: postgres:18
networks:
- data
networks:
edge:
data:In this arrangement, frontend can reach web through edge, while only web can reach db through data. Compose also supports external networks when a service must join a network managed outside this project.
Startup order versus application readiness
The short dependency form establishes startup order but does not wait for a dependency to become healthy. This distinction explains many “connection refused” errors during first boot.
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Order-only dependency
services:
web:
build: .
depends_on:
- db
db:
image: postgres:18Compose starts db before web, but web can still begin while PostgreSQL is initializing.
Health-gated dependency
services:
web:
build: .
depends_on:
db:
condition: service_healthy
db:
image: postgres:18
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U app -d app"]
interval: 5s
timeout: 5s
retries: 10The long form tells Compose to wait until the database health check succeeds before starting the web service. A health check can be a string or a list beginning with CMD, CMD-SHELL, or NONE. Its interval, timeout, retries, and optional start_period determine how Compose evaluates the result.
Choose a check that tests the capability the dependent service actually needs. A process-level check that merely confirms a program exists is weaker than a database readiness command such as pg_isready.
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Keep data when containers are recreated
A container’s writable layer is disposable. Removing and recreating a container removes files stored only there. Stateful services therefore need a volume mounted at the directory where they store data.
In the example, db-data is mounted at /var/lib/postgresql/data. Running docker compose down removes the containers and their writable layers but leaves the named volume. Starting the project again reuses the existing database files.
Prevent accidental deletion
- Use
docker compose downfor ordinary shutdown and cleanup. - Treat
docker compose down -vas a destructive data operation; it removes the named volumes declared by the project. - Verify the volume mount in
compose.yamlbefore troubleshooting an apparent data loss. - When sharing a named volume between services, ensure the services agree on its file layout and access requirements.
Run optional services with profiles
Profiles keep optional components in the same Compose model without starting them on every run. A service assigned to a profile remains inactive until that profile is enabled.
services:
web:
build: .
debug:
image: example-debugger
profiles:
- debugStart the normal stack without the debugger using docker compose up -d. Enable it explicitly with docker compose --profile debug up -d. You can also set COMPOSE_PROFILES=debug in the environment. Multiple --profile flags can be supplied when several optional groups are needed.
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Profiles are appropriate when the difference is whether a service runs. If the same services need different images, environment variables, mounts, or ports for development and production, use environment-specific Compose files instead.
Layer development and production configuration
Keep common service definitions in a base Compose file and layer environment-specific files with -f. The merged model is what Compose uses, so validate it before starting:
docker compose -f compose.yaml -f compose.production.yaml config
docker compose -f compose.yaml -f compose.production.yaml up -dThe first command lets you inspect the effective configuration and catch an unexpected merge before containers are changed. Profiles can coexist with file layering: use profiles for optional services and override files for substantive configuration differences.
Rebuild, recreate, and update safely
When application code is baked into the web image, changing the source does not necessarily change an already-created container. Use docker compose up --build to rebuild the image and apply it. Inspect logs afterward with docker compose logs.
If the Compose model changes, rerun docker compose config and then start the stack again. Compose recreates services whose configuration or image has changed while leaving unaffected resources in place. The named database volume remains separate from that container replacement.
Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
The application cannot resolve db. |
The services are not on a shared Compose network, or the application is using a different hostname. | Attach both services to the same network and use the exact service key, db, as the hostname. |
| The application starts before PostgreSQL accepts connections. | depends_on is being used only for order, without a readiness check. |
Add the database healthcheck and use condition: service_healthy. |
| Database data appears to be gone. | The database directory was not backed by a named volume, or down -v removed it. |
Mount a named volume at the database data directory and avoid down -v unless deletion is intended. |
| Port 8080 is already occupied. | Another host process or container owns the published host port. | Stop the conflicting process or change the host side of the mapping, for example 8081:8080. Internal traffic can continue using the container port. |
| Configuration changes have no visible effect. | The merged model or image was not updated, or an old container is still running. | Run docker compose config, then use docker compose up --build when the image must be rebuilt and inspect service logs. |
| Only a subset of services is needed. | All always-on services are being started together. | Use profiles for optional components or specify the target service names on the Compose command line. |
Choose the right Compose design
| Design decision | Use this when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
Short depends_on |
Only startup order matters, or the application has its own retry logic. | Does not wait for dependency readiness. |
| Health-gated dependency | The dependent service must not start until a concrete readiness test succeeds. | Requires a meaningful health check and suitable timing values. |
| Container writable layer | Data is disposable, such as a cache or temporary output. | Data disappears when the container is removed. |
| Named volume | Database or other state must survive container recreation. | Requires deliberate lifecycle management; down -v deletes it. |
| Published port | The host or an outside network must access a service. | Consumes a host port and exposes that service beyond the internal network. |
| Internal service networking | One Compose service needs another. | Clients must use the service name and container port. |
| Profiles | An optional service should remain defined but inactive by default. | Operators must enable the relevant profile. |
| Override files | Development and production need different service settings. | The effective configuration can be harder to see unless you inspect it with docker compose config. |
A repeatable operating checklist
- Confirm the file is named
compose.yamland is in the directory where you will run Compose commands. - Check that every application dependency has a service key and that connection strings use those keys rather than container IP addresses.
- Publish only ports that the host or an outside network must reach.
- Add a health check for services whose readiness matters, then use
service_healthyfor dependent services. - Mount named volumes for databases and other state that must survive recreation.
- Run
docker compose configafter changing files, profiles, or overrides. - Start with
docker compose up -dordocker compose up --buildwhen an image rebuild is required. - Use
docker compose psand targeteddocker compose logs -f SERVICEcommands to verify behavior. - Stop with
docker compose down; reservedown -vfor intentional volume deletion.
Bottom line
A reliable multi-container Compose application has one clear YAML model, service-name DNS for internal connections, health-gated dependencies where readiness matters, and named volumes for state. Start it with docker compose up, validate merged configuration before changes, and use profiles or override files to control which services and settings apply in each environment.
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