Updating an image and updating a container are separate operations. For a Docker Compose service, pull the image that the file specifies, then run docker compose up so Compose can replace the old container. For a container created with docker run, pull the replacement image, remove the old container, and run a new one with the same options. Mounted volumes survive a Compose recreation; files stored only in a container’s writable layer do not survive container removal.
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The correct update sequence at a glance
A running container keeps using the image from which it was created. Downloading a newer image does not retrofit that image into an existing container. The container must be recreated.
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| Situation | Image operation | Container operation | What happens to data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compose service using an image from a registry | docker compose pull SERVICE |
docker compose up -d SERVICE |
Mounted volumes are preserved; the old container is replaced when the image or configuration changed. |
| Compose service built from a Dockerfile | Build locally with --build |
docker compose up -d --build --force-recreate SERVICE |
Mounted volumes are preserved during recreation. |
Plain docker run container |
docker pull IMAGE:TAG |
Stop, remove, and run a replacement with the original options. | Named and bind mounts remain, but data only in the removed container’s writable layer is lost. |
Use an explicit version tag or digest when the rollout must be reproducible. A tag such as latest can refer to different image content at different times.
Updating a Docker Compose service from a registry
1. Check the image reference in compose.yaml
Open the Compose file and identify the service you intend to update. Its image: value determines what Compose pulls. Change the tag when you want a specific release, or replace the tag with a digest when you need the exact image content to remain fixed.
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services:
web:
image: example/web:2.4
Changing the file is optional when the existing tag is mutable and you deliberately want whatever content the registry currently serves. It is required when moving from one version tag to another.
2. Pull the configured image
Run the pull for the service rather than relying on a previously cached image:
docker compose pull SERVICEReplace SERVICE with the service name under services, such as web. Compose contacts the configured registry and stores the image locally. Pulling alone does not alter the container that is already running.
3. Recreate and start the service
docker compose up -d SERVICECompose compares the existing container with the current service definition and image. If the image or service configuration changed after the container was created, it stops the old container and creates a replacement, preserving mounted volumes. Docker describes this behavior as: “If there are existing containers for a service, and the service’s configuration or image was changed after the container’s creation, docker compose up picks up the changes by stopping and recreating the containers (preserving mounted volumes).”
The -d option leaves the service running in the background. Without it, Compose attaches your terminal to the service output.
One command when you always want a fresh pull and replacement
docker compose up -d --pull always --force-recreate SERVICE--pull always requests an image pull before starting. --force-recreate replaces the container even if Compose does not detect a change. This is useful for scheduled or scripted updates where you want the replacement policy to be explicit.
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Updating a service whose image is built locally
docker compose pull is for images obtained from a registry. A service with a build: section must be rebuilt from its Dockerfile before the replacement container starts.
docker compose up -d --build --force-recreate SERVICE--build rebuilds the local image, while --force-recreate guarantees that the service container is replaced. Keep the service’s volume declarations unchanged when the rebuilt application must continue using the same database, uploads, or other persistent files.
If the Dockerfile or its build context did not change, Docker may reuse unchanged build layers. That is normal: the resulting image is still the one Compose starts. A registry pull and a local build are different paths; do not expect docker compose pull to rebuild a Dockerfile-based service.
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Why docker compose start did not update anything
docker compose start only starts containers that already exist and are stopped. It does not pull images, create a replacement, or apply a changed image to an existing container.
The common unsuccessful sequence is:
docker compose pull SERVICE
docker compose start SERVICEThe pull downloads new image content, but start reuses the old container, which still references the image used at its creation. Use docker compose up -d SERVICE after the pull, or use the explicit --pull always --force-recreate command when both actions should be enforced.
Likewise, --no-recreate tells Compose not to replace an existing container. Remove that option when the purpose of the run is to apply a new image or changed configuration.
Keeping data safe during recreation
Mounted volumes survive a Compose replacement
Named volumes and bind mounts are outside the container’s writable layer. When Compose stops and recreates a service, those mounts are attached to the new container. This is the normal way to keep database files, uploaded media, configuration generated at runtime, and other durable state available after an image update.
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Before updating, verify which paths are mounted in compose.yaml. A typical declaration makes the persistence boundary visible:
services:
app:
image: example/app:2.4
volumes:
- app-data:/var/lib/example
- ./uploads:/srv/uploads
volumes:
app-data:The host directory in a bind mount and the named volume are retained when the container is replaced. The path inside the container must remain compatible with the new image; changing an application’s storage path without migrating files can still make existing data appear to be missing.
The writable layer is disposable
Every container has a writable layer for changes made inside the container that are not covered by a mount. Removing the container removes that layer. Docker’s Compose quickstart distinguishes the commands this way: docker compose stop preserves stopped containers, while docker compose down removes containers and data written only to the writable layer.
Do not treat the writable layer as a database, upload directory, or backup location. Move durable state to a named volume or bind mount, and verify a usable backup before replacement.
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- Identify every database, upload, cache, and generated-file path used by the service.
- Confirm each durable path is a named volume or bind mount, not an unmounted directory inside the container.
- Check that the backup completed and can be read before stopping the old container.
- Review release notes for schema migrations or incompatible storage changes before starting the new image.
- Record the image tag or digest that is currently running so a rollback target is known.
Replacing a container created with docker run
Docker has no separate “update this container’s image” command for a container created directly with docker run. Create a replacement container instead.
1. Record the original run configuration
Before removing anything, capture the options that define how the application runs:
- Image name, tag, or digest.
- Published ports, such as
-p 8080:80. - Environment variables and environment files.
- Named volumes and bind mounts.
- Networks and aliases.
- Restart policy.
- Linux capabilities, privilege settings, and other security options.
- Entrypoint, command, working directory, user, and resource limits.
A replacement that omits one of these can start successfully while behaving differently from the original. Inspect the existing container and save its configuration before stopping it.
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2. Pull the replacement image
docker pull IMAGE:TAGUse the exact image reference you selected. A digest is preferable when you need to ensure that a later pull resolves to the same content rather than whatever a mutable tag happens to reference.
3. Stop and remove the old container
docker stop CONTAINER
docker rm CONTAINERdocker stop gives the application an opportunity to shut down cleanly. docker rm removes the container object and its writable layer; it does not remove separately managed named volumes unless you explicitly request volume removal. Do not add a volume-removal option unless you have confirmed that the volume is disposable.
4. Run the replacement with the original options
docker run [the original options] IMAGE:TAGSubstitute the new tag or digest while carrying forward the ports, environment, mounts, networks, restart policy, capabilities, and command recorded earlier. If the application uses a bind mount or named volume, point the replacement at the same source so it sees the existing files.
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| Decision axis | Compose with registry image | Compose with local build | Plain docker run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image source | Registry; use docker compose pull. |
Dockerfile and build context; use --build. |
Registry pull with docker pull, followed by a new run. |
| Replacement policy | up recreates when image or configuration changed; --force-recreate makes it unconditional. |
Rebuild and recreate with --build --force-recreate. |
Manual stop, remove, and run sequence. |
| Persistence model | Mounted volumes are preserved during Compose recreation. | Mounted volumes are preserved during Compose recreation. | Mounts remain available to the replacement; the old writable layer is discarded. |
| Best fit | Multi-container projects or services described in a Compose file. | Applications whose image is produced by the project itself. | Single containers managed without a Compose project. |
Verifying that the new image is actually running
After recreation, verify the result rather than assuming a successful command means the application is healthy.
- List the service or container and confirm it is running.
- Check the service logs for startup errors, failed migrations, or an invalid configuration.
- Confirm the published port responds and that the application reports the expected version.
- Verify that the database, uploads, and other mounted data are visible to the new container.
- Record the image identifier or digest associated with the running container for deployment history.
For Compose projects, keep the project directory and the exact command used for the update. This makes it clear whether the service was pulled, rebuilt, or forcibly recreated.
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A rollback is another recreation, not an edit to the running container. Keep the previous tag or digest and restore that reference in the Compose file, or use it in the replacement docker run command. Then perform the same pull-or-build and recreate sequence.
Rolling back application code does not automatically reverse a database schema migration. Take backups before updates and check the image’s migration requirements so that a code rollback does not leave the data format incompatible with the older image.
Common mistakes and their fixes
Pulling but not recreating
Symptom: The pull reports a newer image, but the running application behaves exactly as before.
Fix: Run docker compose up -d SERVICE or recreate the plain Docker container. A pulled image is only a local image until a new container uses it.
Using start for an update
Symptom: docker compose start starts the old container.
Fix: Use up, which can stop and recreate a container when the image or service definition changed.
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Symptom: Compose continues using the existing container despite a new image.
Fix: Remove --no-recreate. Add --force-recreate when you want replacement regardless of Compose’s change detection.
Forgetting --build
Symptom: A Dockerfile was edited, but the service still runs the prior locally built image.
Fix: Run docker compose up -d --build --force-recreate SERVICE.
Recreating a plain container with incomplete options
Symptom: The new container starts but has no published port, cannot reach its network, loses environment variables, or writes to the wrong directory.
Fix: Reconstruct the run command from the original container’s ports, environment, mounts, networks, restart policy, capabilities, and command before removing the old container.
Storing important files in the writable layer
Symptom: Data disappears after docker rm or a Compose replacement.
Fix: Put durable data in named or bind-mounted volumes and restore from a verified backup if the only copy was in the removed layer.
A repeatable update checklist
- Identify whether the service is managed by Compose or plain
docker run. - Determine whether the image comes from a registry or a local Dockerfile.
- Choose an explicit release tag or digest when reproducibility matters.
- Confirm durable data is mounted and that a backup is available.
- For a registry-backed Compose service, run
docker compose pull SERVICE, thendocker compose up -d SERVICE. - For a Dockerfile-backed Compose service, run
docker compose up -d --build --force-recreate SERVICE. - For a plain container, pull the image, stop and remove the old container, then run the replacement with every original option.
- Check logs, ports, health, application version, and mounted data.
- Record the image digest and keep the previous reference available for rollback.
The Bottom Line
Pulling an image downloads new bytes; recreating the container is what makes the running service use them. Use Compose’s up after a pull, use --build for Dockerfile services, and preserve important data in named or bind-mounted volumes rather than the container’s writable layer.
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