What is docker ps -a in Docker?

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# Show only RUNNING containers
docker ps

# Show ALL containers (running + stopped + created + exited)
docker ps -a

# --all is the long form of -a
docker ps --all # docker ps -a output columns:

CONTAINER ID   IMAGE         COMMAND                  CREATED        STATUS                      PORTS                  NAMES
a1b2c3d4e5f6   nginx         "/docker-entrypoint.…"   2 hours ago    Up 2 hours                  0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp     web-server
b2c3d4e5f6a1   postgres:15   "docker-entrypoint.s…"   3 hours ago    Up 3 hours                  5432/tcp               db
c3d4e5f6a1b2   node:18       "node app.js"            1 day ago      Exited (0) 5 hours ago                             api-server
d4e5f6a1b2c3   redis         "docker-entrypoint.s…"   2 days ago     Exited (1) 2 days ago                              cache
e5f6a1b2c3d4   ubuntu        "/bin/bash"              3 days ago     Created                                            test-box

# CONTAINER ID — unique 12-char short ID (full ID is 64 chars)
# IMAGE        — image the container was created from
# COMMAND      — command running inside the container
# CREATED      — when the container was created
# STATUS       — current state of the container (see below)
# PORTS        — port mappings between host and container
# NAMES        — container name (auto-generated or manually set) Up X hours/minutes  — container is currently running Exited (0)          — container stopped successfully (exit code 0 = success) Exited (1)          — container stopped with error (non-zero = failure) Exited (137)        — container was killed (SIGKILL — often OOM or docker kill) Created             — container created but never started Paused              — container is paused (docker pause was called) Restarting          — container is in restart loop Removing            — container is being removed Dead                — container is in a broken state, needs force removal # -a / --all — show all containers (running + stopped)
docker ps -a

# -q / --quiet — show only container IDs (no headers)
docker ps -q       # running only
docker ps -aq      # all containers
# Output:
# a1b2c3d4e5f6
# b2c3d4e5f6a1

# -n / --last N — show last N created containers
docker ps -n 5     # last 5 containers regardless of state

# -l / --latest — show the most recently created container
docker ps -l

# -s / --size — show container disk size
docker ps -as
# Adds SIZE column: 1.2MB (virtual 133MB)
# First number  = writable layer size
# Second number = total image + writable layer size

# --no-trunc — show full (untruncated) container ID and command
docker ps -a --no-trunc

# --format — custom output format using Go templates
docker ps -a --format 'table {{.Names}}	{{.Status}}	{{.Image}}' # Filter by status
docker ps -a -f status=running
docker ps -a -f status=exited
docker ps -a -f status=created
docker ps -a -f status=paused
docker ps -a -f status=restarting

# Filter by name (supports partial match)
docker ps -a -f name=my-app
docker ps -a -f name=web  # matches web-server, web-app etc.

# Filter by image
docker ps -a -f ancestor=nginx
docker ps -a -f ancestor=node:18

# Filter by exit code
docker ps -a -f exited=0    # successfully stopped
docker ps -a -f exited=1    # stopped with error
docker ps -a -f exited=137  # killed containers

# Filter by label
docker ps -a -f label=env=production
docker ps -a -f label=app

# Filter by network
docker ps -a -f network=my-network

# Filter by volume
docker ps -a -f volume=my-volume

# Combine multiple filters (AND logic)
docker ps -a -f status=exited -f exited=1

# Containers created before or since another container
docker ps -a -f before=my-container
docker ps -a -f since=my-container # Available template variables:
# .ID           .Image        .Command      .CreatedAt
# .RunningFor   .Ports        .Status       .Size
# .Names        .Labels       .Mounts       .Networks

# Simple name and status
docker ps -a --format '{{.Names}} — {{.Status}}'
# Output:
# web-server — Up 2 hours
# api-server — Exited (0) 5 hours ago

# Table format with headers
docker ps -a --format 'table {{.Names}}	{{.Image}}	{{.Status}}	{{.Ports}}'
# Output:
# NAMES         IMAGE       STATUS                 PORTS
# web-server    nginx       Up 2 hours             0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp
# api-server    node:18     Exited (0) 5 hrs ago

# JSON output (Docker 20.10+)
docker ps -a --format json

# Show only names
docker ps -a --format '{{.Names}}' # Get IDs of all stopped containers (for cleanup)
docker ps -aq -f status=exited

# Remove all stopped containers using ps -aq
docker rm $(docker ps -aq -f status=exited)

# Stop all running containers
docker stop $(docker ps -q)

# Remove ALL containers (running + stopped)
docker rm -f $(docker ps -aq)

# Count total containers
docker ps -aq | wc -l

# Count running containers only
docker ps -q | wc -l

# Get container ID by name
docker ps -aqf name=my-container

# Check if a specific container exists
docker ps -a --format '{{.N

What is docker ps -a in Docker?

docker ps -a (or docker ps --all) lists ALL containers on the system — both running and stopped. Without the -a flag, docker ps only shows currently running containers. It is one of the most frequently used Docker commands for inspecting container state, finding container IDs, and debugging.

What is docker ps -a in Docker?

docker ps -a (or docker ps --all) lists ALL containers on the system — both running and stopped. Without the -a flag, docker ps only shows currently running containers. It is one of the most frequently used Docker commands for inspecting container state, finding container IDs, and debugging.

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