Docker Run → Compose
Container DevOps Suite

Docker Run to Docker Compose Converter (CLI to YAML)

Convert command-line docker run flags, volume mounts, port bindings, and environment variables into clean docker-compose.yml services.

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Opt compose version
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# ==============================================================================
# Generated by ToolsAA - Docker Run to Docker Compose Converter
# https://toolsaa.com/docker-run-to-compose (100% Client-Side Privacy)
# ==============================================================================
services:
  nginx-proxy:
    container_name: nginx-proxy
    image: nginx:alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - /etc/nginx/conf.d:/etc/nginx/conf.d:ro
      - /var/log/nginx:/var/log/nginx
      - nginx-certs:/etc/ssl/certs:ro
    environment:
      - NGINX_PORT=80
      - NGINX_HOST=toolsaa.com
    networks:
      - web-gateway
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          cpus: "1.0"
          memory: 256m

volumes:
  nginx-certs:

networks:
  web-gateway:
    driver: bridge
Stats card1
1 Service
nginx:alpine
Stats card2
2 Ports Published
3 Volumes (1 Named)
Stats card3
2 Environment Variables
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Clean, optimized output formats ready for immediate deployment.

Technical Reference & Architecture Guide

Docker Run to Docker Compose Converter (CLI to YAML) Developer Guide — Reference Guide

Convert command-line docker run flags, volume mounts, port bindings, and environment variables into clean, production-ready docker-compose.yml service definitions.

Key Parameters & Controls

-p, --publishstring | array[string]

Publishes container ports to the host interface. Maps directly to the 'ports:' list in docker-compose.yml (e.g., '8080:80').

Default: Optional
-v, --volumestring | array[string]

Binds host directories or mounts Docker managed named volumes. Maps directly to the 'volumes:' service list and root definitions.

Default: Optional
-e, --envstring | array[string]

Sets container environment variables. Converted into 'environment:' YAML key-value pairs or list entries.

Default: Optional
--restartstring

Defines container restart behavior on exit ('no', 'always', 'on-failure', 'unless-stopped'). Maps directly to 'restart:'.

Default: no
--networkstring

Attaches container to user-defined bridge or external networks. Maps to service-level and root 'networks:' sections.

Default: default

Pro Tips & Best Practices

Omit Obsolete Top-Level Version

Under the official Compose Specification (Docker Compose v2+), the top-level 'version: "3.8"' attribute is deprecated and should be omitted to prevent linter warnings.

Always Quote Port Mappings

Explicitly quote port strings (e.g., '8080:80' or '22:22') in your Compose file to prevent YAML 1.1 parsers from interpreting colon notation as sexagesimal (base-60) numbers.

Decouple Secrets via .env Files

Instead of hardcoding sensitive '-e DB_PASSWORD=...' flags directly into docker-compose.yml, migrate them to an external '.env' file using the 'env_file:' directive.

Aggregate Multi-Container Workflows

Paste multiple 'docker run' commands sequentially to generate a multi-service orchestration setup sharing internal custom networks without manual port collision.

Common Gotchas & Troubleshooting

Shell expansion variables like $(pwd) fail in docker-compose.yml

Docker CLI commands often use '-v $(pwd)/app:/app', but Docker Compose requires relative paths starting with './' (e.g., './app:/app') or absolute host paths.

Named volumes cause 'undeclared volume' errors on compose up

When converting '-v my_volume:/data', ensure the named volume is declared at the root-level 'volumes:' block in addition to the service-level 'volumes:' section.

Detached mode (-d) or interactive terminal (-it) flag missing in Compose

Docker Compose runs containers in detached mode by default via 'docker compose up -d'. For interactive flags (-it), map them to 'stdin_open: true' and 'tty: true'.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this tool map docker run CLI arguments into docker-compose.yml?▼

The converter parses POSIX-compliant shell flags (such as -p, -v, -e, --restart, --name, and --network) into their formal Compose Specification YAML equivalents under the appropriate service hierarchy.

Is my infrastructure data and container configuration kept private?▼

Yes, 100%. All command parsing, tokenization, and YAML compilation execute client-side directly within your browser's JavaScript engine. Zero commands or sensitive credentials leave your device.

Can I convert multiple docker run commands into a single docker-compose.yml file?▼

Yes. You can paste multiple docker run commands separated by newlines. The parser isolates each command, derives unique service names from --name or container images, and generates a unified multi-service compose file.

Why is the top-level 'version' attribute omitted in modern Docker Compose?▼

The Compose Specification standardized by Docker in 2020 merged previous file versions (2.x, 3.x) into a single rolling specification. Modern Docker Compose v2 no longer requires or recommends specifying the version tag.

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