How to Install Docker MCP in Claude Desktop

Official Docker integration — manage containers, images, volumes and compose stacks via AI

What Docker MCP does

The official Docker MCP server gives AI agents full control over your Docker environment. Build images, run containers, manage networks, and orchestrate multi-service applications through natural language. Features: - List, start, stop, and remove containers - Build Docker images from Dockerfiles - Manage Docker volumes and networks - Run docker-compose up/down/scale - Stream container logs in real time - Inspect container health and resource usage - Push/pull images from Docker Hub and private registries - Execute commands inside running containers Use cases: - "Start the postgres and redis containers from my compose file" - "Show me logs from the api container in the last 10 minutes" - "Build a new image from the current directory and tag it v2.1" - "Which containers are using more than 500MB of memory?" Built and maintained by Docker. Connects to the local Docker socket — no remote credentials needed.

docker

containers

devops

compose

kubernetes

Installation steps

1Copy the config below
2Open claude_desktop_config.json
3Paste inside "mcpServers": {}
4Restart Claude Desktop

Configuration

File location: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.jsonjson

{
  "dockerMcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "-y",
      "@docker/mcp-server"
    ],
    "env": {
      "DOCKER_HOST": "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"
    }
  }
}

Full server details Open Config Editor

Install in other clients

💻Claude Code ⌨️Cursor 🏄Windsurf ✨OpenAI ♊Gemini

For maintainers

If you maintain Docker MCP, add this badge to your README to show it's verified on CuratedMCP:

[![CuratedMCP Verified](https://curatedmcp.com/api/badge/docker-mcp)](https://curatedmcp.com/marketplace/docker-mcp)

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