Docker patterns - Dockerfile best practices, multi-stage builds, Compose service configuration, networking, volumes, and security. Use whenever the project contains a `Dockerfile`, a Compose file, or `.dockerignore`, OR the user asks about containers, image builds, or Compose service wiring, even if Docker is not mentioned by name.
Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.
Are you the author of Docker Patterns?
Add the live security badge to your README. It updates with every re-scan.
[](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/skills/ku5ic-docker-patterns)
---
name: docker-patterns
description: Docker patterns - Dockerfile best practices, multi-stage builds, Compose service configuration, networking, volumes, and security. Use whenever the project contains a `Dockerfile`, a Compose file, or `.dockerignore`, OR the user asks about containers, image builds, or Compose service wiring, even if Docker is not mentioned by name.
---
# Docker patterns
Docker Engine 29.8.1. Compose Specification (current format, supersedes 2.x and 3.x). Verify at https://docs.docker.com/engine/release-notes/ and https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/.
## Reference files
| File | Covers |
| ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [dockerfile.md](reference/dockerfile.md) | Base image selection, layer caching, RUN/COPY/ADD/CMD/ENTRYPOINT/USER/WORKDIR, .dockerignore |
| [multi-stage.md](reference/multi-stage.md) | Multi-stage builds, named stages, COPY --from, --target, BuildKit |
| [compose.md](reference/compose.md) | Services, build, ports, depends_on with healthcheck, restart, env_file, profiles, secrets |
| [networking.md](reference/networking.md) | Bridge/host/none drivers, user-defined networks, service discovery, port publishing |
| [volumes.md](reference/volumes.md) | Named volumes vs bind mounts vs tmpfs, when to use each, Compose volume declarations |
| [security.md](reference/security.md) | Non-root user, minimal base images, image pinning, .dockerignore, Docker Scout, secrets |
| [anti-patterns.md](reference/anti-patterns.md) | Severity-labeled anti-patterns to flag in review |
## References
- https://docs.docker.com/build/building/best-practices/
- https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/
- https://docs.docker.com/engine/network/
- https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/
## Version notes
Checked: 2026-09-26 against https://docs.docker.com/engine/release-notes/ and https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/04-version-and-name/
Docker Engine and Docker Compose release independently. The Compose Specification supersedes the versioned format (version: "3") -- the `version` top-level key is now ignored.
- 29.8.1 (2026-09-15): bug fixes only (containerd image store, logging, networking); no guidance change.
- 29.4.2 (2026-05-01): previous baseline.
