Docker MCP server

mcp-server-docker

Control Docker containers, images, and services from your AI coding assistant. List, start, stop, read logs, run commands inside containers, and check resource usage.

npx mcp-docker-server

Compatible with Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code Copilot, and any MCP-compatible client. No API keys needed. Connects to your local Docker socket automatically.

Demo built with remotion-readme-kit

Why

If you work with Docker daily, you know the routine: switch to a terminal, type docker ps, scroll through logs, copy container IDs, restart services. It adds up. This MCP server lets your AI assistant handle those tasks for you while you stay focused on code. Ask it to check which containers are running, pull up logs from a failing service, or restart something that got stuck. It talks to Docker's API through the local socket, so there's nothing to configure and no credentials to manage.

Tools

Tool	What it does
list_containers	List running (or all) containers with status, ports, and image info
container_logs	Get recent logs from a container
start_container	Start a stopped container
stop_container	Stop a running container
restart_container	Restart a container
remove_container	Remove a container (with optional force)
exec_command	Execute a command inside a running container
container_stats	Get live CPU, memory, and network stats
list_images	List all Docker images on the host
remove_image	Remove a Docker image

Quick Start

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-docker-server"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-docker-server"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add to user settings or .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "docker": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "mcp-docker-server"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Examples

• "List all running Docker containers"
• "Show me the logs from the nginx container"
• "Restart the api-server container"
• "What's the CPU and memory usage of my postgres container?"
• "Execute ls -la /app inside the web container"
• "List all Docker images and their sizes"
• "Stop all containers that are using the old image"

Prerequisites

• Docker must be running on your machine
• The server connects to the Docker socket at /var/run/docker.sock (Linux/macOS) or the named pipe on Windows
• No API keys or tokens required

Agent Plugins

This repo is an Agent Plugins 1.0.0 package: plugin.json, portable mcp.json, and skills/ ship together with the MCP server.

For Cursor, clone the repo and copy or symlink it to ~/.cursor/plugins/local/mcp-server-docker, then reload the window. Skills and MCP show up under Customize > Plugins.

The Cursor and VS Code install buttons above still work: they add the same npx -y mcp-docker-server stdio server as manual JSON.

FAQ

What is mcp-docker-server?

The npm package for this MCP server (repo name mcp-server-docker). It talks to your local Docker socket to list containers, tail logs, exec commands, and manage images.

Do I need Docker Desktop running?

Yes. The daemon must be up and the MCP process must reach docker.sock (or the Windows named pipe).

Is this safe for production containers?

Treat stop/remove/restart as destructive. Confirm with the user before changing production workloads.

Can I install it as an Agent Plugin in Cursor?

Yes. Use ~/.cursor/plugins/local/mcp-server-docker so the bundled docker-management skill loads with the MCP config.

Do I need API keys?

No. Only local Docker access.

Development

git clone https://github.com/ofershap/mcp-server-docker.git
cd mcp-server-docker
npm install
npm test
npm run build

See also

More MCP servers and developer tools on my portfolio.

Author

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README built with README Builder

License

MIT © 2026 Ofer Shapira