docker volume prune

Deletes volumes not referenced by any container. Narrower and safer than a full system prune.

#docker #volumes #cleanup

Command

Prune volumes

SHELL

1docker volume prune -f

3# keep anything labelled keep=true

4docker volume prune --filter "label!=keep=true"

Check before you prune

STEP 1 OF 5

List dangling volumes: docker volume ls -f dangling=true

Examples

Targeted removal & backup

SHELL

1docker volume prune # anonymous unused volumes (Docker 23+)

2docker volume prune -a # named unused volumes too

3docker volume rm <name> # one specific volume

4docker volume prune --filter "label!=keep" # skip volumes labelled keep

6# Back up a volume to a tarball in the current folder

7docker run --rm -v <name>:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine \

8 tar czf /backup/<name>.tgz -C /data .

A volume used only by a stopped container still counts as in use, but once that container is removed (docker compose down, docker rm) the data is one prune away from gone.

Docker/Cleanup/docker volume prune

CommandUpdated 3 weeks ago

docker volume prune

Deletes volumes not referenced by any container. Narrower and safer than a full system prune.

#docker #volumes #cleanup

Command

Prune volumes

SHELL

1docker volume prune -f

3# keep anything labelled keep=true

4docker volume prune --filter "label!=keep=true"

Check before you prune

STEP 1 OF 5

List dangling volumes: docker volume ls -f dangling=true

Examples

Targeted removal & backup

SHELL

1docker volume prune # anonymous unused volumes (Docker 23+)

2docker volume prune -a # named unused volumes too

3docker volume rm <name> # one specific volume

4docker volume prune --filter "label!=keep" # skip volumes labelled keep

6# Back up a volume to a tarball in the current folder

7docker run --rm -v <name>:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine \

8 tar czf /backup/<name>.tgz -C /data .

A volume used only by a stopped container still counts as in use, but once that container is removed (docker compose down, docker rm) the data is one prune away from gone.