API archive entry · source-reported
Docker Engine API
The Engine API is an HTTP API served by Docker Engine. It is the API the Docker client uses to communicate with the Engine, so everything the Docker client can do can be done with the API. Most of the client's commands map directly to API endpoints (e.g. `docker ps` is `GET /containers/json`). The notable exception is running containers, which consists of several API calls. # Errors The API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate the success or failure of the API call. The body of the response will be JSON in the following format: ``` { "message": "page not found" } ``` # Versioning The API is usually changed in each release of Docker, so API calls are versioned to ensure that clients don't break. For Docker Engine 17.09, the API version is 1.32. To lock to this version, you prefix the URL with `/v1.32`. For example, calling `/info` is the same as calling `/v1.32/info`. Engine releases in the near future should support this version of the API, so your client will continue to work even if it is talking to a newer Engine. In previous versions of Docker, it was possible to access the API without providing a version. This behaviour is now deprecated will be removed in a future vers
Plan the first integration safely
The access fields below come from the connected directory. Their likely implementation impact is explained without assuming provider-specific behavior.
Authentication
OAuth is reported. Confirm flows, scopes, consent, token lifetime, and refresh rules.
Transport
HTTPS is not confirmed. Do not send credentials or production data until secure transport is verified.
Browser access
CORS is unknown. Treat direct browser access as unconfirmed and test before choosing a client-only architecture.
First-request sequence
- Identify the current base URL, version, and endpoint for the use case.
- Confirm how credentials are issued and where they may be stored.
- Test success, invalid input, throttling, unavailable data, and timeouts.
- Record response fields, pagination, caching, and error shapes.
- Add monitoring, retries with backoff, and an appropriate fallback.
Questions to resolve before production
Pricing and quotas
Confirm current plans, free-tier limits, overages, and request ceilings.
Endpoint coverage
Check that the operations and response fields match the intended workload.
Reliability
Look for uptime history, a status page, support routes, and service commitments.
Data and privacy
Review retention, licensing, regional processing, and compliance requirements.
Versioning
Confirm the active version, change policy, deprecation window, and migration guidance.
Developer experience
Validate SDKs, examples, error formats, pagination, and test environments.
Source reference
This page separates source-reported facts from questions that need live provider verification.