Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Docker Patterns agent skill: setup and examples

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The Docker Patterns agent skill gives an AI agent a set of Docker and Docker Compose best practices to follow when you work on containerised projects. This guide explains what the skill changes, how to install it, how to ask for help in plain language, and what to check before using its examples anywhere near production. It is aimed at developers who already know the basics of containers and YAML.

Docker Patternsaffaan-m/ECC · MIT Download the skill

Quick start

1Download the skill. Download the docker-patterns ZIP file from this page and unzip it to get SKILL.md.
2Install it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or in the project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
3Check your requirements. Make sure Docker and Docker Compose are installed, since the examples depend on them.
4Ask in plain language. Describe your Docker task, naming the services involved and what you want changed.
5Review the output. Read the suggested docker-compose.yml or Dockerfile and check it against your own needs before running it.
6Adapt for production. Replace development defaults such as example passwords and restart policies, and remove unnecessary published ports.

What the docker-patterns skill makes the agent do

The skill documents Docker and Docker Compose patterns for local development, container security, networking, volume strategies and running several services together. Once it is installed, the agent can follow these patterns when it writes or reviews docker-compose.yml files, multi-stage Dockerfiles, network and volume layouts, and hardening settings such as non-root users and dropped capabilities.

The skill contains patterns and example configuration. It does not run containers and does not change your files on its own; the agent produces suggestions and content that you review and apply.

Install the docker-patterns skill

Download the ZIP file for the skill from this page and unzip it. The skill is contained in SKILL.md. Put the resulting folder in one of two places: ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available across your projects, or the .claude/skills/ folder inside a specific project to limit it to that project.

If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Personal install: place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/
Project install: place the unzipped folder in the project's .claude/skills/ folder
Claude apps: upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need a special command. Describe the Docker task in ordinary language. The skill is meant to be used when you want to configure Docker Compose for local development, design a multi-container architecture, solve networking or volume problems, review a Dockerfile for security and size, or move from local development to a container-based workflow.

Name the services and the goal. The more specific the request, the more the agent can apply the right pattern.

Set up a Docker Compose file for a web app with Postgres and Redis for local development
Review this Dockerfile for image size and security before we deploy
My app container cannot reach the database; help me debug the Docker network
Add a production override that uses the production build stage and sets resource limits

Example: a local multi-service stack

A common use is a local app with a database, a cache and an email test tool. The skill's standard example defines an app service that builds the dev stage of a multi-stage Dockerfile, mounts the source code for hot reload, and connects to a Postgres database and a Redis cache by service name. Compose resolves those names inside its network, so the app reaches the database at db and the cache at redis.

The example also adds a healthcheck on the database and waits for it with depends_on, uses named volumes so database data persists between restarts, and includes a Mailpit service for testing email locally.

docker compose up

Example: running development and production configurations

The skill shows a pattern where docker-compose.override.yml is loaded automatically for development settings such as debug logging and a Node.js debugger port. A separate docker-compose.prod.yml is loaded explicitly for production. Ask the agent to build the override files for your project and it will follow this layout.

docker compose up
docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.prod.yml up -d

Safety notes: scripts, network and development defaults

The skill runs no scripts and uses no network access. It requires Docker and Docker Compose, which the examples use; the skill itself installs nothing.

Many example values are development defaults. The sample database password is postgres, and settings such as restart: always or read_only: true are shown as patterns. Adapt them before any production use and review them. The skill's own guidance says never to commit .env files to git, never to hardcode secrets in images, and to avoid the destructive docker compose down -v unless you intend to delete volumes. Also note that a port published on 0.0.0.0 is reachable beyond localhost, so the skill suggests binding databases to 127.0.0.1 or omitting ports in production.

Do not use the example passwords or settings unchanged in production
Keep .env files out of git and out of image layers
Run docker compose down -v only when you want to delete volume data

Tips for getting better results

Give the agent your current docker-compose.yml and Dockerfile, not just a description, so it can make targeted changes. Ask it to pin image tags rather than using latest, since the skill recommends specific tags. For debugging, ask it to check DNS resolution and connectivity from inside the container, using the commands the skill lists.

Share the existing files so changes are targeted
Ask for specific image tags instead of latest
Use the debugging commands from the skill when a service cannot connect

docker compose logs -f app
docker compose exec app nslookup db
docker network inspect <network>

What people use it for

Setting up a local web app with Postgres, Redis and a mail test service using Docker Compose
Reviewing a multi-stage Dockerfile for image size and non-root user settings before production
Designing separate networks so the database is reachable only from the API service
Splitting development and production Compose files with an override file
Debugging why a container cannot resolve or reach another service

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the docker-patterns agent skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

What do I need to use the docker-patterns skill?

You need Docker and Docker Compose, because the examples use them. The skill itself installs nothing, runs no scripts and uses no network access.

Is the docker-patterns skill free?

The skill is released under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. Check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms.

Does the skill run containers or change my files?

No. It documents patterns and example configuration. The agent can write or review files for you, but you decide what to apply and run.

Is this skill suitable for production?

Not without review. The examples use development defaults such as a 'postgres' password, restart: always and read_only settings that must be adapted to your environment.

Who should not use this skill?

People with no Docker experience who expect a turnkey deployment should look elsewhere, because the skill assumes familiarity with containers and YAML.

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Our verdict

This skill suits developers setting up local multi-service Docker Compose environments, and teams reviewing Dockerfiles for size and security. It is not a turnkey deployment tool, and anyone without Docker and YAML experience, or deploying to production without review, should choose a more guided resource.

Download the skill