Docker Run to Compose Converter — Instant docker-compose.yml Generator

Docker Run to Compose Converter is a free, browser-based tool that turns any docker run command into a properly structured docker-compose.yml file in real time. No install, no signup, no data sent to any server.

The Problem

Every Docker user reaches the same moment: you have a docker run command that works — tested, debugged, with the exact ports, volumes, and environment variables your app needs. Then someone asks you to check it in, add it to CI, or hand it off to a teammate. And the command looks like this:

docker run -d \
  --name my-nginx \
  -p 8080:80 \
  -e APP_ENV=production \
  -e DEBUG=false \
  -v /data/nginx:/etc/nginx/conf.d \
  --network my-network \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  nginx:alpine

Translating that into docker-compose.yml by hand means knowing the YAML field names (container_name, environment, volumes, ports, networks, restart), getting the nesting right, and not forgetting anything. Do it wrong and the container behaves differently or won't start at all.

How It Works

1. Paste Your Command

Copy any docker run command — from your terminal history, a README, or a runbook — and paste it into the input box. Multi-line commands with \ line continuations are handled automatically.

2. Get Instant YAML

The parser tokenises the command, resolves short flags (-e, -p, -v) and long flags (--name, --network, --restart), and maps every value to the correct docker-compose.yml key. The output appears immediately as you type.

services:
  my-nginx:
    image: nginx:alpine
    container_name: my-nginx
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      - APP_ENV=production
      - DEBUG=false
    volumes:
      - /data/nginx:/etc/nginx/conf.d
    networks:
      - my-network
 
networks:
  my-network:
    external: true

3. Copy and Use

Click Copy to copy the YAML to your clipboard. Paste it straight into your docker-compose.yml file.

Supported Flags

| Flag | docker-compose.yml key | |------|------------------------| | -d / --detach | (detached is the default in Compose) | | --name | container_name | | -p / --publish | ports | | -e / --env | environment | | -v / --volume | volumes | | --network | networks | | --restart | restart | | --entrypoint | entrypoint | | -u / --user | user | | -w / --workdir | working_dir | | -h / --hostname | hostname | | --privileged | privileged: true |

Flags not yet converted are noted in a comment at the bottom of the output so nothing silently disappears.

Key Features

• Live preview — output updates on every keystroke
• Full flag support — handles 15+ common flags plus --flag=value and short combined forms
• Handles line continuations — \ at line end works naturally
• Networks block auto-generated — if --network is present, a top-level networks: block is added
• Unknown flags surfaced — not silently dropped; shown as a comment
• One-click copy — clipboard API with confirmation
• 100% client-side — your command never leaves your browser
• Load example — try it instantly with a sample nginx command

Use Cases

Committing Infrastructure as Code

You've been running a container with a long docker run command. Your team wants the setup checked into the repo. Convert it to docker-compose.yml in ten seconds and open a PR.

Onboarding New Team Members

Runbooks full of docker run commands are hard to follow. Compose files are self-documenting. Convert the whole runbook at once and replace it with something reproducible.

CI/CD Migration

Moving from manual docker run commands in CI scripts to docker-compose up for local parity. Convert each command, adjust, and you're done.

Learning Docker Compose

Not sure how docker run flags map to Compose YAML? Paste your command and see the exact translation. It's the fastest way to learn the field names.

Technical Implementation

The tool is built with Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS v4, and shadcn/ui. The parser is a hand-written tokeniser that respects quoted strings, backslash line continuations, and both --flag value and --flag=value syntax. All logic runs in the browser — no API routes, no server.

Try It

Try Docker Run to Compose Converter →