# crane manifest: Fetch a Raw Image Manifest

> crane manifest prints the raw manifest JSON of an image reference, including multi-arch index entries. Reference for --platform, piping to jq, and CI errors.

Source: https://latchkey.dev/learn/command-reference/crane-manifest-get  
Updated: 2026-06-30

crane manifest prints the exact manifest document a registry serves for a reference, letting you inspect media types and per-arch entries.

When you need to see whether an image is a single manifest or a multi-arch index, and which media types it uses, crane manifest shows the raw JSON.

## What it does

crane manifest fetches and prints the raw manifest for a reference. For a multi-arch tag that is an image index listing each platform and its digest; for a single image it is the schema 2 or OCI manifest with its config and layers.

## Common usage

```Terminal
# raw manifest / index
crane manifest docker.io/library/alpine:3.20 | jq .

# list platforms in a multi-arch index
crane manifest docker.io/library/alpine:3.20 \
  | jq -r '.manifests[].platform | .os + "/" + .architecture'

# manifest of a single platform
crane manifest --platform linux/arm64 docker.io/library/alpine:3.20
```

## Options

| Flag | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| REF | The image reference (positional) |
| --platform os/arch | Resolve to and print one platform manifest from an index |
| --insecure | Allow HTTP / skip TLS verification |

## In CI

Use crane manifest to assert an image really shipped the architectures you expect (for example fail the build if `linux/arm64` is missing from the index) before promoting it.

## Common errors in CI

"MANIFEST_UNKNOWN: manifest unknown" means the reference does not exist. "unsupported MediaType: ..." can appear when a tool downstream cannot parse a manifest schema the registry served; inspect the `mediaType` field to see whether it is a `docker.distribution.manifest.list` or an `oci.image.index`. "UNAUTHORIZED" means authenticate first.

## FAQ

### crane manifest: Fetch a Raw Image Manifest?

When you need to see whether an image is a single manifest or a multi-arch index, and which media types it uses, crane manifest shows the raw JSON.

### What it does?

crane manifest fetches and prints the raw manifest for a reference. For a multi-arch tag that is an image index listing each platform and its digest; for a single image it is the schema 2 or OCI manifest with its config and layers.

### In CI?

Use crane manifest to assert an image really shipped the architectures you expect (for example fail the build if linux/arm64 is missing from the index) before promoting it.

### Common errors in CI?

"MANIFEST_UNKNOWN: manifest unknown" means the reference does not exist. "unsupported MediaType: ..." can appear when a tool downstream cannot parse a manifest schema the registry served; inspect the mediaType field to see whether it is a docker.distribution.manifest.list or an oci.image.index. "UNAUTHORIZED" means authenticate first.

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