docker compose ps: List Stack Services & Status

List the services in the current stack with their status and ports.

docker compose ps shows the containers for the current project, their state, health, and published ports. This page covers reading status and JSON output for CI.

What it does

docker compose ps lists the services in the active project (scoped by directory or -p), including state (running/exited), health, and ports. -a includes stopped services.

Common usage

Terminal

docker compose ps
docker compose ps -a
docker compose ps --format json
docker compose ps --status running

Common errors in CI

An empty list usually means you are in the wrong directory or project - compose ps only shows the current project (set -p or cd correctly). Use docker compose ps -a after a failed up to see which service exited and then docker compose logs it. --format json gives parseable output for CI assertions on service health.

Related guides

docker compose up: Start Services & CI ErrorsHow docker compose up works: starting all services from a compose file, detached mode, --build, --wait, and t… docker compose logs: View Service Logs in CIHow docker compose logs works: viewing aggregated service logs, following, tailing per service, and debugging… docker compose down: Tear Down a Compose StackHow docker compose down works: stopping and removing services, networks, and volumes, the -v flag, and clean… docker ps: List Containers, Filters & FormattingHow docker ps works: listing running and stopped containers, filters, format strings, and reading exit status…