# docker manifest: Inspect & Build Multi-Arch Lists

> How docker manifest works: inspecting and creating multi-architecture manifest lists, the experimental flag, and platform errors.

Source: https://latchkey.dev/learn/command-reference/docker-manifest-command  
Updated: 2026-06-25

Inspect and assemble multi-architecture manifest lists.

docker manifest inspects and builds manifest lists (multi-arch image indexes). This page covers inspect/create/push and the experimental-feature requirement.

## What it does

A manifest list maps platforms (linux/amd64, linux/arm64, ...) to per-arch image digests so one tag serves multiple architectures. docker manifest inspect reads one; create/annotate/push assemble and publish one from existing per-arch images.

## Common usage

```Terminal
docker manifest inspect nginx:1.27
docker manifest create owner/app:1.0 owner/app:1.0-amd64 owner/app:1.0-arm64
docker manifest push owner/app:1.0
```

## Common errors in CI

"docker manifest is only supported on a Docker cli with experimental cli features enabled" - set DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL=enabled or enable experimental in ~/.docker/config.json. In modern CI, docker buildx build --platform ... --push produces a multi-arch manifest in one step and is preferred over hand-assembling with docker manifest.

## FAQ

### docker manifest: Inspect & Build Multi-Arch Lists?

docker manifest inspects and builds manifest lists (multi-arch image indexes). This page covers inspect/create/push and the experimental-feature requirement.

### What it does?

A manifest list maps platforms (linux/amd64, linux/arm64, ...) to per-arch image digests so one tag serves multiple architectures. docker manifest inspect reads one; create/annotate/push assemble and publish one from existing per-arch images.

### Common errors in CI?

"docker manifest is only supported on a Docker cli with experimental cli features enabled" - set DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL=enabled or enable experimental in ~/.docker/config.json. In modern CI, docker buildx build --platform ... --push produces a multi-arch manifest in one step and is preferred over hand-assembling with docker manifest.

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