Docker Healthcheck Definitions Cheat Sheet

Signal container readiness

Last Updated: November 21, 2025

Focus Areas

Focus
Choose HTTP GET or script checks
Expose metrics on healthy/unhealthy counts

Commands & Queries

HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s CMD curl -f http://localhost/health || exit 1
Add check
docker inspect --format '{{json .State.Health}}' app
View state
docker ps --filter health=unhealthy
List unhealthy

Summary

Healthchecks help orchestrators keep systems stable.

💡 Pro Tip: Fail fast when dependencies return bad responses.
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