DOCKER(1) Docker User Manuals DOCKER(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

docker-image-load - Load an image from a tar archive or STDIN

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**docker image load \[OPTIONS]**

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Loads a tarred repository from a file or the standard input stream. Restores both images and tags. Write image names or IDs imported it standard output stream.

# [EXAMPLES](#EXAMPLES)

```
$ docker images
REPOSITORY          TAG                 IMAGE ID            CREATED             SIZE
busybox             latest              769b9341d937        7 weeks ago         2.489 MB
$ docker load --input fedora.tar
# […]
Loaded image: fedora:rawhide
# […]
Loaded image: fedora:20
# […]
$ docker images
REPOSITORY          TAG                 IMAGE ID            CREATED             SIZE
busybox             latest              769b9341d937        7 weeks ago         2.489 MB
fedora              rawhide             0d20aec6529d        7 weeks ago         387 MB
fedora              20                  58394af37342        7 weeks ago         385.5 MB
fedora              heisenbug           58394af37342        7 weeks ago         385.5 MB
fedora              latest              58394af37342        7 weeks ago         385.5 MB
```

# [See also](#See_also)

[**docker-image-save(1)**](/man/enterprise-packages/docker-cli-fips/docker-image-save.1) to save one or more images to a tar archive (streamed to STDOUT by default).

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

**-i**, **--input**="" Read from tar archive file, instead of STDIN

**--platform**=\[] Load only the given platform(s). Formatted as a comma-separated list of "os\[/arch\[/variant]]" (e.g., "linux/amd64,linux/arm64/v8").

**-q**, **--quiet**\[=false] Suppress the load output

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**docker-image(1)**](/man/enterprise-packages/docker-cli-fips/docker-image.1)

Oct 2026 Docker Community

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Document: docker-image-load(1) from docker-cli-fips 29.9.0-r0 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/docker/cli