DOCKER(1) Docker User Manuals DOCKER(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

docker-image-import - Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**docker image import \[OPTIONS] file|URL|- \[REPOSITORY\[:TAG]]**

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Create a new filesystem image from the contents of a tarball (**.tar**, **.tar.gz**, **.tgz**, **.bzip**, **.tar.xz**, **.txz**) into it, then optionally tag it.

# [EXAMPLES](#EXAMPLES)

# [Import from a remote location](#Import_from_a_remote_location)

```
# docker image import http://example.com/exampleimage.tgz example/imagerepo
```

# [Import from a local file](#Import_from_a_local_file)

Import to docker via pipe and stdin:

```
# cat exampleimage.tgz | docker image import - example/imagelocal
```

Import with a commit message.

```
# cat exampleimage.tgz | docker image import --message "New image imported from tarball" - exampleimagelocal:new
```

Import to a Docker image from a local file.

```
# docker image import /path/to/exampleimage.tgz 
```

# [Import from a local file and tag](#Import_from_a_local_file_and_tag)

Import to docker via pipe and stdin:

```
# cat exampleimageV2.tgz | docker image import - example/imagelocal:V-2.0
```

# [Import from a local directory](#Import_from_a_local_directory)

```
# tar -c . | docker image import - exampleimagedir
```

# [Apply specified Dockerfile instructions while importing the image](#Apply_specified_Dockerfile_instructions_while_importing_the_image)

This example sets the docker image ENV variable DEBUG to true by default.

```
# tar -c . | docker image import -c="ENV DEBUG=true" - exampleimagedir
```

# [When the daemon supports multiple operating systems](#When_the_daemon_supports_multiple_operating_systems)

If the daemon supports multiple operating systems, and the image being imported does not match the default operating system, it may be necessary to add **--platform**. This would be necessary when importing a Linux image into a Windows daemon.

```
# docker image import --platform=linux .\linuximage.tar
```

# [See also](#See_also)

[**docker-export(1)**](/man/enterprise-packages/docker-cli-fips/docker-export.1) to export the contents of a filesystem as a tar archive to STDOUT.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

**-c**, **--change**= Apply Dockerfile instruction to the created image

**-m**, **--message**="" Set commit message for imported image

**--platform**="" Set platform if server is multi-platform capable

# [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-import(1) from docker-cli-fips 29.9.0-r1 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/docker/cli