DOCKER(1) Docker User Manuals DOCKER(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

docker-swarm-init - Initialize a swarm

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**docker swarm init \[OPTIONS]**

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Initialize a swarm

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

**--advertise-addr**="" Advertised address (format: "\[:port]")

**--autolock**\[=false] Enable manager autolocking (requiring an unlock key to start a stopped manager)

**--availability**="active" Availability of the node ("active", "pause", "drain")

**--cert-expiry**=2160h0m0s Validity period for node certificates (ns|us|ms|s|m|h)

**--data-path-addr**="" Address or interface to use for data path traffic (format: "")

**--data-path-port**=0 Port number to use for data path traffic (1024 - 49151). If no value is set or is set to 0, the default port (4789) is used.

**--default-addr-pool**=\[] default address pool in CIDR format

**--default-addr-pool-mask-length**=24 default address pool subnet mask length

**--dispatcher-heartbeat**=5s Dispatcher heartbeat period (ns|us|ms|s|m|h)

**--external-ca**= Specifications of one or more certificate signing endpoints

**--force-new-cluster**\[=false] Force create a new cluster from current state

**--listen-addr**=0.0.0.0:2377 Listen address (format: "\[:port]")

**--max-snapshots**=0 Number of additional Raft snapshots to retain

**--snapshot-interval**=10000 Number of log entries between Raft snapshots

**--task-history-limit**=5 Task history retention limit

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

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

Oct 2026 Docker Community

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Document: docker-swarm-init(1) from docker-cli-fips 29.9.2-r0 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/docker/cli