How to rename Docker images without rebuilding them

107.9K    Asked by JacobRutherford in Devops , Asked on Jul 27, 2021

I created a Docker image, but I forgot to name something, by default it has taken an unnamed name. Can anyone tell me how I can change the name of the Docker image?

Answered by Liam SMITH

You can rename your docker image by docker tag command. Use the below given command to do that.

    $ docker tag OldName:tag NewName:tag

Or another way to rename docker container

To rename docker container, use the rename sub-command as shown, in the following example, we renaming the container discourse_app to a new name disc_app.

    $ sudo docker rename discourse_app disc_app

After renaming a containers, confirm that it is now using the new name.

    $ sudo docker ps


Your Answer

Answers (2)

Renaming a Docker image without rebuilding it is possible by leveraging Docker's tagging functionality. Essentially, Docker doesn’t support directly renaming an image, but you can achieve the same result by creating a new tag and removing the old one. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Tag the Existing Image with the New Name

Use the docker tag command to create a new tag for your image. This effectively gives the image a new name.

  docker tag old_image_name:tag new_image_name:tag

  • Replace old_image_name:tag with the current name and tag of your image.
  • Replace new_image_name:tag with the desired new name and tag.

Step 2: Verify the New Image Name

After tagging, check your images to confirm the new name exists:

  docker images

Step 3: (Optional) Remove the Old Image Tag

If you no longer need the old image name, you can remove it using:

  docker rmi old_image_name:tag

This will only delete the reference to the old tag, not the image data itself, since the image is still associated with the new tag.

Why This Works

  • Docker images are identified by their SHA256 digest, not their name or tag. Tagging simply creates a new reference to the same image.

Best Practices

  • Always double-check the image ID before removing the old tag to avoid accidentally deleting the wrong image.
  • Push the newly tagged image to your registry if it needs to be shared or used elsewhere.

This method is quick, efficient, and avoids the need for a time-consuming rebuild!

2 Days

To rename Docker images without rebuilding them, you can follow these steps:


Tag the existing image with the new name: Use the docker tag command to assign a new name to the existing image. For example:

  docker tag old_image_name:tag new_image_name:tag

Verify the new tag: Ensure that the image has been properly tagged with the new name by listing the images:

  docker images

Remove the old tag (optional): If you want to remove the old tag while retaining the image, you can use the docker rmi command:

  docker rmi old_image_name:tag

By following these steps, you can effectively rename Docker images without the need to rebuild them.

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