Containerize a Node.js application

Table of contents

Prerequisites

You have installed the latest version of Docker Desktop.
You're familiar with basic Docker concepts. If you're new to Docker, start with Get started.

Containerizing your application means packaging it together with its dependencies, configuration, and runtime into a single portable unit called a container image. Running that image creates a container, an isolated process that behaves the same on any machine, whether it's your laptop, a CI runner, or a production server.

In this section, you'll containerize a simple Express.js API written in TypeScript. You'll write a Dockerfile that describes how to build the image, add a compose.yaml file that defines how Docker runs your container, and then build and start the application with one command.

You'll use Docker Hardened Images as the base. These are minimal, secure Node.js images maintained by Docker.

This guide focuses on a backend Node.js API. If you're building a standalone frontend application, Docker has dedicated guides for React.js, Vue.js, Angular, and Next.js.

Create the application

The sample application is a minimal Express API with a single endpoint that returns a JSON greeting. Create the following files in a new nodejs-docker-example directory. To create all the files at once, switch to the Scaffold script tab in the file browser and copy the shell command.

nodejs-docker-example

// A minimal Express application.
// The root endpoint (GET /) returns a JSON greeting.
// See https://expressjs.com/ for the framework reference.

import express, { type Request, type Response } from 'express';

const app = express();
const port = parseInt(process.env.PORT ?? '3000', 10);

app.get('/', (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Hello World' });
});

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening on port ${port}`);
});

{
  "name": "nodejs-docker-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A minimal Node.js TypeScript application.",
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "node dist/index.js",
    "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.21.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/express": "^4.17.21",
    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
    "tsx": "^4.19.3",
    "typescript": "^5.8.3"
  }
}

{
  // TypeScript compiler configuration for the Node.js application.
  // Compiles src/ to dist/ as CommonJS modules targeting ES2022.
  // See https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig/ for all options.
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "lib": ["ES2022"],
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
}

# Files and directories that Git should ignore. Covers Node.js dependencies,
# TypeScript build output, environment files, and common editor artifacts.
# See https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore for syntax reference.

node_modules/
dist/
.env
*.log
.DS_Store
coverage/
db/password.txt

Overwrites existing files with the same names. Run from the parent of your project directory.

mkdir -p nodejs-docker-example/src && cd nodejs-docker-example
cat > src/index.ts <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
// A minimal Express application.
// The root endpoint (GET /) returns a JSON greeting.
// See https://expressjs.com/ for the framework reference.

import express, { type Request, type Response } from 'express';

const app = express();
const port = parseInt(process.env.PORT ?? '3000', 10);

app.get('/', (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Hello World' });
});

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening on port ${port}`);
});
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > package.json <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
{
  "name": "nodejs-docker-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A minimal Node.js TypeScript application.",
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "node dist/index.js",
    "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.21.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/express": "^4.17.21",
    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
    "tsx": "^4.19.3",
    "typescript": "^5.8.3"
  }
}
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > tsconfig.json <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
{
  // TypeScript compiler configuration for the Node.js application.
  // Compiles src/ to dist/ as CommonJS modules targeting ES2022.
  // See https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig/ for all options.
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "lib": ["ES2022"],
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
}
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > .gitignore <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
# Files and directories that Git should ignore. Covers Node.js dependencies,
# TypeScript build output, environment files, and common editor artifacts.
# See https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore for syntax reference.

node_modules/
dist/
.env
*.log
.DS_Store
coverage/
db/password.txt
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__

# Write files as UTF-8 without BOM. Works on Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7+.
function WriteFile([string]$Path, [string]$Content) {
    $full = Join-Path -Path (Get-Location).ProviderPath -ChildPath $Path
    [System.IO.File]::WriteAllText($full, $Content, [System.Text.UTF8Encoding]::new($false))
}

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path nodejs-docker-example | Out-Null
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path nodejs-docker-example/src | Out-Null
Set-Location nodejs-docker-example
WriteFile 'src/index.ts' @'
// A minimal Express application.
// The root endpoint (GET /) returns a JSON greeting.
// See https://expressjs.com/ for the framework reference.

import express, { type Request, type Response } from 'express';

const app = express();
const port = parseInt(process.env.PORT ?? '3000', 10);

app.get('/', (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Hello World' });
});

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening on port ${port}`);
});
'@
WriteFile 'package.json' @'
{
  "name": "nodejs-docker-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A minimal Node.js TypeScript application.",
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "node dist/index.js",
    "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.21.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/express": "^4.17.21",
    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
    "tsx": "^4.19.3",
    "typescript": "^5.8.3"
  }
}
'@
WriteFile 'tsconfig.json' @'
{
  // TypeScript compiler configuration for the Node.js application.
  // Compiles src/ to dist/ as CommonJS modules targeting ES2022.
  // See https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig/ for all options.
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "lib": ["ES2022"],
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
}
'@
WriteFile '.gitignore' @'
# Files and directories that Git should ignore. Covers Node.js dependencies,
# TypeScript build output, environment files, and common editor artifacts.
# See https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore for syntax reference.

node_modules/
dist/
.env
*.log
.DS_Store
coverage/
db/password.txt
'@

If you have Node.js installed and want to verify the app works before containerizing it, you can run it locally.

To run in development mode with hot-reload:

$ npm install
$ npm run dev

To run the compiled production build (matching what the Dockerfile does):

$ npm install
$ npm run build
$ npm start

Then open http://localhost:3000 in your browser. You should see {"message":"Hello World"}.

If you don't have Node.js installed, skip ahead. The remaining steps run the application in a container, with no local Node.js required.

Create the Docker assets

Sign in to the DHI registry so Docker can pull the Node.js base images during the build. The available Node.js images are listed in the catalog.

$ docker login dhi.io

Add the following three files to your nodejs-docker-example directory. The Dockerfile describes how to build the image, compose.yaml defines how Docker runs the container, and .dockerignore keeps unwanted files out of the build context.

Tip
Gordon, Docker's AI assistant, can generate Docker assets for your project. Ask Gordon to create a Dockerfile, Compose file, and .dockerignore tailored to your application.

nodejs-docker-example

// A minimal Express application.
// The root endpoint (GET /) returns a JSON greeting.
// See https://expressjs.com/ for the framework reference.

import express, { type Request, type Response } from 'express';

const app = express();
const port = parseInt(process.env.PORT ?? '3000', 10);

app.get('/', (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Hello World' });
});

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening on port ${port}`);
});

{
  "name": "nodejs-docker-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A minimal Node.js TypeScript application.",
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "node dist/index.js",
    "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.21.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/express": "^4.17.21",
    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
    "tsx": "^4.19.3",
    "typescript": "^5.8.3"
  }
}

{
  // TypeScript compiler configuration for the Node.js application.
  // Compiles src/ to dist/ as CommonJS modules targeting ES2022.
  // See https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig/ for all options.
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "lib": ["ES2022"],
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
}

# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1

# Comments are provided throughout this file to help you get started.
# If you need more help, visit the Dockerfile reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/dockerfile-reference/

# This Dockerfile uses Docker Hardened Images (DHI) for enhanced security.
# For more information, see https://en.claudeai.life/dhi/

# Builder stage: install all dependencies and compile TypeScript.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23-dev AS builder

WORKDIR /app

# Install dependencies as a separate step to take advantage of Docker's
# caching. Leverage a cache mount to /root/.npm to speed up subsequent
# builds. Leverage a bind mount to package.json to avoid having to copy
# it into this layer.
RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
    --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
    npm install
# Once you create a package-lock.json by running npm install locally, switch to npm ci and bind both files:
# RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package-lock.json,target=package-lock.json \
#     npm ci

# Copy the source code into the container and compile TypeScript.
COPY . .
RUN npm run build


# Deps stage: install production dependencies only.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23-dev AS deps

WORKDIR /app

RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
    --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
    npm install --omit=dev
# Once you create a package-lock.json by running npm install locally, switch to npm ci and bind both files:
# RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package-lock.json,target=package-lock.json \
#     npm ci --omit=dev


# Runner stage: minimal runtime image with compiled app and production deps.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23 AS runner

ENV PATH=/app/node_modules/.bin:$PATH

WORKDIR /app

COPY --from=deps --chown=node:node /app/node_modules ./node_modules
COPY --from=builder --chown=node:node /app/dist ./dist

# Expose the port that the application listens on.
EXPOSE 3000

# Run the application.
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]

# Comments are provided throughout this file to help you get started.
# If you need more help, visit the Docker Compose reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/compose-spec-reference/

# Here the instructions define your application as a service called "server".
# This service is built from the Dockerfile in the current directory.
# You can add other services your application may depend on here, such as a
# database or a cache. For examples, see the Awesome Compose repository:
# https://github.com/docker/awesome-compose
services:
  server:
    build:
      context: .
    ports:
      - 3000:3000

# Include any files or directories that you don't want to be copied to your
# container here (e.g., local build artifacts, temporary files, etc.).
#
# For more help, visit the .dockerignore file reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/build-context-dockerignore/

node_modules/
dist/
.env
.git
.gitignore
.DS_Store
npm-debug.log*
coverage/
db/

# Files and directories that Git should ignore. Covers Node.js dependencies,
# TypeScript build output, environment files, and common editor artifacts.
# See https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore for syntax reference.

node_modules/
dist/
.env
*.log
.DS_Store
coverage/
db/password.txt

Overwrites existing files with the same names. Run from the parent of your project directory.

mkdir -p nodejs-docker-example/src && cd nodejs-docker-example
cat > src/index.ts <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
// A minimal Express application.
// The root endpoint (GET /) returns a JSON greeting.
// See https://expressjs.com/ for the framework reference.

import express, { type Request, type Response } from 'express';

const app = express();
const port = parseInt(process.env.PORT ?? '3000', 10);

app.get('/', (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Hello World' });
});

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening on port ${port}`);
});
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > package.json <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
{
  "name": "nodejs-docker-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A minimal Node.js TypeScript application.",
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "node dist/index.js",
    "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.21.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/express": "^4.17.21",
    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
    "tsx": "^4.19.3",
    "typescript": "^5.8.3"
  }
}
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > tsconfig.json <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
{
  // TypeScript compiler configuration for the Node.js application.
  // Compiles src/ to dist/ as CommonJS modules targeting ES2022.
  // See https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig/ for all options.
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "lib": ["ES2022"],
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
}
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > Dockerfile <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1

# Comments are provided throughout this file to help you get started.
# If you need more help, visit the Dockerfile reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/dockerfile-reference/

# This Dockerfile uses Docker Hardened Images (DHI) for enhanced security.
# For more information, see https://en.claudeai.life/dhi/

# Builder stage: install all dependencies and compile TypeScript.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23-dev AS builder

WORKDIR /app

# Install dependencies as a separate step to take advantage of Docker's
# caching. Leverage a cache mount to /root/.npm to speed up subsequent
# builds. Leverage a bind mount to package.json to avoid having to copy
# it into this layer.
RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
    --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
    npm install
# Once you create a package-lock.json by running npm install locally, switch to npm ci and bind both files:
# RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package-lock.json,target=package-lock.json \
#     npm ci

# Copy the source code into the container and compile TypeScript.
COPY . .
RUN npm run build


# Deps stage: install production dependencies only.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23-dev AS deps

WORKDIR /app

RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
    --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
    npm install --omit=dev
# Once you create a package-lock.json by running npm install locally, switch to npm ci and bind both files:
# RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package-lock.json,target=package-lock.json \
#     npm ci --omit=dev


# Runner stage: minimal runtime image with compiled app and production deps.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23 AS runner

ENV PATH=/app/node_modules/.bin:$PATH

WORKDIR /app

COPY --from=deps --chown=node:node /app/node_modules ./node_modules
COPY --from=builder --chown=node:node /app/dist ./dist

# Expose the port that the application listens on.
EXPOSE 3000

# Run the application.
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > compose.yaml <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
# Comments are provided throughout this file to help you get started.
# If you need more help, visit the Docker Compose reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/compose-spec-reference/

# Here the instructions define your application as a service called "server".
# This service is built from the Dockerfile in the current directory.
# You can add other services your application may depend on here, such as a
# database or a cache. For examples, see the Awesome Compose repository:
# https://github.com/docker/awesome-compose
services:
  server:
    build:
      context: .
    ports:
      - 3000:3000
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > .dockerignore <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
# Include any files or directories that you don't want to be copied to your
# container here (e.g., local build artifacts, temporary files, etc.).
#
# For more help, visit the .dockerignore file reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/build-context-dockerignore/

node_modules/
dist/
.env
.git
.gitignore
.DS_Store
npm-debug.log*
coverage/
db/
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__
cat > .gitignore <<'__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__'
# Files and directories that Git should ignore. Covers Node.js dependencies,
# TypeScript build output, environment files, and common editor artifacts.
# See https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore for syntax reference.

node_modules/
dist/
.env
*.log
.DS_Store
coverage/
db/password.txt
__DOCKER_DOCS_SCAFFOLD_EOF__

# Write files as UTF-8 without BOM. Works on Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7+.
function WriteFile([string]$Path, [string]$Content) {
    $full = Join-Path -Path (Get-Location).ProviderPath -ChildPath $Path
    [System.IO.File]::WriteAllText($full, $Content, [System.Text.UTF8Encoding]::new($false))
}

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path nodejs-docker-example | Out-Null
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path nodejs-docker-example/src | Out-Null
Set-Location nodejs-docker-example
WriteFile 'src/index.ts' @'
// A minimal Express application.
// The root endpoint (GET /) returns a JSON greeting.
// See https://expressjs.com/ for the framework reference.

import express, { type Request, type Response } from 'express';

const app = express();
const port = parseInt(process.env.PORT ?? '3000', 10);

app.get('/', (_req: Request, res: Response) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Hello World' });
});

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening on port ${port}`);
});
'@
WriteFile 'package.json' @'
{
  "name": "nodejs-docker-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A minimal Node.js TypeScript application.",
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "node dist/index.js",
    "dev": "tsx watch src/index.ts"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.21.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/express": "^4.17.21",
    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
    "tsx": "^4.19.3",
    "typescript": "^5.8.3"
  }
}
'@
WriteFile 'tsconfig.json' @'
{
  // TypeScript compiler configuration for the Node.js application.
  // Compiles src/ to dist/ as CommonJS modules targeting ES2022.
  // See https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig/ for all options.
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "lib": ["ES2022"],
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
}
'@
WriteFile 'Dockerfile' @'
# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1

# Comments are provided throughout this file to help you get started.
# If you need more help, visit the Dockerfile reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/dockerfile-reference/

# This Dockerfile uses Docker Hardened Images (DHI) for enhanced security.
# For more information, see https://en.claudeai.life/dhi/

# Builder stage: install all dependencies and compile TypeScript.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23-dev AS builder

WORKDIR /app

# Install dependencies as a separate step to take advantage of Docker's
# caching. Leverage a cache mount to /root/.npm to speed up subsequent
# builds. Leverage a bind mount to package.json to avoid having to copy
# it into this layer.
RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
    --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
    npm install
# Once you create a package-lock.json by running npm install locally, switch to npm ci and bind both files:
# RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package-lock.json,target=package-lock.json \
#     npm ci

# Copy the source code into the container and compile TypeScript.
COPY . .
RUN npm run build


# Deps stage: install production dependencies only.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23-dev AS deps

WORKDIR /app

RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
    --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
    npm install --omit=dev
# Once you create a package-lock.json by running npm install locally, switch to npm ci and bind both files:
# RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.npm \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package.json,target=package.json \
#     --mount=type=bind,source=package-lock.json,target=package-lock.json \
#     npm ci --omit=dev


# Runner stage: minimal runtime image with compiled app and production deps.
FROM dhi.io/node:24-alpine3.23 AS runner

ENV PATH=/app/node_modules/.bin:$PATH

WORKDIR /app

COPY --from=deps --chown=node:node /app/node_modules ./node_modules
COPY --from=builder --chown=node:node /app/dist ./dist

# Expose the port that the application listens on.
EXPOSE 3000

# Run the application.
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]
'@
WriteFile 'compose.yaml' @'
# Comments are provided throughout this file to help you get started.
# If you need more help, visit the Docker Compose reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/compose-spec-reference/

# Here the instructions define your application as a service called "server".
# This service is built from the Dockerfile in the current directory.
# You can add other services your application may depend on here, such as a
# database or a cache. For examples, see the Awesome Compose repository:
# https://github.com/docker/awesome-compose
services:
  server:
    build:
      context: .
    ports:
      - 3000:3000
'@
WriteFile '.dockerignore' @'
# Include any files or directories that you don't want to be copied to your
# container here (e.g., local build artifacts, temporary files, etc.).
#
# For more help, visit the .dockerignore file reference guide at
# https://en.claudeai.life/go/build-context-dockerignore/

node_modules/
dist/
.env
.git
.gitignore
.DS_Store
npm-debug.log*
coverage/
db/
'@
WriteFile '.gitignore' @'
# Files and directories that Git should ignore. Covers Node.js dependencies,
# TypeScript build output, environment files, and common editor artifacts.
# See https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore for syntax reference.

node_modules/
dist/
.env
*.log
.DS_Store
coverage/
db/password.txt
'@

The Dockerfile uses three stages. The builder stage installs all dependencies and compiles TypeScript. The deps stage does a fresh install of production-only dependencies. The runner stage copies the compiled output and production node_modules into a minimal runtime image that contains only Node.js.

To learn more about each file, see the following:

Run the application

Inside the nodejs-docker-example directory, run the following command in a terminal.

$ docker compose up --build

Open a browser and view the application at http://localhost:3000. You should see {"message":"Hello World"}.

In the terminal, press ctrl+c to stop the application.

Run the application in the background

You can run the application detached from the terminal by adding the -d option. Inside the nodejs-docker-example directory, run the following command in a terminal.

$ docker compose up --build -d

Open a browser and view the application at http://localhost:3000.

In the terminal, run the following command to stop the application.

$ docker compose down

For more information about Compose commands, see the Compose CLI reference.

Summary

In this section, you learned how to containerize and run a Node.js application using Docker.

Related information:

Next steps

In the next section, you'll take a look at how to set up a local development environment using Docker containers.

Use containers for Node.js development »

What can I help you with?

Containerize a Node.js application

Prerequisites

Overview

Create the application

Create the Docker assets

Run the application

Run the application in the background

Summary

Next steps