Docker Compose Cheat Sheet: The 10 Commands You Actually Need

Docker Compose Cheat Sheet: The 10 Commands You Actually Need Most Docker Compose tutorials give you 50 commands. You'll use 10 of them 95% of the time. Here are those 10, what they do, and when to use each. The Setup All these commands assume you have a docker-compose.yml file in your current directory. Run them from the same folder as that file. 1. Start Everything docker compose up -d What it does: Starts all containers defined in your compose file. The -d flag runs them in the background (detached mode) so you get your terminal back. When to use: First time starting a service, or after stopping it. Without -d: Runs in the foreground — you see all logs but lose your terminal. Useful for debugging. 2. Stop Everything (Keep Data) docker compose down What it does: Stops and removes containers, but keeps your volumes (data) intact. When to use: Restarting services, applying config changes, temporary shutdown. Important: Your data is safe. Volumes persist unless you explicitly delete the