---
name: "buildah-containers"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "buildah"
version: "1:1.45.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/buildah-containers"
---

# buildah-containers(1)

List the working containers and their base images.

## NAME

buildah-containers - List the working containers and their base images.

## SYNOPSIS

**buildah containers** \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Lists containers which appear to be Buildah working containers, their names and IDs, and the names and IDs of the images from which they were initialized.

## OPTIONS

**--all**, **-a**

List information about all containers, including those which were not created by and are not being used by Buildah.  Containers created by Buildah are denoted with an '\*' in the 'BUILDER' column.

**--filter**, **-f**

Filter output based on conditions provided.

Valid filters are listed below:

| | |
| --- | --- |
| **Filter** | **Description** |
| id | \[ID\] Container's ID |
| name | \[Name\] Container's name |
| ancestor | \[ImageName\] Image or descendant used to create container |

**--format**

Pretty-print containers using a Go template.

Valid placeholders for the Go template are listed below:

| | |
| --- | --- |
| **Placeholder** | **Description** |
| .ContainerID | Container ID |
| .Builder | Whether container was created by buildah |
| .ImageID | Image ID |
| .ImageName | Image name |
| .ContainerName | Container name |

**--json**

Output in JSON format.

**--noheading**, **-n**

Omit the table headings from the listing of containers.

**--notruncate**

Do not truncate IDs and image names in the output.

**--quiet**, **-q**

Displays only the container IDs.

## EXAMPLE

buildah containers

```
CONTAINER ID  BUILDER  IMAGE ID     IMAGE NAME                       CONTAINER NAME
ccf84de04b80     *     53ce4390f2ad registry.access.redhat.com/ub... ubi8-working-container
45be1d806fc5     *     16ea53ea7c65 docker.io/library/busybox:latest busybox-working-container
```

buildah containers --quiet

```
ccf84de04b80c309ce6586997c79a769033dc4129db903c1882bc24a058438b8
45be1d806fc533fcfc2beee77e424d87e5990d3ce9214d6b374677d6630bba07
```

buildah containers -q --noheading --notruncate

```
ccf84de04b80c309ce6586997c79a769033dc4129db903c1882bc24a058438b8
45be1d806fc533fcfc2beee77e424d87e5990d3ce9214d6b374677d6630bba07
```

buildah containers --json

```
[
    {
        "id": "ccf84de04b80c309ce6586997c79a769033dc4129db903c1882bc24a058438b8",
        "builder": true,
        "imageid": "53ce4390f2adb1681eb1a90ec8b48c49c015e0a8d336c197637e7f65e365fa9e",
        "imagename": "registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8:latest",
        "containername": "ubi8-working-container"
    },
    {
        "id": "45be1d806fc533fcfc2beee77e424d87e5990d3ce9214d6b374677d6630bba07",
        "builder": true,
        "imageid": "16ea53ea7c652456803632d67517b78a4f9075a10bfdc4fc6b7b4cbf2bc98497",
        "imagename": "docker.io/library/busybox:latest",
        "containername": "busybox-working-container"
    }
]
```

buildah containers --format "{{.ContainerID}} {{.ContainerName}}"

```
ccf84de04b80c309ce6586997c79a769033dc4129db903c1882bc24a058438b8   ubi8-working-container
45be1d806fc533fcfc2beee77e424d87e5990d3ce9214d6b374677d6630bba07   busybox-working-container
```

buildah containers --format "Container ID: {{.ContainerID}}"

```
Container   ID:   ccf84de04b80c309ce6586997c79a769033dc4129db903c1882bc24a058438b8
Container   ID:   45be1d806fc533fcfc2beee77e424d87e5990d3ce9214d6b374677d6630bba07
```

buildah containers --filter ancestor=ubuntu

```
CONTAINER ID  BUILDER  IMAGE ID     IMAGE NAME                       CONTAINER NAME
fbfd3505376e     *     0ff04b2e7b63 docker.io/library/ubuntu:latest  ubuntu-working-container
```

## SEE ALSO

[buildah(1)](/buildah/1.md)