---
name: "docker-image-history"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "docker"
version: "1:29.9.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/docker-image-history"
---

# docker-image-history(1)

Show the history of an image

## NAME

docker-image-history - Show the history of an image

## SYNOPSIS

**docker image history \[OPTIONS\] IMAGE**

## DESCRIPTION

Show the history of when and how an image was created.

## EXAMPLES

```
$ docker history fedora
IMAGE          CREATED          CREATED BY                                      SIZE                COMMENT
105182bb5e8b   5 days ago       /bin/sh -c #(nop) ADD file:71356d2ad59aa3119d   372.7 MB
73bd853d2ea5   13 days ago      /bin/sh -c #(nop) MAINTAINER Lokesh Mandvekar   0 B
511136ea3c5a   10 months ago                                                    0 B                 Imported from -
```

## Display comments in the image history

The **docker commit** command has a **-m** flag for adding comments to the image. These comments will be displayed in the image history.

```
$ sudo docker history docker:scm
IMAGE               CREATED             CREATED BY                                      SIZE                COMMENT
2ac9d1098bf1        3 months ago        /bin/bash                                       241.4 MB            Added Apache to Fedora base image
88b42ffd1f7c        5 months ago        /bin/sh -c #(nop) ADD file:1fd8d7f9f6557cafc7   373.7 MB
c69cab00d6ef        5 months ago        /bin/sh -c #(nop) MAINTAINER Lokesh Mandvekar   0 B
511136ea3c5a        19 months ago                                                       0 B                 Imported from -
```

### Format the output

The formatting option (**--format**) will pretty-prints history output using a Go template.

Valid placeholders for the Go template are listed below:

| | |
| --- | --- |
| **Placeholder** | **Description** |
| **.ID** | Image ID |
| **.CreatedSince** | Elapsed time since the image was created if **--human=true**, otherwise timestamp of when image was created |
| **.CreatedAt** | Timestamp of when image was created |
| **.CreatedBy** | Command that was used to create the image |
| **.Size** | Image disk size |
| **.Comment** | Comment for image |

When using the **--format** option, the **history** command will either output the data exactly as the template declares or, when using the **table** directive, will include column headers as well.

The following example uses a template without headers and outputs the **ID** and **CreatedSince** entries separated by a colon for all images:

```
$ docker images --format "{{.ID}}: {{.CreatedSince}} ago"
cc1b61406712: 2 weeks ago
<missing>: 2 weeks ago
<missing>: 2 weeks ago
<missing>: 2 weeks ago
<missing>: 2 weeks ago
<missing>: 3 weeks ago
<missing>: 3 weeks ago
<missing>: 3 weeks ago
```

## OPTIONS

**--format**=""\
 	Format output using a custom template: 'table':            Print output in table format with column headers (default) 'table TEMPLATE':   Print output in table format using the given Go template 'json':             Print in JSON format 'TEMPLATE':         Print output using the given Go template. Refer to https://docs.docker.com/go/formatting/ for more information about formatting output with templates

**-H**, **--human**\[=true\]\
 	Print sizes and dates in human readable format

**--no-trunc**\[=false\]\
 	Don't truncate output

**--platform**=""\
 	Show history for the given platform. Formatted as "os\[/arch\[/variant\]\]" (e.g., "linux/amd64")

**-q**, **--quiet**\[=false\]\
 	Only show image IDs

## SEE ALSO

**[docker-image(1)](/docker-image/1.md)**