Tail logs

2 snippets in Docker

DKDocker

View Container Logs

DK · Containers
Syntax
docker logs [options] <container>
Example
docker logs web-api
docker logs -f --tail 50 web-api
docker logs --since 10m web-api
Output
Server listening on port 3000
GET /api/users 200 12ms

Note Use -f to follow in real time (like tail -f). Combine --tail and --since to avoid dumping thousands of lines. Logs persist until the container is removed.

Follow Logs in Real Time

DK · Debugging
Syntax
docker logs -f [--tail <n>] <container>
Example
docker logs -f --tail 100 web-api
docker logs -f --since 5m web-api
Output
Server started on port 3000
GET /api/health 200 2ms
POST /api/users 201 45ms

Note Combine --tail to avoid the initial flood and --since to only see recent entries. Pressing Ctrl+C stops following but does not affect the container.

Frequently asked questions

How does Docker handle tail logs?
Docker covers this with 2 copy-ready snippets on this page. The "View Container Logs" snippet in Docker uses `docker logs [options] <container>`.
Which command does the Docker example use?
The "View Container Logs" snippet uses `docker logs [options] <container>`, from the Containers section of the Docker cheat sheet.
What other Docker snippets are shown for "tail logs"?
Besides "View Container Logs", this page also shows "Follow Logs in Real Time".
Is there anything to watch out for?
Yes. For "View Container Logs": Use -f to follow in real time (like tail -f). Combine --tail and --since to avoid dumping thousands of lines. Logs persist until the container is removed.