GoogleContainerTools/skaffold · error

INIT_DOCKER_NETWORK_CONTAINER_DOES_NOT_EXIST

INIT_DOCKER_NETWORK_CONTAINER_DOES_NOT_EXIST

Error message

container '%s' not found, required by image '%s' for docker network stack sharing

What it means

When a Docker build artifact uses network mode `container:<id|name>` (stack sharing), Skaffold validates at schema-validation time that the referenced container actually exists and is running by querying the Docker daemon. If the daemon cannot find a container with that id/name (and no name matches "/<id>" in its inspect output), this actionable error is raised.

Source

Thrown at pkg/skaffold/schema/validation/validation.go:462

							},
						},
					}))
				return errs
			}
			for _, c := range containers.Items {
				// Comparing ID seeking for <id>
				if strings.HasPrefix(c.ID, id) {
					return errs
				}
				for _, name := range c.Names {
					// c.Names come in form "/<name>"
					if name == "/"+id {
						return errs
					}
				}
			}
			errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("container '%s' not found, required by image '%s' for docker network stack sharing", id, a.ImageName)
			errs = append(errs, sErrors.NewError(errors.New(errMsg),
				&proto.ActionableErr{
					Message: errMsg,
					ErrCode: proto.StatusCode_INIT_DOCKER_NETWORK_CONTAINER_DOES_NOT_EXIST,
					Suggestions: []*proto.Suggestion{
						{
							SuggestionCode: proto.SuggestionCode_CHECK_DOCKER_NETWORK_CONTAINER_RUNNING,
							Action:         "Please fix the docker network container name and try again.",
						},
					},
				}))
		}
	}
	return errs
}

// validateCustomDependencies makes sure that dependencies.ignore is only used in conjunction with dependencies.paths
func validateCustomDependencies(cfg *parser.SkaffoldConfigEntry, artifacts []*latest.Artifact) (cfgErrs []ErrorWithLocation) {
	for i, a := range artifacts {

View on GitHub (pinned to a1189de023)

Solutions

1. Start the referenced container (`docker start <name>`) or run it (`docker run -d --name <name> ...`) before building.
2. Verify the container exists with `docker ps | grep <name>` on the same DOCKER_HOST Skaffold uses.
3. If the shared stack is unnecessary, change network mode to `bridge` or `default` in the artifact's docker build config.
4. Correct any typo in the container id/name in the network mode string.

Example fix

# before (skaffold.yaml artifact build args)
docker:
  network: container:helper-nginx
# after (ensure helper exists, or switch mode)
docker:
  network: bridge

const name = 'helper-nginx';
execSync(`docker ps --filter name=^/${name}$ --format '{{.Names}}'`, { stdio: 'pipe' }); // throws if not running

When it happens

Trigger: Building with `artifact.defaults.buildArgs` or docker build config setting `network: container:foo` while no running container named foo exists; referencing a container from a different Docker context (DOCKER_HOST); the dependency container stopped or was removed before `skaffold build/dev` ran.

Common situations: CI environments where the helper container was torn down; Docker Desktop restart wiping one-off containers; using a name valid on the local machine but not on the remote DOCKER_HOST; typos in the container name.

Related errors

• %q running container image %q errored during run with status
• docker deployment not supported alongside cluster deployment
• executing build: %w
• executing build: %w
• failed to build: %w

AI-assisted analysis of GoogleContainerTools/skaffold@a1189de023 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e14f9a9d5cc5fae4. Report an issue: GitHub.