docker/cli · error

error: no such object

Error message

error: no such object: %s

What it means

Produced by 'docker inspect' when a given reference is not found in any searched object type. The elementSearcher iterates over all applicable types and, finding no match (and skipping not-found when type is unconstrained), returns this 'no such object' error.

Solutions

1. Verify the object exists with the relevant 'docker <type> ls' (e.g. 'docker ps -a', 'docker images').
2. Confirm you're on the right context/daemon ('docker context ls').
3. Drop --type if set, in case the object is a different kind than assumed.
4. Use the full ID instead of an ambiguous short prefix.

Example fix

# before
docker inspect mycontainer

# after: confirm it exists, then inspect
docker ps -a --filter name=mycontainer
docker inspect mycontainer  # use exact name/id

// Confirm object existence before inspect (example: container)
if _, err := apiClient.ContainerInspect(ctx, ref, client.ContainerInspectOptions{}); err != nil {
    if errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
        return fmt.Errorf("no such object: %s", ref)
    }
    return err
}

func isNoSuchObjectErr(err error) bool {
	return err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "no such object:")
}

v, raw, err := elementSearcher(ref)
if err != nil {
    if isNoSuchObjectErr(err) {
        // optionally search a broader type set or report gracefully
        return nil
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running 'docker inspect <missing-id>' where the ID/name doesn't match any container, image, network, volume, service, task, node, secret, plugin, or config. Triggered at inspect.go:281 after the loop exhausts types.

Common situations: Typo in the ID/name; object was deleted; wrong context/daemon (object exists on a different host); abbreviated ID prefix is ambiguous and matched nothing; type filter hides the actual object type.

Related errors

• context does not exist
• type is empty: must be one of
• unknown type: : must be one of
• no signer for repository
• error reading from STDIN: data is empty

AI-assisted analysis of docker/cli@4f84911bfe (2026-08-07). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a13f7edfa5fd11d5. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/command/system/inspect.go:281

					}
				}
				if isSwarmSupported == swarmUnsupported {
					continue
				}
			}
			v, raw, err := inspectData.objectInspector(ref)
			if err != nil {
				if typeConstraint == "" && isErrSkippable(err) {
					continue
				}
				return v, raw, err
			}
			if getSize && !inspectData.isSizeSupported {
				_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(dockerCLI.Err(), "WARNING: --size ignored for", inspectData.objectType)
			}
			return v, raw, err
		}
		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error: no such object: %s", ref)
	}
}

func isErrSkippable(err error) bool {
	return errdefs.IsNotFound(err) ||
		strings.Contains(err.Error(), "not supported") ||
		strings.Contains(err.Error(), "invalid reference format")
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 4f84911bfe)