docker/cli · error

volume type must be volume, bind, tmpfs, npipe, or cluster

Error message

volume type must be volume, bind, tmpfs, npipe, or cluster

What it means

Error "volume type must be volume, bind, tmpfs, npipe, or cluster" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cli/compose/convert/volume.go:257

	volume composetypes.ServiceVolumeConfig,
	stackVolumes volumes,
	namespace Namespace,
) (mount.Mount, error) {
	switch volume.Type {
	case "volume", "":
		return handleVolumeToMount(volume, stackVolumes, namespace)
	case "image":
		return handleImageToMount(volume)
	case "bind":
		return handleBindToMount(volume)
	case "tmpfs":
		return handleTmpfsToMount(volume)
	case "npipe":
		return handleNpipeToMount(volume)
	case "cluster":
		return handleClusterToMount(volume, stackVolumes, namespace)
	}
	return mount.Mount{}, errors.New("volume type must be volume, bind, tmpfs, npipe, or cluster")
}

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/compose/convert/volume.go:257 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of docker/cli@e9452d6e78 (2026-08-01). Data as JSON: /data/errors/b43694285b52c7a7.json. Report an issue: GitHub.