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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To inspect the manifest JSON for an image in a registry, run docker buildx imagetools inspect --raw IMAGE. For a readable summary, use docker buildx imagetools inspect IMAGE or docker manifest inspect IMAGE. A registry manifest is metadata that points to an image’s configuration and filesystem layers; it is not the filesystem itself. A multi-platform tag may instead resolve to an index or manifest list that points to separate platform-specific manifests.
What a Docker image manifest describes
A registry manifest connects an image reference to the objects needed to retrieve the image. Docker’s Registry API documentation describes it as containing metadata about the image, including configuration and layer digests: Docker Registry API. A manifest is therefore a set of references and metadata, not a copy of the image’s files.
For a single image, the JSON commonly includes these fields:
schemaVersionidentifies the manifest schema version.mediaTypeidentifies the format of the manifest.configis a descriptor for the image configuration object.layersis an array of descriptors for filesystem layer objects.
A descriptor can include a media type, a content digest, and a size. The digest identifies the referenced content; the manifest uses these descriptors to tell a registry client which objects to retrieve.
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Manifest versus manifest list or OCI index
A tag can point directly to one image manifest, or to a higher-level manifest list or OCI image index. The latter has a manifests array whose entries describe child manifests. Those descriptors can include a platform object with fields such as os and architecture. This is how one image reference can cover multiple platform variants. Docker’s examples show the index and platform details in its Buildx imagetools inspect reference.
When you inspect a multi-platform tag, seeing several descriptors instead of one image’s config and layers is expected: you may be looking at the index that selects a child manifest for a platform. Inspect a child digest if you need the layer list for one specific variant. Digests shown for examples or tags can change when the referenced content changes; use the digest reported for the reference you actually inspected.
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Inspect a registry manifest with Docker
Print the original JSON
-
Confirm Docker Buildx is available by running
docker buildx version. -
Run
docker buildx imagetools inspect --raw IMAGE, replacingIMAGEwith a registry reference such asalpine:latestorregistry.example/team/app:tag.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Read the top-level
mediaTypeto determine whether the output is a single-image manifest or an index/list. For a single manifest, inspectconfigandlayers; for an index/list, inspectmanifestsand each descriptor’splatform,digest, andsize.
The --raw option prints the original registry JSON, making it the best choice when you need exact field names or want to process the manifest programmatically. The standard command produces a formatted summary that is easier to scan for a digest, media type, and available platforms. See Docker’s Buildx imagetools documentation.
Use docker manifest inspect
You can also run docker manifest inspect IMAGE to display a manifest or manifest list. Add --verbose for additional information, including the reference, digest, layers, and platform. Docker labels this command experimental in its command reference; the documented warning says experimental behavior or availability may change.
Choose the inspection route for the question
| What you need | Use | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Exact registry JSON | docker buildx imagetools inspect --raw IMAGE |
Raw manifest or index JSON, including its descriptors. |
| A readable view of registry metadata and platforms | docker buildx imagetools inspect IMAGE |
A formatted summary of the registry reference, digest, media type, and platform information. |
| Manifest or manifest-list output through the Docker manifest command | docker manifest inspect IMAGE; add --verbose for more detail |
Manifest output with optional reference, digest, layer, and platform details; the command is documented as experimental. |
| Details about an image already available locally | docker image inspect IMAGE |
Local image configuration and metadata rather than the registry’s raw manifest JSON. Platform selection is documented for API 1.49 and later when both the image and server support multi-platform inspection. |
| Direct registry API access | GET /v2/{name}/manifests/{reference} |
The registry manifest selected by a tag or digest, subject to authentication and the requested media types. |
The local-image command’s platform qualification is in Docker’s docker image inspect reference. It answers a related question, but it is not a replacement for requesting the registry manifest when you need the exact registry JSON.
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Request a manifest through the Registry API
For a direct API request, Docker documents the endpoint as /v2/{name}/manifests/{reference}, where name is the repository and reference may be a tag or digest. The request uses bearer authentication, and its Accept header selects among supported Docker and OCI manifest or index media types. These details matter when a registry requires login or when the client needs a specific representation. See Docker’s Get image manifest API documentation for the request and supported media types.
Which manifest.json do you mean?
“Manifest JSON” can also refer to a manifest.json file associated with a locally saved image archive. That is distinct from the registry manifest discussed here. The registry manifest is retrieved from a registry by an image reference, using Docker’s inspection commands or the Registry API; do not assume a file named manifest.json inside an archive has the same role or structure as the registry response.
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