How do I persist data in a Docker container?

Hey there 👋

Great question! By default, Docker containers are ephemeral, meaning all data inside the container is lost when it’s removed. To persist data, you should use volumes.

Here’s a simple example:

docker run -v /my/local/path:/app/data your-image-name

This mounts a local folder (/my/local/path) on your Droplet to /app/data inside the container — so anything your container writes there will stay even if the container is removed or restarted.

If you’re using docker-compose, it looks like this:

volumes:
  - ./data:/app/data

Also if you are just getting started with Docker, this free eBook might be helpful: 👉 https://github.com/bobbyiliev/introduction-to-docker-ebook

Hope that helps!

- Bobby