# export

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Export a container's filesystem as a tar archive

### Aliases

`docker container export`, `docker export`

### Options

| Name             | Type     | Default | Description                        |
|:-----------------|:---------|:--------|:-----------------------------------|
| `-o`, `--output` | `string` |         | Write to a file, instead of STDOUT |


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## Description

The `docker export` command does not export the contents of volumes associated
with the container. If a volume is mounted on top of an existing directory in
the container, `docker export` will export the contents of the *underlying*
directory, not the contents of the volume.

Refer to [Backup, restore, or migrate data volumes](https://docs.docker.com/storage/volumes/#back-up-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes)
in the user guide for examples on exporting data in a volume.

## Examples

Each of these commands has the same result.

```console
$ docker export red_panda > latest.tar
```

```console
$ docker export --output="latest.tar" red_panda
```
