---
description: Compose CLI reference
keywords: fig, composition, compose, docker, orchestration, cli, reference
title: Command-line completion
---

Compose comes with [command completion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command-line_completion)
for the bash and zsh shell.

## Install command completion

### Bash

Make sure bash completion is installed.

#### Linux

1. On a current Linux OS (in a non-minimal installation), bash completion should be
available.

2. Place the completion script in `/etc/bash_completion.d/`.

   ```console
   $ sudo curl \
       -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docker/compose/{{site.compose_version}}/contrib/completion/bash/docker-compose \
       -o /etc/bash_completion.d/docker-compose
   ```

3. Reload your terminal. You can close and then open a new terminal, or reload your setting with `source ~/.bashrc` command in your current terminal.

#### Mac

##### Install via Homebrew

1. Install with `brew install bash-completion`.
2. After the installation, Brew displays the installation path. Make sure to place the completion script in the path.

   For example, place the completion script in `/usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/`.

   ```console
   $ sudo curl \
       -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docker/compose/{{site.compose_version}}/contrib/completion/bash/docker-compose \
       -o /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/docker-compose
   ```

3. Add the following to your `~/.bash_profile`:

   ```bash
   if [ -f $(brew --prefix)/etc/bash_completion ]; then
       . $(brew --prefix)/etc/bash_completion
   fi
   ```

4. You can source your `~/.bash_profile` or launch a new terminal to utilize
completion.

##### Install via MacPorts

1. Run `sudo port install bash-completion` to install bash completion.

2. Add the following lines to `~/.bash_profile`:

   ```bash
   if [ -f /opt/local/etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh ]; then
       . /opt/local/etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh
   fi
   ```

3. You can source your `~/.bash_profile` or launch a new terminal to utilize
completion.

### Zsh

Make sure you have [installed `oh-my-zsh`](https://ohmyz.sh/) on your computer. 

#### With oh-my-zsh shell

Add `docker` and `docker-compose` to the plugins list in `~/.zshrc` to run
autocompletion within the oh-my-zsh shell. In the following example, `...`
represent other Zsh plugins you may have installed. After that, type `source ~/.zshrc` to bring the changes. 
To test whether it is successful, type `docker ps` and then press the **Tab** key.

```shell
plugins=(... docker docker-compose)
 ```

#### Without oh-my-zsh shell

1. Place the completion script in your `/path/to/zsh/completion` (typically `~/.zsh/completion/`):

   ```console
   $ mkdir -p ~/.zsh/completion
   $ curl \
       -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docker/compose/{{site.compose_version}}/contrib/completion/zsh/_docker-compose \
       -o ~/.zsh/completion/_docker-compose
   ```

2. Include the directory in your `$fpath` by adding in `~/.zshrc`:

   ```shell
   fpath=(~/.zsh/completion $fpath)
   ```

3. Make sure `compinit` is loaded or do it by adding in `~/.zshrc`:

   ```shell
   autoload -Uz compinit && compinit -i
   ```

4. Then reload your shell:

   ```console
   $ exec $SHELL -l
   ```

## Available completions

Depending on what you typed on the command line so far, it completes:

 - available docker-compose commands
 - options that are available for a particular command
 - service names that make sense in a given context, such as services with running or stopped instances or services based on images vs. services based on Dockerfiles. For `docker-compose scale`, completed service names automatically have "=" appended.
 - arguments for selected options. For example, `docker-compose kill -s` completes some signals like SIGHUP and SIGUSR1.

Enjoy working with Compose faster and with fewer typos!

## Compose documentation

- [User guide](index.md)
- [Installing Compose](install.md)
- [Command line reference](reference/index.md)
- [Compose file reference](compose-file/index.md)
- [Sample apps with Compose](samples-for-compose.md)