---
description: Understand what you can do with the Volumes view on Docker Dashboard
keywords: Docker Dashboard, manage, containers, gui, dashboard, volumes, user manual
title: Explore Volumes
---

The **Volumes** view in Docker Dashboard lets you create, delete, and perform
other actions on your [volumes](../../storage/volumes.md). You can also see
which volumes are being used as well as inspect the files and folders in your
volumes.

## View your volumes

You can view the following information about your volumes:

- Name: The name of the volume.
- Status: Whether the volume is in-use by a container or not.
- Created: How long ago the volume was created.
- Size: The size of the volume.

By default, the **Volumes** view displays a list of all the volumes.

You can filter and sort volumes as well as modify which columns are displayed by
doing the following:

- Filter volumes by name: Use the **Search** field.
- Filter volumes by status: To the right of the search bar, filter volumes by
  **In use** or **Unused**.
- Sort volumes: Select a column name to sort the volumes.
- Customize columns: To the right of the search bar, choose what volume
  information to display.

## Clone a volume

Cloning a volume creates a new volume with a copy of all of the data from the
cloned volume. When cloning a volume used by one or more running containers, the
containers are temporarily stopped while Docker clones the data, and then
restarted when the cloning process is completed.

To clone a volume:

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to clone a volume.
2. Select the **Clone** icon in the **Actions** column for the volume you want
   to clone.
3. In the **Clone a volume** modal, specify a **Volume name**, and then select
   **Clone**.

## Create a volume

You use the following steps to create an empty volume. Alternatively, if you
[start a container with a volume](../../storage/volumes.md#start-a-container-with-a-volume)
that doesn't yet exist, Docker creates the volume for you.

To create a volume:

1. Select the **Create** button.
2. In the **New Volume** modal, specify a volume name, and then select
   **Create**.

To use the volume with a container, see [Use volumes](../../storage/volumes.md#start-a-container-with-a-volume).

## Delete one or more volumes

Deleting a volume deletes the volume and all its data. When a container is using
a volume, you can't delete the volume, even if the container is stopped.
You must first stop and remove any containers
using the volume before you can delete the volume.

To delete a volume:

1. Select the **Show volume actions** icon in the **Actions** column for the
   volume you want to delete.
2. Select **Delete volume**.
3. In the **Delete volume?** modal, select **Delete forever**.

To delete multiple volumes:

1. Select the checkbox next to all the volumes you want to delete.
2. Select **Delete**.
3. In the **Delete volumes?** modal, select **Delete forever**.

## Empty a volume

Emptying a volume deletes all a volume's data, but doesn't delete the volume.
When emptying a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers
are temporarily stopped while Docker empties the data, and then restarted when
the emptying process is completed.

To empty a volume:

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to empty a volume.
2. Select the **Show volume actions** icon in the **Actions** column for the
   volume you want to delete.
3. Select **Empty volume**.
4. In the **Empty a volume?** modal, select **Empty**.

## Export a volume

> **Beta feature**
>
> The export volume feature is currently in [Beta](../../release-lifecycle.md/#beta).
{ .experimental }

You can export the content of a volume to a local file, a local image, or an to
an image in Docker Hub. When exporting content from a volume used by one or more
running containers, the containers are temporarily stopped while Docker exports
the content, and then restarted when the export process is completed.

To export a volume:

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to export a volume.
2. Select the **Export** icon in the **Actions** column for the
   volume you want to export content from.
3. In the **Export content** modal, select where to export the content to and
   then specify the following additional details depending on your selection:

   - **Local file**: Specify a file name and select a folder.
   - **Local image**: Select a local image to export the content to. Any
    existing data in the image will be replaced by the exported content.
   - **New image**: Specify a name for the new image.
   - **Registry**: Specify a Docker Hub repository. Note that Docker Hub
     repositories can be publicly accessible which means your data can be
     publicly accessible. For more details, see
     [Change a repository from public to private](/docker-hub/repos/#change-a-repository-from-public-to-private).

4. Select **Export**.

## Import a volume

> **Beta feature**
>
> The import volume feature is currently in [Beta](../../release-lifecycle.md/#beta).
{ .experimental }

You can import a local file, a local image, or an image from Docker Hub. Any
existing data in the volume is replaced by the imported content. When importing
content to a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers are
temporarily stopped while Docker imports the content, and then restarted when
the import process is completed.

To import a volume:

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to import a volume.
2. Optionally, [create](#create-a-volume) a new volume to import the content
   into.
3. Select the **Import** icon in the **Actions** column for the
   volume you want to import content in to.
4. In the **Import content** modal, select where the content is coming from and
   then specify the following additional details depending on your selection:

   - **Local file**: Select the file that contains the content.
   - **Local image**: Select the local image that contains the content.
   - **Registry**: Specify the image from Docker Hub that contains the content.

5. Select **Import**.

## Inspect a volume

To explore the details of a specific volume, select a volume from the list. This
opens the detailed view.

The **In Use** tab displays the name of the container using the volume, the
image name, the port number used by the container, and the target. A target is a
path inside a container that gives access to the files in the volume.

The **Data** tab displays the files and folders in the volume and the file size.
To save a file or a folder, right-click on the file or folder to display the
options menu, select **Save as...**, and then specify a location to download the
file.

To delete a file or a folder from the volume, right-click on the file or folder
to display the options menu, select **Delete**, and then select **Delete** again
to confirm.

## Additional resources

- [Persisting container data](../../guides/docker-concepts/running-containers/persisting-container-data.md)
- [Use volumes](../../storage/volumes.md)