page_title: Docker Plugins page_description: Learn what Docker Plugins are and how to use them. page_keywords: plugins, extensions, extensibility

Understanding Docker Plugins

You can extend the capabilities of the Docker Engine by loading third-party plugins.

Types of plugins

Plugins extend Docker's functionality. They come in specific types. For example, a volume plugin might enable Docker volumes to persist across multiple Docker hosts.

Currently Docker supports volume plugins. In the future it will support additional plugin types.

Installing a plugin

Follow the instructions in the plugin's documentation.

Finding a plugin

The following plugins exist:

The Flocker plugin is a volume plugin which provides multi-host portable volumes for Docker, enabling you to run databases and other stateful containers and move them around across a cluster of machines.

Using a plugin

Depending on the plugin type, there are additional arguments to docker CLI commands.

For example docker run has a --volume-driver argument.

You can also use plugins via the Docker Remote API.

Troubleshooting a plugin

If you are having problems with Docker after loading a plugin, ask the authors of the plugin for help. The Docker team may not be able to assist you.

Writing a plugin

If you are interested in writing a plugin for Docker, or seeing how they work under the hood, see the docker plugins reference.

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