BEFORE YOU START

A Compose file can parse as YAML and still fail because a service, network, or volume reference is missing. A useful preflight starts with static structure, then uses the exact Compose engine and environment intended for deployment.

FOLLOW ALONGOpen the live Compose Validator workspace
01

Run a private static check

Inspect services, references, tags, ports, privileges, and clear-text values without pulling images.

EXAMPLE
compose.yaml
02

Resolve environment variables

List every ${VARIABLE} and confirm the deployment environment provides it without committing secrets.

EXAMPLE
${DATABASE_URL}
03

Use the target Compose parser

Run config validation with the same Docker Compose major version used in production.

EXAMPLE
docker compose config --quiet
04

Test the rendered project

Review the normalized configuration, pull policy, health checks, resource limits, and startup dependencies in a non-production environment.

EXAMPLE
docker compose config
Key takeaways
  • Valid YAML is not the same as valid Compose configuration.
  • Static checks do not pull images or prove runtime health.
  • The target Docker Compose engine remains authoritative.