devtools

Watchtower: Auto Container Updates

Name: Watchtower: Auto Container Updates
Author: containrrr

Automate Docker base image updates with Watchtower. For founders, by developers with 25k+ GitHub stars.

24,627 stars1,158 forksGoGuide quality 9/10 · reviewed Jul 5Updated 12/17/2025100% free · open source

What it does

Watchtower automates the process of updating Docker container base images to ensure they are running with the latest security patches and features.

When to use it

•Your Dockerized application requires frequent updates to ensure security and compatibility
•You have a large number of Docker containers to manage and update manually
•You need to automate the process of rebuilding and redeploying Docker images after a base image update

Ready-to-paste prompt

docker run -d --name watchtower -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock containrrr/watchtower --interval 1h --label-enable --repo user/app

Heads up: Watchtower requires access to the Docker socket (/var/run/docker.sock) to function, so ensure the container has the necessary permissions and volumes mounted

Saves to your device

Use with Claude

New

Skip the builder — one click puts this in Claude, Cursor, Antigravity and more.

✅ Light setup

Installs with a command or two; your AI agent can do it for you.

Try it instantly — no install

Claude Code

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/watchtower && curl -fsSL https://workflowstacks.com/api/skills/watchtower/claude-skill -o ~/.claude/skills/watchtower/SKILL.md

Open in another AI app

Opens the app with this repo with the prompt ready to go — no copy-paste needed.

Connect the whole catalog (MCP)

claude mcp add --transport http workflowstacks https://workflowstacks.com/api/mcp

Adds a WorkflowStacks connector to Claude Code: search and load any skill here by chatting.

How Watchtower: Auto Container Updates works

Codeflow

Free to inspect

Watchtower: Auto Container Updates is a medium Go project (~8.3k lines across 96 code files). Setup is light: installs like a normal app. Reading the code is optional. Last commit 8 months ago, Apache-2.0 license, has a test suite.

Size

Medium codebase

~8.3k lines · 96 code files · ~1 h to skim

Setup

One-command install

Installs like a normal app. Reading the code is optional.

Runs on

Go · Docker

No API keys detected

Go 95%Shell 5%

Where to start reading

1
README.md
Start here — what it does and how to install it
2
main.go
Where the program starts running
3
go.mod
Dependencies and the commands it exposes
4
pkg/api/api_test.go
Inside pkg/ — the main logic begins here

What's in each folder

pkg/Core code — the actual logic81 files

internal/Core code — the actual logic14 files

cmd/Command-line entry points2 files

docs/Documentation21 files

scripts/Helper scripts7 files

dockerfiles/Folder4 files

grafana/Folder3 files

tplprev/Folder2 files

READMEHas testsDocumentedCI checksDocker readyApache-2.0 licenseLast update 9 mo agoArchived — read only

Use with Claude

New

Skip the builder — one click puts this in Claude, Cursor, Antigravity and more.

✅ Light setup

Installs with a command or two; your AI agent can do it for you.

Try it instantly — no install

Claude Code

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/watchtower && curl -fsSL https://workflowstacks.com/api/skills/watchtower/claude-skill -o ~/.claude/skills/watchtower/SKILL.md

Open in another AI app

Opens the app with this repo with the prompt ready to go — no copy-paste needed.

Connect the whole catalog (MCP)

claude mcp add --transport http workflowstacks https://workflowstacks.com/api/mcp

Adds a WorkflowStacks connector to Claude Code: search and load any skill here by chatting.

Quick Actions

Details

Creator

containrrr

Language