Error Knowledge Base Docker manifest_unknown

Error response from daemon: manifest for <image>:<tag> not found: manifest unknown: manifest unknown

Docker could not find the requested manifest for that image tag, which usually means the tag does not exist or the registry metadata is out of date.

What Docker Could Not Find for This Tag

Docker could not find the requested manifest for that image tag, which usually means the tag does not exist or the registry metadata is out of date.

Check the exact image name, tag, and registry

Print the exact image reference you are pulling, including the registry host and tag.

Check the registry UI or API and confirm that tag exists in that exact repository.

If a mirror or proxy registry is involved, compare the failing reference with a working environment to rule out the wrong upstream.

Confirm the exact image, tag, and registry

Confirm the full image reference first: registry host, namespace, repository, and tag, use the registry UI or API to verify the tag exists in that exact repository, and if CI or deployment code rewrites image names, print the final resolved image reference before docker pull and fix it there.

Why the Tag Does Not Resolve

The tag was never published in that repository.

The image reference points at the wrong registry host, namespace, or repository name.

A mirror or proxy registry is behind the source of truth and does not have that tag yet.

Verify the Tag Resolves Now

Run docker pull <image:tag> against the corrected image reference and confirm it succeeds, and run docker image inspect <image:tag> after the pull and confirm metadata is returned.

Typical Output

Error response from daemon: manifest for <image>:<tag> not found: manifest unknown: manifest unknown
manifest unknown: manifest unknown

Avoid Version and Source Drift

To prevent this, use immutable tags or digests in deployment manifests instead of relying on mutable tags, and print the fully resolved image reference in CI so wrong registry or namespace rewrites are obvious.

How Docker looks up images, tags, and manifests

Docker asks the registry for the manifest behind one exact repository path and tag.

If that manifest does not exist at that path, the registry returns manifest unknown and the pull stops there.

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