# Configure pre-defined environment variables in Docker Compose Docker Compose includes several pre-defined environment variables. It also inherits common Docker CLI environment variables, such as `DOCKER_HOST` and `DOCKER_CONTEXT`. See [Docker CLI environment variable reference](/reference/cli/docker/#environment-variables) for details. This page explains how to set or change the following pre-defined environment variables: - `COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME` - `COMPOSE_FILE` - `COMPOSE_PROFILES` - `COMPOSE_CONVERT_WINDOWS_PATHS` - `COMPOSE_PATH_SEPARATOR` - `COMPOSE_IGNORE_ORPHANS` - `COMPOSE_REMOVE_ORPHANS` - `COMPOSE_PARALLEL_LIMIT` - `COMPOSE_ANSI` - `COMPOSE_STATUS_STDOUT` - `COMPOSE_ENV_FILES` - `COMPOSE_DISABLE_ENV_FILE` - `COMPOSE_MENU` - `COMPOSE_EXPERIMENTAL` - `COMPOSE_PROGRESS` ## Methods to override | Method | Description | | ----------- | -------------------------------------------- | | [`.env` file](/compose/how-tos/environment-variables/variable-interpolation/) | Located in the working directory. | | [Shell](/compose/how-tos/environment-variables/envvars/variable-interpolation/#substitute-from-the-shell) | Defined in the host operating system shell. | | CLI | Passed with `--env` or `-e` flag at runtime. | When changing or setting any environment variables, be aware of [Environment variable precedence](/compose/how-tos/environment-variables/envvars/envvars-precedence/). ## Configuration details ### Project and file configuration #### COMPOSE\_PROJECT\_NAME Sets the project name. This value is prepended along with the service name to the container's name on startup. For example, if your project name is `myapp` and it includes two services `db` and `web`, then Compose starts containers named `myapp-db-1` and `myapp-web-1` respectively. Compose can set the project name in different ways. The level of precedence (from highest to lowest) for each method is as follows: 1. The `-p` command line flag 2. `COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME` 3. The top-level `name:` variable from the config file (or the last `name:` from a series of config files specified using `-f`) 4. The `basename` of the project directory containing the config file (or containing the first config file specified using `-f`) 5. The `basename` of the current directory if no config file is specified Project names must contain only lowercase letters, decimal digits, dashes, and underscores, and must begin with a lowercase letter or decimal digit. If the `basename` of the project directory or current directory violates this constraint, you must use one of the other mechanisms. See also [using `-p` to specify a project name](/reference/cli/docker/compose/#use--p-to-specify-a-project-name). #### COMPOSE\_FILE Specifies the path to a Compose file. Specifying multiple Compose files is supported. - Default behavior: If not provided, Compose looks for a file named `compose.yaml` in the current directory and, if not found, then Compose searches each parent directory recursively until a file by that name is found. - When specifying multiple Compose files, the path separators are, by default, on: - Mac and Linux: `:` (colon) - Windows: `;` (semicolon) For example: ```console COMPOSE_FILE=compose.yaml:compose.prod.yaml ``` The path separator can also be customized using [`COMPOSE_PATH_SEPARATOR`](#compose_path_separator). See also [using `-f` to specify name and path of one or more Compose files](/reference/cli/docker/compose/#use--f-to-specify-the-name-and-path-of-one-or-more-compose-files). #### COMPOSE\_PROFILES Specifies one or more profiles to be enabled when `docker compose up` is run. Services with matching profiles are started as well as any services for which no profile has been defined. For example, calling `docker compose up` with `COMPOSE_PROFILES=frontend` selects services with the `frontend` profile as well as any services without a profile specified. If specifying multiple profiles, use a comma as a separator. The following example enables all services matching both the `frontend` and `debug` profiles and services without a profile. ```console COMPOSE_PROFILES=frontend,debug ``` See also [Using profiles with Compose](/compose/how-tos/profiles/) and the [`--profile` command-line option](/reference/cli/docker/compose/#use-profiles-to-enable-optional-services). #### COMPOSE\_PATH\_SEPARATOR Specifies a different path separator for items listed in `COMPOSE_FILE`. - Defaults to: - On macOS and Linux to `:` - On Windows to`;` #### COMPOSE\_ENV\_FILES Specifies which environment files Compose should use if `--env-file` isn't used. When using multiple environment files, use a comma as a separator. For example: ```console COMPOSE_ENV_FILES=.env.envfile1,.env.envfile2 ``` If `COMPOSE_ENV_FILES` is not set, and you don't provide `--env-file` in the CLI, Docker Compose uses the default behavior, which is to look for an `.env` file in the project directory. #### COMPOSE\_DISABLE\_ENV\_FILE Lets you disable the use of the default `.env` file. - Supported values: - `true` or `1`, Compose ignores the `.env` file - `false` or `0`, Compose looks for an `.env` file in the project directory - Defaults to: `0` ### Environment handling and container lifecycle #### COMPOSE\_CONVERT\_WINDOWS\_PATHS When enabled, Compose performs path conversion from Windows-style to Unix-style in volume definitions. - Supported values: - `true` or `1`, to enable - `false` or `0`, to disable - Defaults to: `0` #### COMPOSE\_IGNORE\_ORPHANS When enabled, Compose doesn't try to detect orphaned containers for the project. - Supported values: - `true` or `1`, to enable - `false` or `0`, to disable - Defaults to: `0` #### COMPOSE\_REMOVE\_ORPHANS When enabled, Compose automatically removes orphaned containers when updating a service or stack. Orphaned containers are those that were created by a previous configuration but are no longer defined in the current `compose.yaml` file. - Supported values: - `true` or `1`, to enable automatic removal of orphaned containers - `false` or `0`, to disable automatic removal. Compose displays a warning about orphaned containers instead. - Defaults to: `0` #### COMPOSE\_PARALLEL\_LIMIT Specifies the maximum level of parallelism for concurrent engine calls. ### Output #### COMPOSE\_ANSI Specifies when to print ANSI control characters. - Supported values: - `auto`, Compose detects if TTY mode can be used. Otherwise, use plain text mode - `never`, use plain text mode - `always` or `0`, use TTY mode - Defaults to: `auto` #### COMPOSE\_STATUS\_STDOUT When enabled, Compose writes its internal status and progress messages to `stdout` instead of `stderr`. The default value is false to clearly separate the output streams between Compose messages and your container's logs. - Supported values: - `true` or `1`, to enable - `false` or `0`, to disable - Defaults to: `0` #### COMPOSE\_PROGRESS Defines the type of progress output, if `--progress` isn't used. Supported values are `auto`, `tty`, `plain`, `json`, and `quiet`. Default is `auto`. ### User experience #### COMPOSE\_MENU When enabled, Compose displays a navigation menu where you can choose to open the Compose stack in Docker Desktop, switch on [`watch` mode](/compose/how-tos/file-watch/), or use [Docker Debug](/reference/cli/docker/debug/). - Supported values: - `true` or `1`, to enable - `false` or `0`, to disable - Defaults to: `1` if you obtained Docker Compose through Docker Desktop, otherwise the default is `0` #### COMPOSE\_EXPERIMENTAL This is an opt-out variable. When turned off it deactivates the experimental features. - Supported values: - `true` or `1`, to enable - `false` or `0`, to disable - Defaults to: `1` ## Unsupported in Compose V2 The following environment variables have no effect in Compose V2. - `COMPOSE_API_VERSION` By default the API version is negotiated with the server. Use `DOCKER_API_VERSION`. See the [Docker CLI environment variable reference](/reference/cli/docker/#environment-variables) page. - `COMPOSE_HTTP_TIMEOUT` - `COMPOSE_TLS_VERSION` - `COMPOSE_FORCE_WINDOWS_HOST` - `COMPOSE_INTERACTIVE_NO_CLI` - `COMPOSE_DOCKER_CLI_BUILD` Use `DOCKER_BUILDKIT` to select between BuildKit and the classic builder. If `DOCKER_BUILDKIT=0` then `docker compose build` uses the classic builder to build images.