Container image digest 2026-11-05
A container image digest identifies particular container image content through a cryptographic hash function, commonly written as an algorithm name followed by a hexadecimal value. Unlike a movable tag, a digest fixes the referenced content. Image manifests identify the configuration and layers; multi-platform indexes can refer to several platform-specific manifests.[ref]
Image digests in the Docker documentation. What are Docker image digests?, Pull an image by digest and Multi-platform images and manifests
For example, a tag such as
analysis:stable can point to different content next month. Recording an image reference with a digest makes that change detectable and allows the same referenced content to be requested again. It does not establish who produced the image, whether its software is correct, or that required input data and host facilities are identical. Those claims need separate evidence.