Compose multiple Compose files together using the include top-level attribute (Compose 2.20+)
domain: docs.docker.com/compose/how-tos/multiple-compose-files/extends/include · 5 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Documented steps
Add a top-level `include:` list to compose.yaml referencing other Compose files or directories, e.g. `include: [../database/compose.yaml, infrastructure/]`.
Compose pulls the referenced files' services/networks/volumes etc. into the current project as if copy/pasted, but resolves relative paths from each included file's own location.
Run `docker compose config` to inspect the fully merged model.
Included services are full black-box components; you can reference them from other services with depends_on even if you don't know their internal details.
include requires Docker Compose v2.20.0+ (Docker Desktop 4.22+); on older versions the attribute is unrecognized.
Unlike `extends`, include retains each file's relative path context, so it is the correct choice when reusing another team's self-contained Compose component.
If a directory is included, all Compose files in it are included.
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