Skip to main content

FastAPI & Docker Integration

Learn how to integrate Docker and Docker Compose to a FastAPI project

Dockerizing a FastAPI project involves creating a Docker image that contains your FastAPI application and its dependencies.

FastAPI & Docker Integration - Tutorial provided by AppSeed.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to dockerize a FastAPI project:

✅ Create a Dockerfile​

In your FastAPI project directory, create a file named Dockerfile (without any file extension) with the following content:

# Use a base Python image
FROM python:3.x

# Set environment variables
ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED 1
ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE 1

# Set the working directory inside the container
WORKDIR /app

# Copy the requirements file into the container
COPY requirements.txt /app/

# Install project dependencies
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt

# Copy the rest of the application code into the container
COPY . /app/

# Expose the port your FastAPI app will run on
EXPOSE 8000

# Command to run your FastAPI app with uvicorn
CMD ["uvicorn", "main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000"]

Make sure to replace 3.x with the Python version you are using. This Dockerfile sets up a basic environment for running a FastAPI application.

✅ Create a .dockerignore File​

In the same directory as your Dockerfile, create a .dockerignore file to specify files and directories that should be excluded when copying files into the Docker image. For example:

__pycache__
*.pyc
*.pyo
*.pyd
*.db
*.sqlite3

This helps keep unnecessary files out of the Docker image.

✅ Build the Docker Image​

Open a terminal and navigate to your project directory containing the Dockerfile. Run the following command to build the Docker image:

docker build -t my-fastapi-app .

Replace my-fastapi-app with a name you choose for your Docker image. The . at the end specifies the build context (current directory).

✅ Run the Docker Container​

Once the image is built, you can run a Docker container from it:

docker run -d -p 8000:8000 my-fastapi-app

This command maps port 8000 inside the container to port 8000 on your host system. Adjust the port mapping as needed.

✅ Access Your FastAPI App​

Your FastAPI app should now be running inside a Docker container. You can access it by visiting http://localhost:8000 in your web browser or making API requests to that address.

✅ In Summary​

At this point, you've successfully dockerized your FastAPI project. You can customize the Dockerfile further to suit your project's specific requirements, such as adding environment variables, configuring additional services (e.g., databases), or setting up production-ready settings for serving your FastAPI application.

✅ Resources​