How to Run Claude Code Securely in a Docker Container
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Zack Saadioui
8/10/2025
Alright, let's talk about something that's been a game-changer for my workflow lately: running Claude's coding tools inside a Docker container. Honestly, it sounds a bit complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, the level of security & consistency you get is just chef's kiss.
If you're a developer, you know the drill. You're juggling different projects, each with its own set of dependencies, environments, & tools. Then, you throw an AI coding assistant into the mix. These things are POWERFUL. They can read your codebase, write new files, run commands… which is amazing, but also a little terrifying if you think about it.
That’s where this whole guide comes in. We’re going to walk through, step-by-step, how to set up Claude Code in a Docker environment. It’s the best way to get all the power of an AI assistant while keeping your main system clean & secure.
First Off, What Exactly is Claude Code?
So, you've probably heard of Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic. It’s a major player in the AI space, known for its strong reasoning & safety features. But for us developers, the really exciting part is Claude Code.
Think of it less like a simple autocomplete & more like an agentic coding partner that lives right in your terminal. This isn't just another chat window you copy & paste code into. Claude Code is designed to:
Work within your project: It understands the context of your entire codebase, not just a single file.
Take real action: It can make edits across multiple files, run terminal commands, & even manage your git workflow—like reading an issue, writing the code, running tests, & submitting a pull request.
Build & debug: You can give it a feature description in plain English & it'll plan it out & write the code. Or you can paste in a cryptic error message & it will analyze your code to find & fix the bug.
Integrate securely: It's built to connect with enterprise systems like AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex AI, so it’s not just for hobby projects.
There's also a feature in the web version of Claude called the "Analysis tool," which is basically a code interpreter that runs JavaScript. It's super handy for data analysis & visualization, but for this guide, we're focusing on the terminal-based Claude Code tool that you can integrate directly into your development workflow.
The "Aha!" Moment: Why Bother with Docker?
Okay, so Claude Code is cool. But why add the extra step of putting it in Docker? This is the part that really clicked for me.
Here’s the thing: when you give a tool permission to read your files & execute commands, you want to be damn sure it's not going to do something unexpected. Security is the number one reason.
Isolation & Security: Docker wraps Claude Code in a container, which is like a sandboxed environment. The tool only has access to what you explicitly give it permission to see, like a specific project folder. It's isolated from the rest of your host computer, which is a HUGE deal, especially if you're working on sensitive or proprietary code. You're not just hoping the AI is well-behaved; you're creating a technical barrier that prevents it from messing with things it shouldn't.
Environment Consistency: You know the classic developer excuse: "Well, it works on my machine!" Docker completely eliminates that problem. It packages the application (in this case, Claude Code) & all its dependencies (like the right version of Node.js) into a single, portable container. You can share this exact setup with your team, & you know it will work identically everywhere. No more dependency hell.
Cleanliness: I'm a bit of a neat freak with my dev machine. I hate installing a bunch of global packages that might conflict with each other. By running Claude Code in Docker, it keeps my host system pristine. All the dependencies are neatly tucked away inside the container.
Honestly, once you start thinking about AI assistants as powerful, executing agents, running them in a sandboxed environment like Docker just feels like common sense. It's the professional way to do it.
The Main Event: A Practical Guide to Running Claude Code in Docker
Alright, let's get our hands dirty. Here’s the step-by-step process.
Prerequisites:
Before we start, make sure you have a few things ready:
Docker Desktop: You need Docker running on your Mac, Windows, or Linux machine. You can get it from Docker's official site.
Node.js & npm: We need this for the initial setup step to authenticate Claude Code.
A Claude Account: You’ll need to have an account with Anthropic to use Claude Code.
Git: Make sure you have Git configured on your host machine, as the container can use your host's Git configuration.
Step 1: The One-Time Authentication on Your Host Machine
This is a CRUCIAL first step. Before we can run Claude in a container, we need to authenticate it on our main computer (the "host"). The container will then "borrow" these authentication credentials. This is a great security practice because it means we don't have to embed our secret keys directly into the Docker image.
Open your terminal & run these two commands:
First, install the Claude Code CLI tool globally:
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npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Next, run the tool to start the authentication process:
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claude
This will likely open a browser window asking you to log in to your Anthropic account. Go ahead & complete the login. Once you're done, the CLI will store authentication files in your home directory (in a place like
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~/.claude.json
& a
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~/.claude/
folder). These are the keys to the kingdom that our Docker container will need.
Step 2: Crafting Your Dockerfile
Now we need to tell Docker how to build our environment. Create a new file in your project directory named