Docker Destructive Command Guardrails

Overview

This skill provides the cross-product policy for handling destructive or irreversible Docker CLI operations: commands that delete data, remove resources, or otherwise cannot be undone. Use it whenever a task could reasonably lead to running one of these commands, even if the user never names the command directly. It covers the generic Docker CLI commands with no home in a more specific skill, and it indexes where other destructive commands (Compose, sandbox, Desktop) are documented.

When to use this skill

Activate this skill when:

• The user asks to "clean up", "clear the cache", "start fresh", "wipe everything", "nuke it", "reset", "force remove", or "tear down" Docker resources without naming a specific command
• The agent is considering docker rm, docker rm -f, docker container prune, docker kill, docker stop, docker system prune, docker rmi, docker image rm, docker image prune -a, docker network rm, docker network prune, docker builder prune, docker buildx rm, docker context rm, or standalone (non-Compose) docker volume rm/docker volume prune as a fix for an unrelated problem (disk space, a stuck container, a stale network, a broken build cache, an old builder or volume)
• The user wants a cross-product overview of destructive commands across Docker skills

Do not use this skill when

Do not use this skill when:

• The destructive command in question is Compose-specific (docker compose down -v, docker compose rm -v, docker volume rm/docker volume prune in a Compose project), use docker-compose-patterns directly, which owns that guidance in full detail
• The task is authoring or reviewing a Dockerfile or compose.yaml with no cleanup or deletion involved
• The operation is non-Docker (git, filesystem, cloud resources), this skill covers Docker CLI operations only

Core guidance