---
title: Gordon
description:
  AI assistant for Docker workflows - execute tasks, debug issues, and
  manage containers with intelligent assistance
weight: 40
params:
  sidebar:
    badge:
      color: blue
      text: Beta
    group: AI
aliases:
  - /desktop/features/gordon/
---

{{< summary-bar feature_name="Gordon" >}}

Gordon is an AI-powered assistant that takes action on your Docker workflows. It analyzes
your environment, proposes solutions, and executes commands with your
permission. Available in Docker Desktop and via the `docker ai` CLI command.

## What Gordon does

Gordon takes action to help you with Docker tasks:

- Explains Docker concepts and commands
- Searches Docker documentation and web resources for solutions
- Writes and modifies Dockerfiles following best practices
- Debugs container failures by reading logs and proposing fixes
- Manages containers, images, volumes, and networks

Gordon proposes every action before executing. You approve what it does.

## Get started

### Prerequisites

Before you begin:

- Docker Desktop 4.61.0 or later
- Sign in to your Docker account

> [!NOTE]
> Gordon is enabled by default for Personal, Pro, and Team subscriptions. For
> Business subscriptions, an administrator must enable Gordon for the
> organization before users can access it.

### Quick start

{{< tabs >}}
{{< tab name="Docker Desktop" >}}

1. Open Docker Desktop.
2. Select **Ask Gordon** in the sidebar.
3. Select your project directory.
4. Type a question: "What containers are running?"

   ![Gordon running in Docker Desktop](./images/gordon_gui.avif)

5. Review Gordon's proposed actions and approve.

{{< /tab >}}
{{< tab name="CLI" >}}

1. Open your terminal and run:

   ```console
   $ docker ai
   ```

   This opens the Terminal User Interface (TUI) for Gordon.

2. Type a question: "what containers are running?" and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.

   ![Gordon running in the terminal](./images/gordon_tui.avif?border=true)

3. Review Gordon's proposed actions and approve by typing `y`.

{{< /tab >}}
{{< /tabs >}}

### Permissions

By default, Gordon asks for approval before executing actions. You can approve
individual actions or allow all actions for the current session.

![Gordon permission request](./images/permissions.avif)

Permissions reset for each session. To configure default permissions or enable
auto-approve mode, see [Permissions](./how-to/permissions.md).

### Try these examples

Container inspection:

```console
$ docker ai "show me logs from my nginx container"
```

Dockerfile review:

```console
$ docker ai "review my Dockerfile for best practices"
```

Image management:

```console
$ docker ai "list my local images and their sizes"
```

## Usage and availability

Gordon is available with all Docker subscriptions. Usage limits vary by tier:

- Personal: Baseline usage
- Pro and Team: 3x more usage than Personal
- Business: 6x more usage than Personal

For details, see [Usage and limits](./usage-and-limits/).
