> Import compose on the services list takes a docker-compose.yaml pasted straight in and turns it into Homerun rows. Parsing happens on the server and nothing is created until you…
> Source: https://orochibraru.com/homerun/canary/docs/compose-import · Site index: https://orochibraru.com/llms.txt

# Importing a compose file

**Import compose** on the services list takes a `docker-compose.yaml` pasted
straight in and turns it into Homerun rows. Parsing happens on the server and
nothing is created until you confirm: the preview lists every service it found
with the image, port, protocol, network mode, env var count and volume mounts it
resolved, plus a warning for anything it had to drop.

![A parsed compose file: what couldn't be mapped, then each service with its image, port and volumes](https://orochibraru.com/images/a59486dc2b85dba31193a8896e790602cc090f7d.webp)

What maps across: `image`, `environment` (both the map and the `KEY=VALUE` list
form), `ports`/`expose` (the first port becomes the container port Traefik
routes to, every other host mapping becomes a
[published port](https://orochibraru.com/homerun/canary/docs/networking#published-ports), port ranges are skipped),
`restart`, `volumes` (named volumes and absolute bind mounts, in both the short
`src:dst:ro` and long `type:/source:` forms), `depends_on`,
`network_mode: host`, `container_name`, `deploy.resources.limits.cpus`/`memory`,
and everything under [Container → Runtime](https://orochibraru.com/homerun/canary/docs/runtime-and-compute#runtime):
`command` and `entrypoint` (string or list form), `labels` (Traefik and
`homerun.*` labels are dropped, Homerun writes its own routing), `user`,
`cap_add`, `devices` and `privileged`.

`env_file` is resolved into env vars where it can be: the preview asks you to
paste the contents of every relative env file the compose file references, and
their variables are imported (the service's own `environment` wins on a clash).
An absolute path you don't paste is kept as an [env file](https://orochibraru.com/homerun/canary/docs/env-vars#env-files)
and read from the host at every deploy. A relative one left blank is skipped.

What comes back as a warning instead of being applied: `build:` (import it, then
point the service's **Environments & Deployments → Source** section at a git
repository), `healthcheck`, `cap_drop`, `extra_hosts`, `sysctls`, `tmpfs`,
secrets/configs, relative bind mounts (Homerun needs an absolute host path), and
anonymous volumes.

Every named volume and absolute bind mount becomes a
[storage volume](https://orochibraru.com/homerun/canary/docs/storage-volumes) (reusing an existing one when the source
matches) and is mounted into the service at its declared path. A service that
published a host port gets a public `<slug>.<domain>` route; one that only
`expose`d a port stays internal. You can drop individual services from the
import, put them in a new or existing stack, and optionally deploy everything
straight away, in `depends_on` order. Each `depends_on` between imported
services is kept as a recorded dependency, so later starts and stack deploys
follow the same order (see [Env vars](https://orochibraru.com/homerun/canary/docs/env-vars)).