Glossary

What is Docker network?

Last updated June 15, 2026
Reviewed by Better-PaaS team

A private network containers use to communicate. Learn what Docker network means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.

Overview

A private network containers use to communicate.

Definition

A private network containers use to communicate.

Real-world example

App container talks to postgres:5432 on the internal bridge network; only Caddy publishes ports 80/443 to the internet.

Common mistake

Hard-coding localhost for database host inside a container - localhost refers to the app container itself, not Postgres.

Better-PaaS in practice

Add-ons receive stable hostnames on the Docker network. Use injected connection URLs rather than localhost.

FAQ

Is Docker network only relevant to Better-PaaS?

No. Docker network appears across Docker, cloud platforms, and self-hosted tooling. Better-PaaS exposes the concept in deploy logs, dashboard fields, or docs when it affects your app.