# What Is a Container Registry and How to Use One

DevFeed: [What Is a Container Registry and How to Use One](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/what-is-a-container-registry-and-how-to-use-one-17491.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://kodekloud.com/blog/what-is-a-container-registry-and-how-to-use-one/>)

Author: Pramodh Kumar M

Published: 2026-08-10T17:48:35Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Kubernetes - KodeKloud Blog | DevOps, Cloud, Kubernetes, AI Tutorials & More](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/kubernetes-kodekloud-blog-devops-cloud-kubernetes-ai-tutorials-more.md>)

Topics: [container images](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/container-images.md>), [content addressed store](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/content-addressed-store.md>), [Docker Hub](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/docker-hub.md>), [Dockerfile](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/dockerfile.md>), [supply-chain-security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/supply-chain-security.md>)

Tags: [base-images](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/base-images.md>), [cache](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cache.md>), [ci-cd](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ci-cd.md>), [cloud](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cloud.md>), [container-images](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/container-images.md>), [container-registry](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/container-registry.md>), [containers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/containers.md>), [content-addressed-store](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/content-addressed-store.md>), [cryptographic](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cryptographic.md>), [devops](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/devops.md>), [docker](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/docker.md>), [docker-hub](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/docker-hub.md>), [docker-login](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/docker-login.md>), [docker-pull-rate-limits](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/docker-pull-rate-limits.md>), [docker-registry](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/docker-registry.md>), [harbor](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/harbor.md>), [image-manifest](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/image-manifest.md>), [image-retention-policy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/image-retention-policy.md>), [image-scanning](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/image-scanning.md>), [image-tags-vs-digests](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/image-tags-vs-digests.md>), [kubernetes](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kubernetes.md>), [private-registry](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/private-registry.md>), [pull-through-cache](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/pull-through-cache.md>), [reproducible-builds](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/reproducible-builds.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>), [supply-chain-security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/supply-chain-security.md>)

## AI overview

This guide explains how container registries store and distribute container images, emphasizing the distinction between mutable tags and immutable content digests. It also covers pushing, pulling, authentication, Docker Hub rate limits, caching, scanning, and retention.

## Source excerpt

A tag is a bookmark somebody else can move. A digest is the image itself. Once that distinction lands, reproducible builds, supply chain security, and every it worked yesterday mystery make sense.