Home • Explore • Blog • CI
☰



docker
content/manuals/extensions/extensions-sdk/_index.md
88271242bb27432ea53fd72bacbb25b11c2a12c358f41a0f000000030000090d
---
title: Overview of the Extensions SDK
linkTitle: Extensions SDK
description: Overall index for Docker Extensions SDK documentation
keywords: Docker, Extensions, sdk
aliases:
 - /desktop/extensions-sdk/dev/overview/
 - /desktop/extensions-sdk/
grid:
  - title: "The build and publish process"
    description: Understand the process for building and publishing an extension.
    icon: "checklist"
    link: "/extensions/extensions-sdk/process/"
  - title: "Quickstart guide"
    description: Follow the quickstart guide to create a basic Docker extension quickly.
    icon: "explore"
    link: "/extensions/extensions-sdk/quickstart/"
  - title: "View the design guidelines"
    description: Ensure your extension aligns to Docker's design guidelines and principles.
    icon: "design_services"
    link: "/extensions/extensions-sdk/design/design-guidelines/"
  - title: "Publish your extension"
    description: Understand how to publish your extension to the Marketplace.
    icon: "publish"
    link: "/extensions/extensions-sdk/extensions/"
  - title: "Interacting with Kubernetes"
    description: Find information on how to interact indirectly with a Kubernetes cluster from your Docker extension.
    icon: "multiple_stop"
    link: "/extensions/extensions-sdk/guides/kubernetes/"
  - title: "Multi-arch extensions"
    description: Build your extension for multiple architectures.
    icon: "content_copy"
    link: "/extensions/extensions-sdk/extensions/multi-arch/"
---

The resources in this section help you create your own Docker extension.

The Docker CLI tool provides a set of commands to help you build and publish your extension, packaged as a 
specially formatted Docker image.

At the root of the image filesystem is a `metadata.json` file which describes the content of the extension. 
It's a fundamental element of a Docker extension.

An extension can contain a UI part and backend parts that run either on the host or in the Desktop virtual machine.
For further information, see [Architecture](architecture/_index.md).

You distribute extensions through Docker Hub. However, you can develop them locally without the need to push 
the extension to Docker Hub. See [Extensions distribution](extensions/DISTRIBUTION.md) for further details.

{{% include "extensions-form.md" %}}

{{< grid >}}
Chunks
f20b623d (1st chunk of `content/manuals/extensions/extensions-sdk/_index.md`)
Title: Overview of the Docker Extensions SDK
Summary
This document provides an overview of the Docker Extensions SDK, which allows developers to create and publish their own Docker extensions. It includes resources on building, publishing, and designing extensions, as well as information on interacting with Kubernetes and creating multi-architecture extensions. The Docker CLI tool helps in building and publishing extensions, which are packaged as Docker images with a `metadata.json` file. Extensions can contain UI and backend components that run on the host or in the Desktop virtual machine, and are distributed via Docker Hub.