# Container Virtual Registry Beta - Feedback Issue ## Summary The Docker Virtual Registry is entering **beta** in GitLab %"18.9" . This issue is a place to collect feedback from users testing the feature. We want to hear about your experience — what's working well, what's not, and what's missing. ## What is the Docker Virtual Registry? The Docker Virtual Registry allows you to configure multiple upstream container registries (e.g., Docker Hub, Artifactory, Sonatype) and access them through a single GitLab endpoint. When a client requests an image, the virtual registry checks your configured sources in priority order, proxying and caching images from remote upstreams for faster subsequent access and reduced external dependency. ## How to get started The Docker Virtual Registry beta is **API-only** — there is no UI for configuration or management in this release. All setup and interaction is done via the GitLab API. 1. Create a new Docker virtual registry via the API 2. Add one or more upstream sources (GitLab registries or external remotes) 3. Set the priority order for your upstreams 4. Configure your Docker client to pull from the virtual registry endpoint ## Helpful Links 1. [API documentation link](https://docs.gitlab.com/api/container_virtual_registries/) 2. [User guide](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/packages/virtual_registry/container/) 3. [Demo](https://youtu.be/HD8dS8oeDQA) ## What we'd love feedback on Please share your experience in the comments below. Some areas we're especially interested in: * **Setup and configuration:** Was it straightforward to set up the virtual registry and add upstreams via the API? Any confusion in the workflow? * **Pull performance:** How does image pull performance compare to pulling directly from upstream registries? Any latency concerns? * **Caching behavior:** Are cached images behaving as expected? Any issues with stale images or cache invalidation? * **Authentication:** Any issues authenticating to external upstream registries? * **Error handling:** Are error messages clear and actionable when things go wrong? * **Rate limiting:** Any rate limit issues? * **API usability:** Is the API intuitive and well-documented? Any gaps in endpoints or response payloads? * **Use cases we haven't considered:** Are you trying to do something the feature doesn't currently support? ## Known limitations (beta) * **API-only** — no UI for configuration or management; UI support is planned for GA * No support for registries that require IAM roles like ECR, Google Artifact Registry, and Azure Container Registry