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POST
/
api
/
auto-update
/
{containerName}
curl -X POST "https://dockhand.example.com/api/auto-update/postgres?env=1" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "enabled": true,
    "cronExpression": "0 3 * * *",
    "vulnerabilityCriteria": "critical_high"
  }'

{
  "id": 5,
  "containerName": "postgres",
  "environmentId": 1,
  "enabled": true,
  "scheduleType": "daily",
  "cronExpression": "0 3 * * *",
  "vulnerabilityCriteria": "critical_high",
  "createdAt": "2026-03-04T10:30:00.000Z",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-04T10:30:00.000Z"
}
Configures automated update settings for a container, including scheduling and vulnerability-based update policies.

​
Overview

This endpoint allows you to configure how and when containers are automatically updated. You can:
  • Set update schedules using cron expressions
  • Define vulnerability criteria to block unsafe updates
  • Enable or disable auto-updates per container

​
Path Parameters

​
containerName
string
required
Name of the container to configure (URL-encoded if contains special characters)

​
Query Parameters

​
env
number
Environment ID. Omit for default environment.

​
Request Body

​
enabled
boolean
required
Enable or disable auto-updates. Setting to false deletes the configuration.
​
cronExpression
string
required
Cron expression for update schedule. Uses standard 5-field format.Example: "0 3 * * *" (daily at 3 AM)
​
vulnerabilityCriteria
string
default:"never"
Policy for blocking updates based on vulnerability scan results:
Requires vulnerability scanning to be enabled for the environment. If scanning is disabled, this setting is ignored.
​
scheduleType
string
Optional schedule type hint. Auto-detected from cronExpression if omitted.
  • daily - Runs once per day
  • weekly - Runs once per week
  • custom - Custom cron schedule

​
Vulnerability Criteria Details

​
How Vulnerability Blocking Works

When auto-update runs:
  1. Checks if new image version is available
  2. If scanning enabled, scans the new image
  3. Evaluates scan results against configured criteria
  4. Blocks or proceeds with update based on criteria

​
Criteria Behavior

Updates are never blocked based on vulnerabilities. This is the default and most permissive setting.Use when: You want updates to always proceed, relying on other security measures.
Blocks updates if the new image contains any vulnerabilities at any severity level.Use when: You have a zero-tolerance policy for vulnerabilities.Example: New image has 1 low severity vulnerability → Update blocked
Blocks updates only if critical or high severity vulnerabilities are found.Use when: You want to prevent serious vulnerabilities while accepting minor risks.Example: New image has 5 medium vulnerabilities → Update proceeds
Example: New image has 1 critical vulnerability → Update blocked
Blocks updates only if critical severity vulnerabilities are found.Use when: You want to balance security with update frequency.Example: New image has 2 high vulnerabilities → Update proceeds
Example: New image has 1 critical vulnerability → Update blocked
Blocks updates if the new image has more total vulnerabilities than the currently running image.Use when: You want to ensure security posture never degrades.Example: Current: 5 vulns, New: 3 vulns → Update proceeds
Example: Current: 5 vulns, New: 7 vulns → Update blocked
If current image has no scan data, update proceeds regardless.

​
Cron Expression Format

Schedules use standard 5-field cron format: 
minute hour day month weekday

​
Field Ranges

FieldValuesSpecial
minute0-59* = every minute
hour0-23*/n = every n hours
day1-31Day of month
month1-12* = every month
weekday0-70 or 7 = Sunday

​
Example Schedules

0 3 * * *

​
Response

​
id
number
Auto-update configuration ID
​
containerName
string
Container name
​
environmentId
number | null
Associated environment ID
​
enabled
boolean
Whether auto-update is enabled
​
scheduleType
string
Detected schedule type
​
cronExpression
string
Cron expression for schedule
​
vulnerabilityCriteria
string
Active vulnerability criteria
​
createdAt
string
ISO 8601 timestamp of creation
​
updatedAt
string
ISO 8601 timestamp of last update

​
Examples

curl -X POST "https://dockhand.example.com/api/auto-update/postgres?env=1" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "enabled": true,
    "cronExpression": "0 3 * * *",
    "vulnerabilityCriteria": "critical_high"
  }'

{
  "id": 5,
  "containerName": "postgres",
  "environmentId": 1,
  "enabled": true,
  "scheduleType": "daily",
  "cronExpression": "0 3 * * *",
  "vulnerabilityCriteria": "critical_high",
  "createdAt": "2026-03-04T10:30:00.000Z",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-04T10:30:00.000Z"
}

​
Important Notes

Disabling auto-update: Setting enabled: false permanently deletes the configuration. Re-enabling requires creating a new configuration.
Vulnerability scanning: The vulnerabilityCriteria setting only takes effect if vulnerability scanning is enabled for the environment. Check environment scanner settings.
Testing schedules: Monitor the schedules list to verify your configuration is active.

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