Registry guide

Download Images from GHCR

Export public GHCR images without Docker. For private repos, use a read-only PAT on Light/Pro.

Base URL https://containerdl.com

GHCR ready

Public GHCR images

Use ghcr.io/org/image:tag references directly.

Private access (Light/Pro)

Use a PAT with read:packages for private images.

No local tooling

No docker login or daemon required.

How it works

Sign in and paste your ghcr.io image reference.
Export to TAR or bundle.
Automate with:
Bearer token Authorization: Bearer <key>

Example

Export a GHCR image

curl

curl -X POST https://containerdl.com/v1/exports \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cdl_live_xxx" \
  -d '{"image":"ghcr.io/cli/cli:latest"}'

Private images require a PAT with read:packages scope.
Use read-only tokens with least privilege.

Common use cases

GitHub-hosted images without Docker Desktop.
CI pipelines that need tarball artifacts.
Offline transfer from GHCR to isolated networks.
Shared builds across teams.

FAQs

Which token scopes are required?

Use a PAT with read:packages and repo if the image is private.

Do you store credentials?

No. Credentials are used only for the pull and never stored or logged.

Can I use GHCR without authentication?

Yes. Public images work without credentials.

Related guides

Private registry downloads

Use temporary credentials for private images.

Docker Hub downloads

Export Docker Hub images to TAR.

No Docker download

General guide to exporting without Docker installed.

API automation

Automate exports with API keys on Light/Pro.

Start exporting now

Create your first export in seconds. Free tier available, then scale with API keys and paid plans.

Create export Compare pricing API docs