---
title: doctl registry garbage-collection start
description: |
    Starts a garbage collection on a container registry. You can only have one active garbage collection at a time for a given registry.
product: Reference
url: https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/reference/registry/garbage-collection/start/
last_updated: "2026-08-03"
---

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# doctl registry garbage-collection start

Generated on 3 Aug 2026 from `doctl` version [`v1.166.0`](https://github.com/digitalocean/doctl/releases/tag/v1.166.0)

## Usage

```shell
doctl registry garbage-collection start [flags]
```

## Aliases

```shell
s
```

## Description

Starts a garbage collection on a container registry. You can only have one active garbage collection at a time for a given registry.

## Example

The following example starts a garbage collection on a registry named `example-registry`:

```shell
doctl registry garbage-collection start example-registry
```

## Flags

| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| `--exclude-unreferenced-blobs` | Exclude unreferenced blobs from garbage collection., Default: `false` |
| `--force`, `-f` | Run garbage collection without confirmation prompt, Default: `false` |
| `--format` | Columns for output in a comma-separated list. Possible values: `UUID`, `RegistryName`, `Status`, `CreatedAt`, `UpdatedAt`, `BlobsDeleted`, `FreedBytes`. |
| `--help`, `-h` | Help for this command |
| `--include-untagged-manifests` | Include untagged manifests in garbage collection., Default: `false` |
| `--no-header` | Return raw data with no headers, Default: `false` |

## Related Commands

| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| [doctl registry garbage-collection](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/reference/registry/garbage-collection) | Display commands for garbage collection for a container registry |

## Global Flags

Option Description

`--access-token`, `-t` API V2 access token

`--api-url`, `-u` Override default API endpoint

`--config`, `-c` Specify a custom config file, Default:

`--context` Specify a custom authentication context name

`--http-retry-max` Set maximum number of retries for requests that fail with a 429 or 500-level error , Default: `5`

`--http-retry-wait-max` Set the minimum number of seconds to wait before retrying a failed request , Default: `30`

`--http-retry-wait-min` Set the maximum number of seconds to wait before retrying a failed request , Default: `1`

`--interactive` Enable interactive behavior. Defaults to true if the terminal supports it (default false) , Default: `false`

`--output`, `-o` Desired output format \[text|json], Default: `text`

`--trace` Show a log of network activity while performing a command, Default: `false`

`--verbose`, `-v` Enable verbose output, Default: `false`