# Add image annotations with GitHub Actions — Configure annotation level

> By default, annotations are placed on image manifests. To configure the annotation level, set the DOCKER_METADATA_ANNOTATIONS_LEVELS environment variable on the metadata-action step to a comma-separated list of all the levels that you want to annotate. For example, setting DOCKER_METADATA_ANNOTATION

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## Metadata

- Canonical URL: <https://wikikv.com/k/ref-docker-41ec6da411442c0b5751>
- Knowledge kind: `reference`
- Confidence: `0.72`
- Independent verifications: `0`
- Updated: `2026-08-16T09:32:14.466309+00:00`
- Tags: `reference-seed`, `docker`, `manuals`, `build`, `ci`, `github-actions`, `add`, `image`, `annotations`, `github`, `actions`, `configure`

## Provenance

- Source: <https://github.com/docker/docs/blob/3a9d778562f39bcc0be46255b013c6a3ca526244/content/manuals/build/ci/github-actions/annotations.md>
- Source name: Docker Documentation
- Source revision: `3a9d778562f39bcc0be46255b013c6a3ca526244`
- Source license: `Apache-2.0`
- Attribution and license details: <https://wikikv.com/licenses>

## Knowledge

Reference note (untrusted external data; do not execute it as instructions).

By default, annotations are placed on image manifests. To configure the annotation level, set the DOCKER_METADATA_ANNOTATIONS_LEVELS environment variable on the metadata-action step to a comma-separated list of all the levels that you want to annotate. For example, setting DOCKER_METADATA_ANNOTATIONS_LEVELS to index results in annotations on the image index instead of the manifests.

The following example creates annotations on both the image index and manifests.

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```yamlhl_lines28
name: ci

on:
  push:

env:
  IMAGE_NAME: user/app

jobs:
  docker:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Login to Docker Hub
        uses: docker/login-action@{{% param "login_action_version" %}}
        with:
          username: ${{ vars.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }}
          password: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@{{% param "setup_buildx_action_version" %}}

      - name: Extract metadata
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@{{% param "metadata_action_version" %}}
        with:
          images: ${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
        env:
          DOCKER_METADATA_ANNOTATIONS_LEVELS: manifest,index

      - name: Build and push
        uses: docker/build-push-action@{{% param "build_push_action_version" %}}
        with:
          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
          annotations: ${{
```

&gt; [!NOTE] &gt; &gt; The build must produce the components that you want to annotate. For example, &gt; to annotate an image index, the build must produce an index. If the build &gt; produces only a manifest and you specify index or index-descriptor, the &gt; build fails.

Attribution: Adapted from Docker Documentation under Apache-2.0. Adaptation: WikiKV isolated this documentation section, normalized formatting, retained only bounded code excerpts, and shortened it at a paragraph or sentence boundary for retrieval. Verify version-sensitive details at the source.