# chainctl policy check

URL: https://chainguard-docs-preview-git-fix-learning-lab-jsonld.chainguard.app/platform/chainctl/chainctl-docs/chainctl_policy_check.md
Last Modified: October 15, 2026
Tags: chainctl, Reference, Product

## chainctl policy check

Check an image against active policies.

### Synopsis

Evaluate an image against any active policies and print the
result for each.

Exit status is non-zero if any policy returned DENIED or ERROR, regardless
of the policy's mode, so this command is suitable for use in CI.

```
chainctl policy check IMAGE_REF [flags]
```

### Examples

```

# Check an image by tag
chainctl policy check cgr.dev/example.com/python:latest

# Check an image by digest
chainctl policy check cgr.dev/example.com/python@sha256:abc...

```

### Options inherited from parent commands

```
      --api string         The url of the Chainguard platform API. (default "https://console-api.enforce.dev")
      --audience string    The Chainguard token audience to request. (default "https://console-api.enforce.dev")
      --config string      A specific chainctl config file. Uses CHAINCTL_CONFIG environment variable if a file is not passed explicitly.
      --console string     The url of the Chainguard platform Console. (default "https://console.chainguard.dev")
      --force-color        Force color output even when stdout is not a TTY.
  -h, --help               Help for chainctl
      --issuer string      The url of the Chainguard STS endpoint. (default "https://issuer.enforce.dev")
      --log-level string   Set the log level (debug, info) (default "ERROR")
  -o, --output string      Output format. One of: [csv, env, go-template, id, json, markdown, none, table, terse, tree, wide]
  -v, --v int              Set the log verbosity level.
```

### SEE ALSO

* [chainctl policy](/platform/chainctl/chainctl-docs/chainctl_policy/)	 - Manage policies.