# Deploy a Java web application inside an application server container

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/llms.txt).

You can use Docker to run an application server (Tomcat, Wildfly, and so on) and deploy your Java web applications in it. This tutorial describes how to create a simple Java web application, build a deployable web application resource (WAR) file, and then deploy it inside application server running as a Docker container.

> **Note:**
> Before you begin, make sure to [install and run
> Docker](docker.html#install_docker), [enable the Docker plugin](docker.html#enable_docker_plugin), and [connect to the
> Docker daemon in
> IntelliJ IDEA](docker.html#connect_to_docker).

Procedure: Create a Java web application

1. In the main menu, go to `File | New | Project`.

2. In the New Project dialog, select Jakarta EE and do the following:

* Enter a name for your project: `DockerJavaWebApp`

* Select the Web application template

* Select a recent JDK for the project (OpenJDK 17 is a good choice)

![New Java Enterprise project wizard](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/docker_java_web_app_step1.png)

Click Next to continue.

3. On the next step of the wizard, select Jakarta EE 9 the Web Profile specification.

![New Java Enterprise project wizard](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/docker_java_web_app_step2.png)

Click Create.

IntelliJ IDEA generates a default project with a Java web application that has the `index.jsp` home page and the `HelloServlet.java` class that responds to requests at `/hello-servlet`.

Procedure: Build a WAR artifact

After IntelliJ IDEA creates the new project, build a WAR artifact to deploy to the application server.

1. In the main menu, go to `Build | Build Artifacts`.

2. In the Build Artifact dialog, select to build the DockerJavaWebApp:war artifact.

You should see the artifact `target/DockerJavaWebApp-1.0-SNAPSHOT.war`.

![Created WAR artifact](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/docker_web_app_build_war.png)

Procedure: Pull the application server Docker image

1. Open the [Services](services-tool-window.html) tool window: `View | Tool Windows | Services` or `Alt+8` (Windows), `⌘ 8` (macOS), `⌘ 8` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ 8` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Alt+8` (XWin), `Alt+8` (GNOME), `Alt+8` (KDE), `Alt+8` (Emacs), `Alt+8` (Sublime Text), `⌘ 8` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Alt+8` (NetBeans), `Alt+8` (Visual Studio), `Alt+8` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Alt+8` (Eclipse), `⌘ 8` (Eclipse (macOS)).

2. In the Services tool window, select the Images node, and then specify to pull the TomcatWildfly server image: `tomcat``jboss/wildfly`. Click Pull or press `Ctrl+Enter` (Windows), `Ctrl+Enter` (macOS), `Ctrl+Enter` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `Ctrl+Enter` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Enter` (XWin), `Ctrl+Enter` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Enter` (KDE), `Ctrl+Enter` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Enter` (Sublime Text), `Ctrl+Enter` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Enter` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Enter` (Visual Studio), `Ctrl+Enter` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Enter` (Eclipse), `Ctrl+Enter` (Eclipse (macOS)).

You should see the `tomcat:latest``jboss/wildfly:latest` image in the list of images in the Services tool window.

Procedure: Run a Docker container application server and deploy your application to it

1. In the Services tool window, right-click the `tomcat:latest``jboss/wildfly:latest` image and then click Create Container.

2. In the Create Docker Configuration dialog, do the following:

* Specify the name of the configuration: `TomcatConfig``WildflyConfig`

* Specify the name of the container: `TomcatContainer``WildflyContainer`

* Bind the container port 8080 to the host IP 127.0.0.1 and port 8080

* Map the WAR artifact output directory `[PROJECT_PATH]/target` to the TomcatWildfly server deployment directory: `/usr/local/tomcat/webapps``/opt/jboss/wildfly/standalone/deployments`.

![The Create Docker Configuration dialog](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/docker_tutorial_deploy_java_web_app_in_tomcat.png)

![The Create Docker Configuration dialog](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/docker_tutorial_deploy_java_web_app_in_wildfly.png)

Click Run to start the container.

3. When the container starts, open the following address in your web browser: [http://127.0.0.1:8080/DockerJavaWebApp-1.0-SNAPSHOT/](http://127.0.0.1:8080/DockerJavaWebApp-1.0-SNAPSHOT/)

You should see the following page:

![Simple Java Web App Demo start page](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/DockerJavaWebApp-browser.png)