[Bug]: Watchtower only logs startup messages, no container check/update summary

[MISIKEX]

Bug Report Checklist

• I checked existing issues and found no duplicates.
• I have reviewed Watchtower's documentation and confirmed compliance with documented configuration specifications.
• I have restarted Docker, re-pulled the latest image, and confirmed that the issue persists.

Bug Description

I am seeing a confusing logging behavior with Watchtower 1.14.0.

Watchtower starts correctly and logs only the following messages:
Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51
Using no notifications
Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 20:13:16 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds

No log lines are printed about:

• checking containers
• number of containers checked
• number of containers updated

Expected behavior

I would expect Watchtower to log a message indicating that a container check was performed, e.g.:

• “Checking X containers”
• “Updated Y containers”
• or at least “0 containers checked”

Steps to Reproduce

.

Expected Behavior

.

Watchtower Version

latest

Docker Version

Docker 29.2.0

Docker Info

Watchtower Configuration

services:
watchtower:
container_name: watchtower
image: nickfedor/watchtower:latest
restart: unless-stopped
networks:
matrix:
ipv4_address: 192.168.10.3
ipv6_address: fd94:484b:1133::10:3
environment:
TZ: "Europe/Budapest"
WATCHTOWER_CLEANUP: "true"
WATCHTOWER_INCLUDE_STOPPED: "true"
WATCHTOWER_REVIVE_STOPPED: "false"
WATCHTOWER_REMOVE_VOLUMES: "true"
WATCHTOWER_POLL_INTERVAL: "43200"
WATCHTOWER_NOTIFICATION_SPLIT_BY_CONTAINER: "true"
volumes:
- /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
- /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro

networks:
matrix:
external: true

Debug Logs

[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:16.573959294Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:16+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:16.574034423Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:16+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:16.574043519Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:16+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 20:13:16 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:44.888639036Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:44+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:44.888659107Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:44+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:44.888661146Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:44+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 20:13:44 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:49:34.159822569Z time="2026-02-01T08:49:34+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:49:34.159919358Z time="2026-02-01T08:49:34+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:49:34.159924613Z time="2026-02-01T08:49:34+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 20:49:34 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:16:57.142221935Z time="2026-02-01T10:16:57+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:16:57.142325385Z time="2026-02-01T10:16:57+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:16:57.142330936Z time="2026-02-01T10:16:57+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 22:16:57 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:54:20.879385729Z time="2026-02-01T10:54:20+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:54:20.879441037Z time="2026-02-01T10:54:20+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:54:20.879452399Z time="2026-02-01T10:54:20+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 22:54:20 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:16.573959294Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:16+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:16.574034423Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:16+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:16.574043519Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:16+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 20:13:16 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:44.888639036Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:44+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:44.888659107Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:44+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:13:44.888661146Z time="2026-02-01T08:13:44+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 20:13:44 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:49:34.159822569Z time="2026-02-01T08:49:34+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:49:34.159919358Z time="2026-02-01T08:49:34+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T07:49:34.159924613Z time="2026-02-01T08:49:34+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 20:49:34 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:16:57.142221935Z time="2026-02-01T10:16:57+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:16:57.142325385Z time="2026-02-01T10:16:57+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:16:57.142330936Z time="2026-02-01T10:16:57+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 22:16:57 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:54:20.879385729Z time="2026-02-01T10:54:20+01:00" level=info msg="Watchtower 1.14.0 using Docker API v1.51"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:54:20.879441037Z time="2026-02-01T10:54:20+01:00" level=info msg="Using no notifications"
[watchtower] 2026-02-01T09:54:20.879452399Z time="2026-02-01T10:54:20+01:00" level=info msg="Next scheduled run: 2026-02-01 22:54:20 CET in 11 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds"

Additional Context

No response

[nicholas-fedor]

https://watchtower.nickfedor.com/v1.14.0/notifications/templates/#notification_report

[MISIKEX]

Hey!

Can you please help me a bit?

I added WATCHTOWER_NOTIFICATION_REPORT: "true" to the Compose file, but I’m getting the same result as before.

Here is my current docker-compose.yml:

services:
watchtower:
container_name: watchtower
image: nickfedor/watchtower:latest
restart: unless-stopped
networks:
matrix:
ipv4_address: 192.168.10.3
ipv6_address: fd94:484b:1133::10:3
environment:
TZ: "Europe/Budapest"
WATCHTOWER_CLEANUP: "true"
WATCHTOWER_INCLUDE_STOPPED: "true"
WATCHTOWER_REVIVE_STOPPED: "false"
WATCHTOWER_REMOVE_VOLUMES: "true"
WATCHTOWER_POLL_INTERVAL: "43200"
WATCHTOWER_NOTIFICATION_REPORT: "true"
WATCHTOWER_NOTIFICATION_SPLIT_BY_CONTAINER: "true"
volumes:
- /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
- /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro

networks:
matrix:
external: true

[nicholas-fedor]

"Using no notifications"

You don't have any destination configured for the notifications.
Either configure a "WATCHTOWER_NOTIFICATION_URL" or remove the notification-specific variables.

[MISIKEX]

Oh my God… Everything is OK… The scan did actually run, I just misinterpreted the log message…

However, please keep in mind for the future that next time you shouldn’t just paste a link. If the person who’s in trouble doesn’t know what’s going on, dropping a link without any explanation doesn’t really help…

Thank you, and I wish you a good rest!