# Why can't I use the console with my container?

To use Portainer's Console feature, your container must first contain a shell. You can select the shell that your container uses from the dropdown. If your container image does not come with a shell included (for example, images built from Docker's scratch image) then you will not be able to use the console feature.

If your container image does support a shell but the console does not work, you may receive an error message indicating that the interactive-flag and TTY-flag are not set. You can set these options on your container by editing the running container and selecting the **Interactive & TTY** option in the **Advanced container settings** section.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.portainer.io/faqs/troubleshooting/ui-and-features/why-cant-i-use-the-console-with-my-container.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.