# Containers API

Use the [Container interface](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/container-class/index.md) for the current SDK methods, signatures, properties, and examples. Use the [Durable Object Container API](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/durable-object-container/index.md) when working directly with the runtime rather than the SDK class.

| Task | Documentation |
| --- | --- |
| Forward HTTP or WebSocket requests | [Request methods](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/container-class/index.md#request-methods) |
| Start a process, wait for ports, stop, or destroy it | [Start and stop](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/container-class/index.md#start-and-stop) |
| React to startup, exit, errors, or idle expiry | [Lifecycle hooks](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/container-class/index.md#lifecycle-hooks) |
| Inspect state or keep background work active | [State and monitoring](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/container-class/index.md#state-and-monitoring) |
| Schedule callbacks without replacing the SDK's alarm handler | [Scheduling](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/container-class/index.md#scheduling) |
| Address named instances, select stateless instances, or switch request ports | [Utility functions](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/container-class/index.md#utility-functions) |
| Communicate over TCP from a Durable Object | [TCP port API](https://developers.cloudflare.com/containers/api/durable-object-container/index.md#gettcpport) |