Nodes/relationships not showing in neo4j container

Graph Academy & Newbie Questions Newbie Questions
1

I am loading a dump file from neo4j desktop (v 2025.07.1) into a docker container with (v2025.8) using the commands from the documentation:

Load:

docker run -it --rm
--volume=$HOME/neo4j/newdata:/data
--volume=$HOME/neo4j/backups:/backups
neo4j/neo4j-admin:2025.08.0
neo4j-admin database load neo4j --from-path=/backups

This works and shows the data loading, files also populate in the data folder

Run container:

docker run -it -rm

--volume=$HOME/neo4j/newdata:/data

--publish=7474:7474

--publish=7687:7687

--env NEO4J_AUTH=neo4j/<secret_pass>

neo4j:2025.08.0

This starts no issue, however, no data shows up in the neo4j browser, the database just appears empty no nodes/relationships

2

I found a way to make it work but I do not think it is the optimal and gives me a bloated container. However, I can get the nodes to show by:

  1. Creating a container with tail -f /dev/null This opens the container without starting neo4j
  2. Copy dump file into the container
  3. start neo 4j, cypher-shell and create the database
  4. stop neo4j
  5. do a neo4j-admin load of the database

I am sure there is a better way with drives mounted etc. Please let me know, if you have any thoughts.

3

for future upgrades of docker containers:

  1. Inside the Desktop, run CALL apoc.export.cypher.all("database.cypher", {format: "cypher-shell"});

  2. Export the file /var/lib/import/database.cypher

  3. install a new container

  4. Import the file to /var/lib/import/

  5. go to Exec in docker and run cypher-shell -u neo4j -p password -f import/database.cypher

That should do your upgrade … (you could have done the same for your desktop on step 1)

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