diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e935792
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Exclude Python cache and virtual environments
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
+
+# Exclude git
+.git
+
+# Exclude IDE/editor config
+*.vscode
+*.idea
+
+# Exclude documentation files
+*.md
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed2f0b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Use the official Python base image
+FROM python:3.11-slim
+
+# Set the working directory in the container
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Copy only the requirements file to leverage Docker cache
+COPY src/requirements.txt ./
+
+# Install the dependencies
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+# Copy the entire app directory into the container
+COPY src/app ./app
+
+# Expose the port FastAPI will use
+EXPOSE 8080
+
+# Correct Command to run when the container starts
+CMD ["uvicorn", "app.main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8080"]
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