diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/community.docker-31-docker-secret.yml b/changelogs/fragments/community.docker-31-docker-secret.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4fcca3f93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/community.docker-31-docker-secret.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - "docker_secret - add a warning when the secret does not have an ``ansible_key`` label but the ``force`` parameter is not set (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.docker/issues/30, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.docker/pull/31)."
diff --git a/plugins/modules/cloud/docker/docker_secret.py b/plugins/modules/cloud/docker/docker_secret.py
index 22dad4cd18..b6ce7f2824 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/cloud/docker/docker_secret.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/cloud/docker/docker_secret.py
@@ -236,6 +236,9 @@ class SecretManager(DockerBaseClass):
             if attrs.get('Labels', {}).get('ansible_key'):
                 if attrs['Labels']['ansible_key'] != self.data_key:
                     data_changed = True
+            else:
+                if not self.force:
+                    self.client.module.warn("'ansible_key' label not found. Secret will not be changed unless the force parameter is set to 'yes'")
             labels_changed = not compare_generic(self.labels, attrs.get('Labels'), 'allow_more_present', 'dict')
             if data_changed or labels_changed or self.force:
                 # if something changed or force, delete and re-create the secret