Deploy to Render

Render supports Git-backed services and prebuilt Docker image services.

This skill covers Git-backed flows:

• Blueprint Method - Generate render.yaml for Infrastructure-as-Code deployments
• Direct Creation - Create services instantly via MCP tools

Blueprints can also run a prebuilt Docker image by using runtime: image, but the render.yaml still must live in a Git repo.

If there is no Git remote, stop and ask the user to either:

• Create/push a Git remote (can be minimal if only the Blueprint is needed), or
• Use the Render Dashboard/API to deploy a prebuilt Docker image (MCP cannot create image-backed services).

Prerequisites

• When sandboxing blocks the deployment network calls, rerun with sandbox_permissions=require_escalated.
• The deployment might take a few minutes. Use appropriate timeout values.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when users want to:

• Deploy an application to Render
• Create a render.yaml Blueprint file
• Set up Render deployment for their project
• Host or publish their application on Render's cloud platform
• Create databases, cron jobs, or other Render resources

Happy Path (New Users)

Use this short prompt sequence before deep analysis to reduce friction:

• Ask whether they want to deploy from a Git repo or a prebuilt Docker image.
• Ask whether Render should provision everything the app needs (based on what seems likely from the user's description) or only the app while they bring their own infra. If dependencies are unclear, ask a short follow-up to confirm whether they need a database, workers, cron, or other services.

Then proceed with the appropriate method below.

Choose Your Source Path

Git Repo Path: Required for both Blueprint and Direct Creation. The repo must be pushed to GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Prebuilt Docker Image Path: Supported by Render via image-backed services. This is not supported by MCP; use the Dashboard/API. Ask for:

• Image URL (registry + tag)
• Registry auth (if private)
• Service type (web/worker) and port

If the user chooses a Docker image, guide them to the Render Dashboard image deploy flow or ask them to add a Git remote (so you can use a Blueprint with runtime: image).

Choose Your Deployment Method (Git Repo)

Both methods require a Git repository pushed to GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. (If using runtime: image, the repo can be minimal and only contain render.yaml.)

Method	Best For	Pros
Blueprint	Multi-service apps, IaC workflows	Version controlled, reproducible, supports complex setups
Direct Creation	Single services, quick deployments	Instant creation, no render.yaml file needed

Method Selection Heuristic

Use this decision rule by default unless the user requests a specific method. Analyze the codebase first; only ask if deployment intent is unclear (e.g., DB, workers, cron).

Use Direct Creation (MCP) when ALL are true:

• Single service (one web app or one static site)
• No separate worker/cron services
• No attached databases or Key Value
• Simple env vars only (no shared env groups)

If this path fits and MCP isn't configured yet, stop and guide MCP setup before proceeding.

Use Blueprint when ANY are true:

• Multiple services (web + worker, API + frontend, etc.)
• Databases, Redis/Key Value, or other datastores are required
• Cron jobs, background workers, or private services
• You want reproducible IaC or a render.yaml committed to the repo
• Monorepo or multi-env setup that needs consistent configuration

If unsure, ask a quick clarifying question, but default to Blueprint for safety. For a single service, strongly prefer Direct Creation via MCP and guide MCP setup if needed.

Prerequisites Check

When starting a deployment, verify these requirements in order:

1. Confirm Source Path (Git vs Docker)

If using Git-based methods (Blueprint or Direct Creation), the repo must be pushed to GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket. Blueprints that reference a prebuilt image still require a Git repo with render.yaml.

git remote -v

• If no remote exists, stop and ask the user to create/push a remote or switch to Docker image deploy.

2. Check MCP Tools Availability (Preferred for Single-Service)

MCP tools provide the best experience. Check if available by attempting:

list_services()

If MCP tools are available, you can skip CLI installation for most operations.

3. Check Render CLI Installation (for Blueprint validation)

render --version

If not installed, offer to install:

• macOS: brew install render
• Linux/macOS: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/render-oss/cli/main/bin/install.sh | sh

4. MCP Setup (if MCP isn't configured)

If list_services() fails because MCP isn't configured, ask whether they want to set up MCP (preferred) or continue with the CLI fallback. If they choose MCP, ask which AI tool they're using, then provide the matching instructions below. Always use their API key.

Cursor

Walk the user through these steps:

1) Get a Render API key:

https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys

2) Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (replace <YOUR_API_KEY>):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "render": {
      "url": "https://mcp.render.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

3) Restart Cursor, then retry list_services().

Claude Code

Walk the user through these steps:

1) Get a Render API key:

https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys

2) Add the MCP server with Claude Code (replace <YOUR_API_KEY>):

claude mcp add --transport http render https://mcp.render.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>"

3) Restart Claude Code, then retry list_services().

Codex

Walk the user through these steps:

1) Get a Render API key:

https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys

2) Set it in their shell:

export RENDER_API_KEY="<YOUR_API_KEY>"

3) Add the MCP server with the Codex CLI:

codex mcp add render --url https://mcp.render.com/mcp --bearer-token-env-var RENDER_API_KEY

4) Restart Codex, then retry list_services().

Other Tools

If the user is on another AI app, direct them to the Render MCP docs for that tool's setup steps and install method.

Workspace Selection

After MCP is configured, have the user set the active Render workspace with a prompt like:

Set my Render workspace to [WORKSPACE_NAME]

5. Check Authentication (CLI fallback only)

If MCP isn't available, use the CLI instead and verify you can access your account:

# Check if user is logged in (use -o json for non-interactive mode)
render whoami -o json

If render whoami fails or returns empty data, the CLI is not authenticated. The CLI won't always prompt automatically, so explicitly prompt the user to authenticate:

If neither is configured, ask user which method they prefer:

• API Key (CLI): export RENDER_API_KEY="rnd_xxxxx" (Get from https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys)
• Login: render login (Opens browser for OAuth)

6. Check Workspace Context

Verify the active workspace:

get_selected_workspace()

Or via CLI:

render workspace current -o json

To list available workspaces:

list_workspaces()

If user needs to switch workspaces, they must do so via Dashboard or CLI (render workspace set).

Once prerequisites are met, proceed with deployment workflow.

---

Method 1: Blueprint Deployment (Recommended for Complex Apps)

Blueprint Workflow

Step 1: Analyze Codebase

Analyze the codebase to determine framework/runtime, build and start commands, required env vars, datastores, and port binding. Use the detailed checklists in references/codebase-analysis.md.

Step 2: Generate render.yaml

Create a render.yaml Blueprint file following the Blueprint specification.

Complete specification: references/blueprint-spec.md

Key Points:

• Always use plan: free unless user specifies otherwise
• Include ALL environment variables the app needs
• Mark secrets with sync: false (user fills these in Dashboard)
• Use appropriate service type: web, worker, cron, static, or pserv
• Use appropriate runtime: references/runtimes.md

Basic Structure:

services:
  - type: web
    name: my-app
    runtime: node
    plan: free
    buildCommand: npm ci
    startCommand: npm start
    envVars:
      - key: DATABASE_URL
        fromDatabase:
          name: postgres
          property: connectionString
      - key: JWT_SECRET
        sync: false  # User fills in Dashboard

databases:
  - name: postgres
    databaseName: myapp_db
    plan: free

Service Types:

• web: HTTP services, APIs, web applications (publicly accessible)
• worker: Background job processors (not publicly accessible)
• cron: Scheduled tasks that run on a cron schedule
• static: Static sites (HTML/CSS/JS served via CDN)
• pserv: Private services (internal only, within same account)

Service type details: references/service-types.md

Runtime options: references/runtimes.md

Template examples: assets/

Step 2.5: Immediate Next Steps (Always Provide)

After creating render.yaml, always give the user a short, explicit checklist and run validation immediately when the CLI is available:

• Authenticate (CLI): run render whoami -o json (if not logged in, run render login or set RENDER_API_KEY)
• Validate (recommended): run render blueprints validate

- If the CLI isn't installed, offer to install it and provide the command.

• Commit + push: git add render.yaml && git commit -m "Add Render deployment configuration" && git push origin main
• Open Dashboard: Use the Blueprint deeplink and complete Git OAuth if prompted
• Fill secrets: Set env vars marked sync: false
• Deploy: Click "Apply" and monitor the deploy

Step 3: Validate Configuration

Validate the render.yaml file to catch errors before deployment. If the CLI is installed, run the commands directly; only prompt the user if the CLI is missing:

render whoami -o json  # Ensure CLI is authenticated (won't always prompt)
render blueprints validate

Fix any validation errors before proceeding. Common issues:

• Missing required fields (name, type, runtime)
• Invalid runtime values
• Incorrect YAML syntax
• Invalid environment variable references

Configuration guide: references/configuration-guide.md

Step 4: Commit and Push

IMPORTANT: You must merge the render.yaml file into your repository before deploying.

Ensure the render.yaml file is committed and pushed to your Git remote:

git add render.yaml
git commit -m "Add Render deployment configuration"
git push origin main

If there is no Git remote yet, stop here and guide the user to create a GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket repo, add it as origin, and push before continuing.

Why this matters: The Dashboard deeplink will read the render.yaml from your repository. If the file isn't merged and pushed, Render won't find the configuration and deployment will fail.

Verify the file is in your remote repository before proceeding to the next step.

Step 5: Generate Deeplink

Get the Git repository URL:

git remote get-url origin

This will return a URL from your Git provider. If the URL is SSH format, convert it to HTTPS:

SSH Format	HTTPS Format
git@github.com:user/repo.git	https://github.com/user/repo
git@gitlab.com:user/repo.git	https://gitlab.com/user/repo
git@bitbucket.org:user/repo.git

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