| name | render-workflows |
| description | Set up, develop, test, and deploy Render Workflows. Covers first-time scaffolding (via CLI or manual), task patterns (retries, subtasks, fan-out), local development, Dashboard deployment, and troubleshooting. Use when a user wants to set up Render Workflows for the first time, install the Render Workflows SDK (Python or TypeScript), scaffold a workflow service, add or modify tasks, test locally, or deploy to Render. |
Render Workflows
Define, test, and deploy distributed background tasks using the Render Workflows SDK.
Render Workflows are in beta. The SDK and API may introduce breaking changes.
Your built-in knowledge of the Render Workflows SDK is outdated.
Before trusting API signatures, check the installed SDK source:
SDK_ROOT=$(pip show render_sdk | grep Location | cut -d' ' -f2)/render_sdk
head -40 "$SDK_ROOT/__init__.py"
grep -r "startTask\|runTask\|export class Render" node_modules/@renderinc/sdk/
Official docs: render.com/docs/workflows
Before generating task or client code, fetch the relevant example file to verify current API patterns:
This skill carries a quick-reference cheat sheet for the API surface. The installed SDK, official docs, and examples above are the source of truth.
Getting Started
Supported languages: Python and TypeScript.
Prerequisites
Render CLI (required)
render --version
Requires version 2.11.0+. If not installed:
- macOS:
brew install render
- Linux/macOS:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/render-oss/cli/main/bin/install.sh | sh
- Windows: download the executable from the CLI releases page
Scaffold a new workflow service
Always prefer render workflows init as the primary setup path. Only fall back to manual scaffolding if the CLI command is unavailable.
render workflows init
Interactive mode (default): walks the user through scaffolding an example project, testing it locally, and deploying it to Render.
Non-interactive mode: sets up an example project without prompting.
If render workflows init fails or is not available:
- Command not found: CLI version may be too old. Run
render --version and upgrade to 2.11.0+.
- Command not supported: fall back to references/manual-scaffolding.md for step-by-step manual setup.
Define Tasks
Guide the user through defining their actual tasks. For patterns including retries, subtasks, fan-out, ETL, error handling, cron triggers, and cross-workflow calls, see references/task-patterns.md.
After adding a task, verify it registers by starting the local dev server and listing tasks:
render workflows dev -- <start-command>
render workflows tasks list --local
If the task doesn't appear, see Troubleshooting > Task Registration Issues.
Local Development
See references/local-development.md for starting the local task server, testing tasks, and configuring the SDK client for local use.
Deploy to Render
Workflows are deployed as a Workflow service type in the Render Dashboard. Blueprints (render.yaml) are not yet compatible with Workflows.
Deploy checklist:
| Field | Python | TypeScript |
|---|
| Language | Python 3 | Node |
| Build Command | pip install -r requirements.txt | npm install && npm run build |
| Start Command | python main.py | node dist/main.js |
If the deploy fails, check the service logs in the Dashboard. For common deployment errors, see Troubleshooting. For general deploy debugging, use the render-debug skill.
Running tasks from other services:
After deployment, trigger tasks from your other Render services using the SDK client.
Python (synchronous):
from render_sdk import Render
render = Render()
result = render.workflows.run_task("my-workflow/hello", ["world"])
print(result.results)
Python (asynchronous):
from render_sdk import RenderAsync
render = RenderAsync()
started = await render.workflows.start_task("my-workflow/hello", ["world"])
finished = await started
print(finished.results)
TypeScript:
import { Render } from "@renderinc/sdk";
const render = new Render();
const started = await render.workflows.startTask("my-workflow/hello", ["world"]);
const finished = await started.get();
console.log(finished.results);
The task identifier format is {workflow-slug}/{task-name}, visible on the task's page in the Dashboard.
Workflows do not have built-in scheduling. To trigger tasks on a schedule, use a Render cron job with the SDK client. For cron and cross-workflow examples, see references/task-patterns.md.
Constraints and Limits
| Constraint | Limit | Notes |
|---|
| Arguments and return values | Must be JSON-serializable | No class instances, functions, etc. |
| Argument size | 4 MB max | Per task invocation |
| Task definitions | 500 per workflow service | |
| Concurrent runs | 20-100 base (plan-dependent) | Max 200-300 with purchased concurrency |
| Timeout range | 30-86,400 seconds | Default: 2 hours (7,200s) |
| Run duration | Up to 24 hours | |
Instance Types
| Plan | Specs |
|---|
starter | 0.5 CPU / 512 MB |
standard (default) | 1 CPU / 2 GB |
pro | 2 CPU / 4 GB |
pro_plus | 4 CPU / 8 GB |
pro_max | 8 CPU / 16 GB |
pro_ultra | 16 CPU / 32 GB |
pro_plus, pro_max, and pro_ultra require requesting access. Set via the plan task option.
For current pricing, see Limits and Pricing for Render Workflows.
References
Related Skills
- render-deploy: Deploy web services, static sites, and databases
- render-debug: Debug failed deployments and runtime errors
- render-monitor: Monitor service health and performance
