render-cli

name	render-cli
description	Installs and uses the Render CLI for deploys, logs, SSH, psql, Blueprint validation, and automation. Use when the user needs to run Render CLI commands, script deploys in CI/CD, authenticate with an API key, query services non-interactively, or troubleshoot CLI auth issues. Trigger terms: render CLI, render login, render deploys, render logs, render ssh, render psql, render blueprints validate, render skills, RENDER_API_KEY, non-interactive, CI/CD deploy.
license	MIT
compatibility	Render CLI v2.7.0+ (Homebrew, Linux/macOS, direct download)
metadata	{"author":"Render","version":"1.0.0","category":"operations"}

Render CLI

The Render CLI manages services, databases, and deployments from the terminal. Supports interactive use, non-interactive scripting, and CI/CD automation.

When to Use

• Deploying a service from the terminal or CI/CD
• Tailing logs in real time
• Opening psql to a Render Postgres database
• SSHing into a running service or launching an ephemeral shell
• Validating a render.yaml Blueprint
• Scripting Render operations in CI/CD pipelines
• Installing agent skills for AI coding tools

Installation

Method	Command
Homebrew	brew update && brew install render
Linux/macOS	curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/render-oss/cli/refs/heads/main/bin/install.sh | sh
Direct download	GitHub releases
Build from source	git clone [e-mail]:render-oss/cli.git && cd cli && go build -o render

After install, run render with no arguments to confirm.

Authentication

Interactive (local dev)

render login

Opens the browser to generate a CLI token. Token is saved to ~/.render/cli.yaml. Tokens expire periodically—re-run render login when prompted.

Non-interactive (CI/CD)

export RENDER_API_KEY=rnd_...

API keys do not expire. Generate one from Account Settings > API Keys in the Dashboard. The API key takes precedence over CLI tokens when set.

Set the active workspace:

render workspace set

Command Reference

Core commands

Command	Purpose	Key flags
render login	Authenticate via browser	—
render workspace set	Set active workspace	—
render services	List all services and datastores	-o json for scripting
render deploys create [SVC]	Trigger a deploy	--wait, --commit SHA, --image URL
render deploys list [SVC]	List deploys for a service	-o json
render logs -r [SVC]	View logs	--tail for streaming
render psql [DB]	Open psql session	-c "SQL", -o json, -- --csv
render ssh [SVC]	SSH into running instance	--ephemeral / -e for isolated shell
render blueprints validate	Validate render.yaml	Defaults to ./render.yaml
render skills [install|update|list]	Manage agent skills	—
render workspaces	List workspaces	-o json

Non-interactive mode

For CI/CD and scripts, always set:

Flag	Purpose
-o json (or yaml, text)	Machine-readable output
--confirm	Skip confirmation prompts

Output format precedence: --output flag > RENDER_OUTPUT env var > auto-detect (TTY → interactive, pipe → text).

export RENDER_OUTPUT=json
render services --confirm

Deploy patterns

# Deploy and wait for completion (exits non-zero on failure)
render deploys create srv-xxx --wait --confirm -o json

# Deploy a specific commit
render deploys create srv-xxx --commit abc123 --wait --confirm

# Deploy a specific Docker image
render deploys create srv-xxx --image ghcr.io/org/app:v1.2.3 --wait --confirm

Database queries

# Single query, JSON output
render psql db-xxx -c "SELECT NOW();" -o json

# CSV output via psql passthrough
render psql db-xxx -c "SELECT id, email FROM users;" -o text -- --csv

CI/CD Example (GitHub Actions)

name: Deploy to Render
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Install Render CLI
        run: |
          curl -L https://github.com/render-oss/cli/releases/download/v1.1.0/cli_1.1.0_linux_amd64.zip -o render.zip
          unzip render.zip
          sudo mv cli_v1.1.0 /usr/local/bin/render
      - name: Deploy
        env:
          RENDER_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.RENDER_API_KEY }}
        run: render deploys create ${{ secrets.RENDER_SERVICE_ID }} --wait --confirm -o json

Pin to a specific CLI version in CI to avoid breaking changes.

Local Config

Config file: ~/.render/cli.yaml

Override with RENDER_CLI_CONFIG_PATH env var.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Token expired	Re-run render login
Wrong workspace	Run render workspace set to switch
Missing --confirm in CI	Add --confirm to skip interactive prompts
Using --output interactive in CI	Use -o json or -o text in non-TTY environments
Deploying without --wait in CI	Add --wait so the job fails on deploy failure

References

Document	Contents
references/command-cheatsheet.md	Full command list with flags, output examples, and scripting patterns

Related Skills

• render-deploy — End-to-end deploy flows, MCP operations, Dashboard deeplinks
• render-blueprints — render.yaml authoring and validation
• render-postgres — Database connections, render psql usage
• render-debug — Using render logs and render ssh for troubleshooting