render-cli

# 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](https://github.com/render-oss/cli/releases/) | | **Build from source** | `git clone git@github.com:render-oss/cli.git && cd cli && go build -o render` | After install, run `render` with no arguments to confirm. ## Authentication ### Interactive (local dev) ```bash 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) ```bash 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: ```bash 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). ```bash export RENDER_OUTPUT=json render services --confirm ``` ### Deploy patterns ```bash # 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 ```bash # 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) ```yaml 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