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title: Deploy on Render
---
Deploy Moltbot on Render using Infrastructure as Code. The included `render.yaml` Blueprint defines your entire stack declaratively, service, disk, environment variables, so you can deploy with a single click and version your infrastructure alongside your code.
## Prerequisites
- A [Render account](https://render.com) (free tier available)
- An API key from your preferred [model provider](/providers)
## Deploy with a Render Blueprint
<a href="https://render.com/deploy?repo=https://github.com/moltbot/moltbot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Deploy to Render</a>
Clicking this link will:
1. Create a new Render service from the `render.yaml` Blueprint at the root of this repo.
2. Prompt you to set `SETUP_PASSWORD`
3. Build the Docker image and deploy
Once deployed, your service URL follows the pattern `https://<service-name>.onrender.com`.
## Understanding the Blueprint
Render Blueprints are YAML files that define your infrastructure. The `render.yaml` in this
repository configures everything needed to run Moltbot:
```yaml
services:
- type: web
name: moltbot
runtime: docker
plan: starter
healthCheckPath: /health
envVars:
- key: PORT
value: "8080"
- key: SETUP_PASSWORD
sync: false # prompts during deploy
- key: CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR
value: /data/.clawdbot
- key: CLAWDBOT_WORKSPACE_DIR
value: /data/workspace
- key: CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN
generateValue: true # auto-generates a secure token
disk:
name: moltbot-data
mountPath: /data
sizeGB: 1
```
Key Blueprint features used:
| Feature | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `runtime: docker` | Builds from the repo's Dockerfile |
| `healthCheckPath` | Render monitors `/health` and restarts unhealthy instances |
| `sync: false` | Prompts for value during deploy (secrets) |
| `generateValue: true` | Auto-generates a cryptographically secure value |
| `disk` | Persistent storage that survives redeploys |
## Choosing a plan
| Plan | Spin-down | Disk | Best for |
|------|-----------|------|----------|
| Free | After 15 min idle | Not available | Testing, demos |
| Starter | Never | 1GB+ | Personal use, small teams |
| Standard+ | Never | 1GB+ | Production, multiple channels |
The Blueprint defaults to `starter`. To use free tier, change `plan: free` in your fork's
`render.yaml` (but note: no persistent disk means config resets on each deploy).
## After deployment
### Complete the setup wizard
1. Navigate to `https://<your-service>.onrender.com/setup`
2. Enter your `SETUP_PASSWORD`
3. Select a model provider and paste your API key
4. Optionally configure messaging channels (Telegram, Discord, Slack)
5. Click **Run setup**
### Access the Control UI
The web dashboard is available at `https://<your-service>.onrender.com/moltbot`.
## Render Dashboard features
### Logs
View real-time logs in **Dashboard → your service → Logs**. Filter by:
- Build logs (Docker image creation)
- Deploy logs (service startup)
- Runtime logs (application output)
### Shell access
For debugging, open a shell session via **Dashboard → your service → Shell**. The persistent disk is mounted at `/data`.
### Environment variables
Modify variables in **Dashboard → your service → Environment**. Changes trigger an automatic redeploy.
### Auto-deploy
If you use the original Moltbot repository, Render will not auto-deploy your Moltbot. To update it, run a manual Blueprint sync from the dashboard.
## Custom domain
1. Go to **Dashboard → your service → Settings → Custom Domains**
2. Add your domain
3. Configure DNS as instructed (CNAME to `*.onrender.com`)
4. Render provisions a TLS certificate automatically
## Scaling
Render supports horizontal and vertical scaling:
- **Vertical**: Change the plan to get more CPU/RAM
- **Horizontal**: Increase instance count (Standard plan and above)
For Moltbot, vertical scaling is usually sufficient. Horizontal scaling requires sticky sessions or external state management.
## Backups and migration
Export your configuration and workspace at any time:
```
https://<your-service>.onrender.com/setup/export
```
This downloads a portable backup you can restore on any Moltbot host.
## Troubleshooting
### Service won't start
Check the deploy logs in the Render Dashboard. Common issues:
- Missing `SETUP_PASSWORD` — the Blueprint prompts for this, but verify it's set
- Port mismatch — ensure `PORT=8080` matches the Dockerfile's exposed port
### Slow cold starts (free tier)
Free tier services spin down after 15 minutes of inactivity. The first request after spin-down takes a few seconds while the container starts. Upgrade to Starter plan for always-on.
### Data loss after redeploy
This happens on free tier (no persistent disk). Upgrade to a paid plan, or
regularly export your config via `/setup/export`.
### Health check failures
Render expects a 200 response from `/health` within 30 seconds. If builds succeed but deploys fail, the service may be taking too long to start. Check:
- Build logs for errors
- Whether the container runs locally with `docker build && docker run`
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