docs/render.mdx

---
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`