Docs: add Render deployment guide (#1975)

Co-authored-by: Anurag Goel <anurag@users.noreply.github.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Status: unreleased.
 - Docs: add Vercel AI Gateway to providers sidebar. (#1901) Thanks @jerilynzheng.
 - Agents: expand cron tool description with full schema docs. (#1988) Thanks @tomascupr.
 - Skills: add missing dependency metadata for GitHub, Notion, Slack, Discord. (#1995) Thanks @jackheuberger.
+- Docs: add Render deployment guide. (#1975) Thanks @anurag.
 
 ## 2026.1.24-3
 

docs/docs.json

@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@
           "install/nix",
           "install/docker",
           "railway",
+          "render",
           "install/bun"
         ]
       },

docs/render.mdx

@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+---
+title: Deploy on Render
+---
+
+Deploy Clawdbot 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/clawdbot/clawdbot" 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 Clawdbot:
+
+```yaml
+services:
+  - type: web
+    name: clawdbot
+    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: clawdbot-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/clawdbot`.
+
+## 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 Clawdbot repository, Render will not auto-deploy your Clawdbot. 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 Clawdbot, 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 Clawdbot 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`

render.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+services:
+  - type: web
+    name: clawdbot
+    runtime: docker
+    plan: starter
+    healthCheckPath: /health
+    envVars:
+      - key: PORT
+        value: "8080"
+      - key: SETUP_PASSWORD
+        sync: false
+      - key: CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR
+        value: /data/.clawdbot
+      - key: CLAWDBOT_WORKSPACE_DIR
+        value: /data/workspace
+      - key: CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+        generateValue: true
+    disk:
+      name: clawdbot-data
+      mountPath: /data
+      sizeGB: 1