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Render MCP

RenderOfficialCreated by Render

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MIT
  • No issues found
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From the author

Connects and configures the Render MCP server for AI coding tools—setup per tool (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex), authentication, workspace selection, capability discovery, and troubleshooting. Use when MCP is not configured, list_services() fails, the user asks about Render MCP setup, or an action skill needs MCP but it's not connected yet. Trigger terms: MCP, Render MCP, list_services, MCP setup, MCP server, OAuth, API key, Bearer token, mcp.render.com, workspace selection.
— the description by Render

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The render-mcp skill provides a structured approach to connecting AI coding tools like Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex to the Render MCP server. It covers the full lifecycle of MCP integration, including initial setup, authentication via OAuth or API keys, workspace selection, and capability discovery. The skill emphasizes using current documentation to ensure compatibility with the latest Render platform requirements and provides a robust troubleshooting framework for common connection, authentication, and workspace-related issues.

What it does

  • Configures Render MCP server connections for various AI coding tools.
  • Manages authentication via OAuth or API key bearer tokens.
  • Facilitates workspace selection and verification to ensure operations target the correct environment.
  • Provides troubleshooting steps for connection, authentication, and timeout errors.
  • Guides users through capability discovery to identify available MCP tools.
  • Implements a documentation-retrieval workflow to ensure setup instructions remain current.

When to use it

  • When setting up Render MCP for the first time in an AI tool.
  • When MCP tools are unavailable or list_services() calls fail.
  • When switching between Render workspaces or resolving auth errors.
  • When an action skill requires an MCP connection that is not yet configured.
  • When you need to verify which MCP tools are available for a specific task.

Advantages

  • Ensures consistent configuration across different AI coding environments.
  • Reduces errors by enforcing a standardized documentation-retrieval workflow.
  • Provides clear, tool-specific instructions for popular AI coding assistants.
  • Centralizes troubleshooting logic for common Render-specific integration issues.
  • Promotes secure credential handling by discouraging hardcoded tokens.

Usage examples

“How do I connect Cursor to Render using MCP?”
The agent will provide the specific JSON configuration for ~/.cursor/mcp.json and guide you through restarting Cursor to verify the connection.
“My Render MCP tools are returning empty results.”
The agent will guide you to call get_selected_workspace() and list_workspaces() to verify your active workspace context.
“How do I set up Claude Code with Render?”
The agent will provide the claude mcp add command with the correct transport and header configuration.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/render-oss/render-mcp/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip render-mcp.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Render

Render MCP Server

The Render MCP server lets AI coding tools manage Render resources directly. This skill covers setup, authentication, workspace selection, capability discovery, and troubleshooting.

Action skills (render-deploy, render-debug, render-monitor) use MCP tools for their workflows. If MCP is not connected, set it up using this skill first.

Before configuring, troubleshooting, or using Render MCP, read references/render-access.md for the current server, authentication, workspace, capability-discovery, and fallback workflow.

When to Use

  • list_services() fails or MCP tools are unavailable

  • First-time Render MCP setup for any AI tool

  • User asks how to connect their AI tool to Render

  • Switching workspaces or troubleshooting auth errors

  • Discovering which MCP tools exist and what they do

Current Setup and Capabilities

Follow references/render-access.md to fetch the current MCP documentation, configure the client, verify read-only access, select the intended workspace, and inspect the tools actually available. Do not rely on a memorized tool catalog.

If the user has not identified their AI tool, ask which tool they use before giving client-specific setup instructions. Prefer the official Render plugin or connector and its browser-based OAuth flow when available. For a manual API-key setup, create a key at https://dashboard.render.com/u/settings#api-keys and use the hosted endpoint https://mcp.render.com/mcp.

Manual client setup

For Cursor, add this configuration to ~/.cursor/mcp.json, restart Cursor, and verify the connection with list_services():

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "render": {
      "url": "https://mcp.render.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Claude Code, add the server with:

claude mcp add --transport http render https://mcp.render.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>"

Restart Claude Code and verify with list_services(). To replace a stale manual configuration, run claude mcp remove render before adding it again.

For Codex, follow the current OAuth or API-key configuration fetched through references/render-access.md. If the configuration obtains its bearer token from RENDER_API_KEY, that variable must be available in the environment where Codex starts; restart Codex after changing it.

Empty results and workspace selection

MCP operations run against the active workspace. If list_services() connects successfully but returns no services, first call get_selected_workspace(), then list_workspaces() if the wrong workspace might be selected. Also verify that the credential or RENDER_API_KEY belongs to an account with access to the intended workspace. Do not diagnose the server URL as the primary problem when the MCP call itself succeeds.

Troubleshooting

See references/troubleshooting.md for connection errors, auth failures, timeout issues, and tool-specific quirks.

References

DocumentContents
references/render-access.mdCurrent MCP and CLI access, authentication, workspace, capability-discovery, and authorization workflow
references/troubleshooting.mdConnection errors, auth failures, tool-specific issues, timeout handling

Related Skills

  • render-deploy — Deploy flows using MCP tools

  • render-debug — Debug failures using MCP logs and metrics

  • render-monitor — Monitor health using MCP metrics

  • render-cli — CLI alternative when MCP is unavailable

<!-- shared:documentation-retrieval -->

Current documentation retrieval

Whenever this skill directs you to consult current Render documentation:

  1. Retrieve the linked Markdown document directly with an available URL-fetching tool or HTTP client, such as curl. Do not substitute web-search summaries for the document.

  2. Confirm that retrieval succeeded and returned the expected document, then read its contents. Saving a file or printing its path is not sufficient.

  3. If the request fails or your tool cannot read the Markdown response, open and read the linked HTML version instead.

  4. If neither version can be retrieved, disclose that the current reference is unavailable and follow any topic-specific fallback in the skill. Use bundled guidance only for stable constraints, and do not guess at changeable platform details.

When a task requires multiple references, apply this workflow to each one and distinguish the documents you verified from those that remain unavailable.

<!-- /shared:documentation-retrieval -->

Files

references/render-access.md

<!-- shared:render-access -->

Accessing Render

Prefer the hosted Render MCP server for structured access to Render resources when its tools are available. Use the Render CLI when MCP is unavailable or does not support the required operation, and use the Render Dashboard or API for capabilities exposed by neither. Do not assume that a remembered MCP tool or CLI command is still available; inspect the tools in the current environment or consult the current documentation.

The hosted Render MCP server uses streamable HTTP at:

https://mcp.render.com/mcp

Official Render plugins and connectors can authenticate MCP with browser-based OAuth. Manual and non-interactive configurations can use a Render API key as a bearer token. Never write an API key or OAuth token into a repository, skill, command output, chat response, or log. Prefer the client's supported secret storage or environment-variable mechanism. If a client requires a credential in local configuration, keep that file out of version control and restrict access to it.

Treat MCP responses as potentially sensitive even when the server attempts to minimize credential exposure. Request connection strings, credentials, secret environment variables, or other sensitive fields only when the task requires them. Do not repeat sensitive values in the response or persist them in files or logs.

Before configuring or troubleshooting MCP, fetch the current setup and capability reference:

Using the documentation-retrieval workflow in the root SKILL.md, retrieve and read the Markdown reference or its HTML version.

Read the relevant client setup, supported-actions, and limitations sections. Prefer the hosted server unless the user's environment requires a local MCP server. After installing, updating, or reconfiguring an MCP integration, reload the client as required and verify the connection with a read-only operation such as listing services.

Most MCP operations and Render CLI commands that access Render resources are scoped to an active workspace. Check the selected workspace before reading or changing resources. If no workspace is selected—or if the intended workspace is ambiguous—list the available workspaces and have the user identify the correct one. Do not silently switch workspace context or infer it from a resource name. Commands for authentication, help, CLI configuration, and workspace discovery or selection do not require an already selected workspace.

For interactive CLI use, authenticate with render login. For automation, use a securely stored RENDER_API_KEY; an API key takes precedence over a saved CLI token. Verify CLI access and the active workspace with read-only commands before operating on resources:

render whoami --output json
render workspace current --output json

For CLI installation, authentication, workspace setup, and usage patterns, fetch the current CLI overview:

Using the documentation-retrieval workflow in the root SKILL.md, retrieve and read the Markdown reference or its HTML version.

For exact command syntax and flags, prefer the help text from the installed CLI because it matches the version being used:

render help <command>

The published CLI command reference is generated automatically from the CLI's help text. Use it to browse the full command surface or when the CLI is not installed:

Using the documentation-retrieval workflow in the root SKILL.md, retrieve and read the Markdown reference or its HTML version.

When an agent or automation invokes the CLI, select a non-interactive output format such as --output json, --output yaml, or --output text so results can be inspected reliably. The global --confirm flag skips confirmation prompts; use it for a mutating command only after that mutation is authorized. It is an execution convenience, not permission to perform the action.

Authentication establishes access; it does not establish user authorization for every available action. Use read-only discovery to resolve workspace, resource identity, and current state before a mutation. Perform changes only when they are within the user's requested scope, and retain normal approval requirements for consequential operations such as creation, configuration changes, deploys, restarts, scaling, or deletion.

When authentication or connectivity fails, report which access path failed, preserve the underlying error without exposing credentials, and either use an available supported fallback or explain what the user must configure before the task can continue.

<!-- /shared:render-access -->

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs an MCP server, Needs an API key

The author says: Render MCP server (hosted at mcp.render.com)

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
Render
Publisher
Render (Official)
Source
render-oss/skills · skills/render-mcp · commit b985a63
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Render or Render.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download render-mcp.zip