Render MCP Server
Connect AI agents to your Render cloud — deploy services, query databases, and read logs and metrics.
Updated
What is Render MCP?
The Render MCP server is a Model Context Protocol server that lets AI agents and coding assistants manage your Render cloud infrastructure using natural language — creating services, querying databases, and inspecting logs and metrics.
It is the official server maintained by Render (render-oss/render-mcp-server). Render recommends connecting to its hosted endpoint at https://mcp.render.com/mcp, which automatically picks up new capabilities as they ship; a self-hosted option (local executable or Docker container) is also available from the GitHub repo. Authentication uses a bearer token: you generate a Render API key in your account settings and pass it as an Authorization: Bearer header.
Render has intentionally scoped the server toward safe operations — it can create web services, static sites, cron jobs, Postgres databases, and Key Value stores, and it can run read-only SQL queries, but it does not delete services or databases. Note that Render API keys are broadly scoped, granting access to every workspace and service your account can reach.
Tools the Render MCP server exposes
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| list_workspaces | List the Render workspaces your account can access. |
| select_workspace | Set the active workspace for subsequent actions. |
| get_selected_workspace | Return the currently selected workspace. |
| list_services | List the services in the active workspace. |
| get_service | Fetch details for a specific service. |
| create_web_service | Create a new web service on Render. |
| create_static_site | Create a new static site on Render. |
| create_cron_job | Create a scheduled cron job that runs on a recurring schedule. |
| update_environment_variables | Merge new environment variables into a service's existing config. |
| list_deploys | List deploy history for a service. |
| get_deploy | Fetch details for a specific deploy. |
| list_logs | List logs matching filters, paginated by start/end timestamps. |
| list_log_label_values | List available label values for filtering logs. |
| get_metrics | Fetch performance metrics (CPU, memory, instances, connections) for a resource. |
| query_render_postgres | Run a read-only SQL query against a Render-hosted Postgres database. |
| list_postgres_instances | List Postgres databases in your account. |
| get_postgres | Fetch details for a specific Postgres database. |
| create_postgres | Provision a new Render Postgres database. |
| list_key_value | List Key Value (Redis-compatible) instances in your account. |
| get_key_value | Fetch details for a specific Key Value instance. |
| create_key_value | Create a new Key Value instance. |
Connect the Render MCP server
Claude Code
- 1
Generate a Render API key
In the Render Dashboard, go to Account Settings and create an API key. Note that Render API keys are broadly scoped across your workspaces.
- 2
Add the hosted MCP server
Run: claude mcp add --transport http render https://mcp.render.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_RENDER_API_KEY"
- 3
Select your workspace
Start Claude Code and prompt it to set your Render workspace (for example: "Set my Render workspace to my-team"). Then ask it to list services to confirm the connection.
Cursor
- 1
Generate a Render API key
Create an API key from Account Settings in the Render Dashboard.
- 2
Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Add a server entry: {"mcpServers":{"render":{"url":"https://mcp.render.com/mcp","headers":{"Authorization":"Bearer YOUR_RENDER_API_KEY"}}}}
- 3
Enable and verify
Open Cursor Settings > MCP, enable the Render server, then ask the agent to set your workspace and list services to confirm it works.
Security & permissions
Authentication is a bearer token: you create a Render API key in your account settings and the client sends it as an Authorization: Bearer header. Render's docs warn that API keys are broadly scoped — a key grants access to every workspace and service your account can reach, so the agent inherits that reach. The server is designed to avoid destructive actions: it cannot delete services or databases, and Postgres access is read-only via query_render_postgres. The most sensitive write it supports is merging environment variables on a service. Treat the API key as a secret, prefer Gamut's managed connection or per-environment scoping, and rotate keys if exposed.
Using Render MCP with Gamut
In a Gamut workflow, the Render MCP server runs as a connected tool that an agent can call on a schedule or in response to events — Gamut manages the authenticated connection, so the agent just invokes the actions it needs. For example, a scheduled agent can fetch CPU/memory metrics and recent error logs each morning to flag unhealthy services, run a read-only Postgres query to snapshot key tables into a report, or react to a deploy webhook by pulling deploy details and posting status to a chat channel. Because the server omits destructive operations like deleting services, it is well suited to automated monitoring, reporting, and provisioning flows.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Render MCP server?
It is the official Model Context Protocol server from Render that lets AI agents and coding assistants manage your Render infrastructure — creating web services, static sites, cron jobs, Postgres, and Key Value stores, plus reading logs, metrics, and deploy history — using natural language.
Is the Render MCP server free?
Yes, the MCP server itself is free; you authenticate with a Render API key. Any resources the agent provisions are billed under your normal Render account, which includes free instance tiers as well as paid plans for services and databases.
How do I connect the Render MCP server to Claude Code or Cursor?
Generate a Render API key in Account Settings, then point your client at the hosted endpoint https://mcp.render.com/mcp with an Authorization: Bearer header. In Claude Code use `claude mcp add --transport http render https://mcp.render.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY"`; in Cursor add the same URL and header to ~/.cursor/mcp.json.
Is the Render MCP server hosted or self-hosted?
Both. Render recommends the hosted server at https://mcp.render.com/mcp because it stays up to date automatically, but the open-source repo (render-oss/render-mcp-server) also offers a self-hosted local executable or Docker container.