# Cursor + Render: Deploy and manage your Render apps from Cursor.

[Cursor](https://cursor.com/) is an AI-powered code editor with built-in agent workflows. Paired with Render, it can inspect your running services, fetch logs, manage environment variables, create Render Postgres databases, and help ship apps without leaving your editor.

## Agent details

- Agent: Cursor
- Docs: [Cursor docs](https://cursor.com/docs)
- Start: `cursor`
- Skills mode: Agent-invoked

## Quick start

1. *Install Cursor* from [cursor.com](https://cursor.com/).

2. *Install the Render Cursor plugin.* In Cursor chat, run:

   ```text
   /add-plugin render
   ```

   This is the preferred setup path for Cursor. The [Render Cursor plugin](https://github.com/render-oss/render-cursor-plugin) installs Render skills, rules, commands, an agent, MCP config, and hooks for the full Render workflow.

3. *Add your Render API key.* Generate an API key in your [account settings](https://dashboard.render.com/u/settings#api-keys), then add it to the plugin's MCP config. You can also use the manual config shown below.

4. *Install Render's official skills manually* only if you aren't using the plugin:

   ```shell
   npx skills add render-oss/skills
   ```

5. *Open your project in Cursor.*

6. *Set your Render workspace* if you have multiple workspaces.

7. *Deploy a template.* Try a prompt like *"Deploy this project to Render and show me the Blueprint first."*

## Quick links

- [Cursor plugin](https://github.com/render-oss/render-cursor-plugin)
- [Skills on GitHub](https://github.com/render-oss/skills)
- [MCP Server on GitHub](https://github.com/render-oss/render-mcp-server)
- [The Render CLI docs](cli)
- [Cursor docs](https://cursor.com/docs)

## MCP configuration

Cursor reads MCP servers from `~/.cursor/mcp.json` for global tools or `.cursor/mcp.json` for project-specific tools.

- MCP install command: `Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json`
- MCP config file: `~/.cursor/mcp.json`
- OAuth: Not supported yet

```json:~/.cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "render": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.render.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

> The Render MCP server currently uses *API-key authentication*. Generate a key in your [account settings](https://dashboard.render.com/u/settings#api-keys) and pass it as a `Bearer` token.

The prompts below can use a combination of MCP tools, Render skills, the Render CLI, and guided Dashboard or API steps.

## Example prompts

- *Deploy:* Deploy this project to Render.
- *Debug:* Check the deploy logs for the last failed deploy and fix the error.
- *Database:* Create a Render Postgres database and wire DATABASE_URL to my web service.
- *Domain:* Set up a custom domain with SSL for app.example.com.

## Render skills

Render's official *skills* give Cursor task-specific procedures for deploys, debugging, monitoring, databases, Blueprints, and more. They can combine MCP tools with local code edits, Dashboard or API guidance, and the Render CLI if it's installed.

### Install skills

The [Render Cursor plugin](https://github.com/render-oss/render-cursor-plugin) is the preferred way to install skills:

```text
/add-plugin render
```

Use the standalone skills installer if you don't want the full plugin:

```shell
npx skills add render-oss/skills
```

The standalone installer works without the Render CLI installed. It detects supported tools on your system and prompts you to select which skills to install.

### Skills catalog

- [render-background-workers](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-background-workers/SKILL.md): Sets up and configures background workers on Render for queue-based job processing.
- [render-blueprints](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-blueprints/SKILL.md): Authors and validates render.yaml Blueprints for Render infrastructure.
- [render-cli](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-cli/SKILL.md): Installs and uses the Render CLI for deploys, logs, SSH, psql, Blueprint validation, and automation.
- [render-cron-jobs](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-cron-jobs/SKILL.md): Configures and troubleshoots scheduled tasks on Render using cron job services.
- [render-debug](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-debug/SKILL.md): Debug failed Render deployments by analyzing logs, metrics, and database state.
- [render-deploy](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-deploy/SKILL.md): Deploy applications to Render by analyzing codebases, generating render.yaml Blueprints, and providing Dashboard deeplinks.
- [render-disks](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-disks/SKILL.md): Attaches and manages persistent disks on Render services—mount paths, sizing, snapshots, file transfers, and single-instance constraints.
- [render-docker](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-docker/SKILL.md): Builds and deploys Docker containers on Render—Dockerfiles, multi-stage builds, Blueprint Docker fields, private registries, layer caching, and platform constraints.
- [render-domains](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md): Configures custom domains and TLS certificates on Render—DNS setup, CNAME records, apex domains, wildcard domains, and certificate troubleshooting.
- [render-env-vars](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-env-vars/SKILL.md): Configures environment variables, secrets, and env groups on Render.
- [render-keyvalue](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-keyvalue/SKILL.md): Provisions and configures Render Key Value (Redis-compatible Valkey 8) instances for caching, session storage, and job queues.
- [render-mcp](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-mcp/SKILL.md): Connects and configures the Render MCP server for AI coding tools—setup per tool (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex), authentication, workspace selection, tool catalog, and troubleshooting.
- [render-migrate-from-heroku](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-migrate-from-heroku/SKILL.md): Migrate from Heroku to Render by reading local project files and generating equivalent Render services.
- [render-monitor](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-monitor/SKILL.md): Monitor Render services in real-time.
- [render-networking](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-networking/SKILL.md): Connects Render services over the private network—internal DNS, service discovery, and cross-service communication.
- [render-postgres](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-postgres/SKILL.md): Sets up and optimizes Managed PostgreSQL on Render—connection strings (internal vs external), creation constraints, storage autoscaling, connection limits, high availability, read replicas, backups, and MCP inspection.
- [render-private-services](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-private-services/SKILL.md): Configures Render private services—internal-only apps that accept traffic exclusively from other Render services over the private network.
- [render-scaling](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-scaling/SKILL.md): Scales Render services—configures autoscaling targets, chooses instance types, sets manual instance counts, and optimizes cost.
- [render-static-sites](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-static-sites/SKILL.md): Deploys and configures static sites on Render's global CDN—build commands, publish paths, SPA routing, redirects, custom headers, and PR previews.
- [render-web-services](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-web-services/SKILL.md): Configures Render web services—port binding, TLS, health checks, custom domains, auto-deploy, PR previews, persistent disks, and deploy lifecycle.
- [render-workflows](https://github.com/render-oss/skills/blob/main/skills/render-workflows/SKILL.md): Sets up, develops, tests, and deploys Render Workflows.

## Common workflows

### Deploy from the editor

- Ask Cursor to inspect the project and propose a Render deployment plan.
- Review the generated Blueprint or service settings.
- Let Cursor apply supported changes with MCP or the Render CLI, or have it guide you through Dashboard or API steps.
- Ask Cursor to watch the first deploy.

### Debug a deploy failure

- Ask Cursor to fetch deploy logs from Render.
- Have it identify missing env vars, build errors, or port-binding issues.
- Apply the fix in code or supported service settings, then verify the next deploy.

### Manage environment variables

- Ask Cursor to list current env vars for a service.
- Add or update values, marking secrets appropriately.
- Confirm a new deploy starts, or redeploy from the Render Dashboard if needed.

## Tips for success

> - *Use project-level MCP config* when a Render setup belongs to one repository.
> - *Use `${env:NAME}` interpolation* instead of hardcoding secrets in `mcp.json`.
> - *Ask Cursor to explain infrastructure changes* before applying them.

## Community

*Render MCP Server*

Open-source MCP server source, install instructions, and tool reference.

*Render Skills*

The full skill catalog with `SKILL.md` files for every supported task.