Render raises $100M at a $1.5B valuation
Read the announcementWhy deploy Strapi with PostgreSQL and Cloudinary on Render?
Strapi is an open-source headless CMS that provides a customizable admin panel and API for managing content. This configuration pairs it with PostgreSQL for structured data storage and Cloudinary for media file hosting, solving the problem of needing a complete content management backend without building one from scratch.
This template deploys Strapi pre-wired to a managed PostgreSQL database with all connection strings and environment variables already configured—you just add your Cloudinary credentials for media storage. Skip the manual setup of database provisioning, SSL certificates, and production config that typically takes hours to get right. One click gives you a production-ready CMS with Render's managed Postgres handling backups and maintenance automatically.
Architecture
What you can build
You'll have a running Strapi headless CMS backed by a managed PostgreSQL database, with media uploads stored in your Cloudinary account. This gives you a ready-to-use content API where you can define content types, manage entries through Strapi's admin panel, and query your data from any frontend application.
Key features
- PostgreSQL Data Storage: Uses Render's managed PostgreSQL database for persistent structured content storage.
- Cloudinary Media Integration: Pre-configured to store and serve uploaded media files through Cloudinary's CDN.
- One-Click Render Deploy: Includes render.yaml blueprint for instant deployment via Deploy to Render button.
- Production-Ready Config: Strapi instance pre-configured with external database and media storage suitable for production use.
Use cases
- Freelancer builds client portfolio site with easy image management
- Startup launches blog backend without managing database infrastructure
- Agency creates reusable CMS template for multiple client projects
- Solo developer deploys headless CMS for mobile app content
What's included
Service | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
strapi | Web Service | Handles API requests and business logic |
strapi | PostgreSQL | Primary database |
Prerequisites
- Cloudinary Cloud Name: The unique cloud name identifier for your Cloudinary account used to store and serve uploaded media files.
- Cloudinary API Key: The public API key for authenticating requests to your Cloudinary account.
- Cloudinary API Secret: The secret key for securely authenticating API requests to your Cloudinary account.
Next steps
- Open your Strapi service URL and append /admin — You should see the Strapi admin registration page where you can create your first administrator account
- Create a new content type in the Content-Type Builder and add a media field, then upload an image — The image should upload successfully and display a Cloudinary URL when you inspect the media library
- Test the API by navigating to /api/your-content-type after enabling public permissions in Settings > Roles > Public — You should receive a JSON response containing your content entries