What this workshop is
You will deploy a tiny website to Render.
Render is a cloud platform: it takes code from GitHub, builds it, and keeps it online at a public URL (like something.onrender.com) so anyone can open it in a browser. Your laptop can run the app for you only. Render runs it on the internet.
See a live example first: https://firstdeploy-demo.onrender.com
That demo is a one-page app with a Ping button. By the end you will have your own copy at your own URL, created from a render.yaml Blueprint (a small file that tells Render what to create).
You do not need prior cloud experience. You do need a laptop, GitHub, and about an hour.
We explain Render’s Dashboard words in more detail after you run the app locally.
What you need
| Need | Why |
|---|---|
| A Render account | Where the app will run |
| A GitHub account | You fork the starter and push your Blueprint |
| Git + either Node 20+ or Python 3.10+ | Local run for your language track |
| A coding agent (Cursor recommended) | Optional agent path later; Dashboard deploy works without it |
Hosted workshop intake
If you are in a live Commit Your Code session, submit the workshop intake form so we can add you to the workshop workspace. Use the same email as your Render account when you can.
After you submit, continue. You do not need to wait for the invite before the next steps. When you deploy, pick the workshop workspace in the Dashboard dropdown if it is already available.
If you are following this tutorial on your own, skip the form and use the Render workspace you see after you sign in.
Commit your code
Render deploys from GitHub. Files that only exist on your laptop never reach the build.
Later you will add render.yaml, then commit it and push to your fork. That commit is what Render builds. The Create a Blueprint page has the exact commands. Do not skip them.
What you learned
- Laptop app → Blueprint file → commit → public URL
- Hosted session: intake form now; invite can arrive while you work
- Next: the short plan for this hour