How do I install the Railway skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add pietz/railway in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Railway safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Railway?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Railway free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Railway?

pietz (@pietz) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Railway by pietz — Agent Skill

Name: Railway
Author: pietz

File contents

Railway Deployment

CLI Basics

The Railway CLI has built-in help for all commands:

railway --help
railway <command> --help

Important: The CLI has interactive menus that don't work in automated contexts. Always provide all required parameters explicitly to avoid prompts (e.g., --workspace, --service, --name).

Common Commands

# Create project (always specify workspace to avoid prompt)
railway init --name "my-project" --workspace "Workspace Name"

# Deploy from a template (get ID from template URL on railway.com)
railway init --template <template-id>

# Add PostgreSQL database
railway add --database postgres

# Add empty service for your app
railway add --service api

# Link local directory to service
railway service link api

# Set environment variables (use references for database URLs)
railway variables --service api --set 'DATABASE_URL=${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}'

# Deploy
railway up

# Generate public domain
railway domain --service api

# View logs
railway logs --service api
railway logs --service api --build    # build logs

# SSH into running service
railway ssh --service api

More Commands

These are less common but useful — run railway <command> --help for details:

railway status --json          # full project overview (services, deployments, domains)
railway metrics --service api  # CPU, memory, network, disk usage
railway redeploy --service api # redeploy latest deployment
railway restart --service api  # restart without redeploying
railway down --service api     # take a service offline

Variable Wiring

Reference variables across services with ${{ServiceName.VARIABLE}}:

# Wire a database to your app
railway variables --service api --set 'DATABASE_URL=${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}'
railway variables --service api --set 'REDIS_URL=${{Redis.REDIS_URL}}'

# Wire backend URL to frontend
railway variables --service web --set 'API_URL=${{api.RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}'

Railway also provides built-in variables: RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN, RAILWAY_PRIVATE_DOMAIN, RAILWAY_PROJECT_ID, RAILWAY_ENVIRONMENT_NAME, etc.

GraphQL API

For operations not available in the CLI, Railway has a GraphQL API:

Endpoint: https://backboard.railway.com/graphql/v2
Auth token: ~/.railway/config.json → user.token (use as Bearer token)
API docs: https://docs.railway.com/api/llms-docs.md

Always bind your app to 0.0.0.0:$PORT - Railway injects the PORT variable.

Logging (Python)

Railway parses single-line JSON on stdout, colors by level field, and makes all JSON fields queryable via @field:value in the Log Explorer. For the full setup guide, patterns, and pitfalls, see logging-python.md.

---name: railwaydescription: Deploy and manage applications on railway.com. Use when the user asks to deploy, host, or ship an app to Railway, add databases or services to Railway, configure Railway projects, or troubleshoot Railway deployments.---# Railway Deployment## CLI BasicsThe Railway CLI has built-in help for all commands:```bashrailway --helprailway <command> --help```**Important:** The CLI has interactive menus that don't work in automated contexts. Always provide all required parameters explicitly to avoid prompts (e.g., `--workspace`, `--service`, `--name`).## Common Commands```bash# Create project (always specify workspace to avoid prompt)railway init --name "my-project" --workspace "Workspace Name"# Deploy from a template (get ID from template URL on railway.com)railway init --template <template-id># Add PostgreSQL databaserailway add --database postgres# Add empty service for your apprailway add --service api# Link local directory to servicerailway service link api# Set environment variables (use references for database URLs)railway variables --service api --set 'DATABASE_URL=${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}'# Deployrailway up# Generate public domainrailway domain --service api# View logsrailway logs --service apirailway logs --service api --build # build logs# SSH into running servicerailway ssh --service api```## More CommandsThese are less common but useful — run `railway <command> --help` for details:```bashrailway status --json # full project overview (services, deployments, domains)railway metrics --service api # CPU, memory, network, disk usagerailway redeploy --service api # redeploy latest deploymentrailway restart --service api # restart without redeployingrailway down --service api # take a service offline```## Variable WiringReference variables across services with `${{ServiceName.VARIABLE}}`:```bash# Wire a database to your apprailway variables --service api --set 'DATABASE_URL=${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}'railway variables --service api --set 'REDIS_URL=${{Redis.REDIS_URL}}'# Wire backend URL to frontendrailway variables --service web --set 'API_URL=${{api.RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN}}'```Railway also provides built-in variables: `RAILWAY_PUBLIC_DOMAIN`, `RAILWAY_PRIVATE_DOMAIN`, `RAILWAY_PROJECT_ID`, `RAILWAY_ENVIRONMENT_NAME`, etc.## GraphQL APIFor operations not available in the CLI, Railway has a GraphQL API:- Endpoint: `https://backboard.railway.com/graphql/v2`- Auth token: `~/.railway/config.json` → `user.token` (use as `Bearer` token)- API docs: https://docs.railway.com/api/llms-docs.mdAlways bind your app to `0.0.0.0:$PORT` - Railway injects the PORT variable.## Logging (Python)Railway parses single-line JSON on stdout, colors by `level` field, and makes all JSON fields queryable via `@field:value` in the Log Explorer. For the full setup guide, patterns, and pitfalls, see [logging-python.md](logging-python.md).

Frequently asked questions

Railway