# Render Oss Render Plugin Claude Code Render MCP

> Render MCP Server

- Skill: `tomevault-io/render-oss-render-plugin-claude-code-render-mcp` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/render-oss-render-plugin-claude-code-render-mcp`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/render-oss-render-plugin-claude-code-render-mcp/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/render-oss-render-plugin-claude-code-render-mcp

---


# Render MCP Server

The Render MCP server lets AI coding tools manage Render services, databases, deploys, logs, and metrics directly. This skill covers **setup**, **authentication**, **workspace selection**, the **tool catalog**, and **troubleshooting**.

Action skills (render-deploy, render-debug, render-monitor) use MCP tools for their workflows. If MCP is not connected, set it up using this skill first.

## When to Use

- `list_services()` fails or MCP tools are unavailable
- First-time Render MCP setup for any AI tool
- User asks how to connect their AI tool to Render
- Switching workspaces or troubleshooting auth errors
- Discovering which MCP tools exist and what they do

## Connection Details

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| URL | `https://mcp.render.com/mcp` |
| Transport | HTTP (streamable) |
| Auth | Bearer token (Render API key) |
| API key page | `https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys` |
| Docs | `https://render.com/docs/mcp-server` |

## Setup by Tool

### Cursor

1. Get an API key from the [Render Dashboard](https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys)

2. Add to `~/.cursor/mcp.json`:

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

3. Restart Cursor, then verify with `list_services()`

### Claude Code

1. Get an API key from the [Render Dashboard](https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys)

2. Add the MCP server:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http render https://mcp.render.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>"
```

3. Restart Claude Code, then verify with `list_services()`

### Codex

1. Get an API key from the [Render Dashboard](https://dashboard.render.com/u/*/settings#api-keys)

2. Set the key in your shell:

```bash
export RENDER_API_KEY="<YOUR_API_KEY>"
```

3. Add the MCP server:

```bash
codex mcp add render --url https://mcp.render.com/mcp --bearer-token-env-var RENDER_API_KEY
```

4. Restart Codex, then verify with `list_services()`

### Other Tools

For tools not listed above, use the generic HTTP MCP configuration:

- **URL:** `https://mcp.render.com/mcp`
- **Auth header:** `Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>`
- **Transport:** HTTP (streamable HTTP, not SSE)

See [Render MCP docs](https://render.com/docs/mcp-server) for tool-specific instructions.

## Workspace Selection

After MCP is connected, set the active workspace:

```
Set my Render workspace to [WORKSPACE_NAME]
```

Or programmatically:

```
get_selected_workspace()   # Check current
list_workspaces()          # List available
```

All MCP operations run against the active workspace.

## Tool Catalog

### Service management

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `list_services()` | List all services and datastores |
| `get_service(serviceId)` | Get service details |
| `create_web_service(...)` | Create a web service from Git repo |
| `create_static_site(...)` | Create a static site from Git repo |
| `update_service(serviceId, ...)` | Update service configuration |
| `restart_service(serviceId)` | Restart a service |

### Deploys

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `list_deploys(serviceId, limit)` | List deploys for a service |
| `trigger_deploy(serviceId)` | Trigger a new deploy |

### Logs

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `list_logs(resource, level, type, text, statusCode, limit)` | Query logs with filters |

Key filters: `level` (error, warn, info), `type` (build, deploy), `text` (search string), `statusCode` (HTTP codes).

### Metrics

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `get_metrics(resourceId, metricTypes, ...)` | Get service or database metrics |

Metric types: `cpu_usage`, `memory_usage`, `cpu_limit`, `memory_limit`, `http_latency`, `http_request_count`, `active_connections`.

Optional: `httpLatencyQuantile` (0.5, 0.95, 0.99), `httpPath` (filter by endpoint).

### Databases

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `list_postgres_instances()` | List Postgres databases |
| `get_postgres(postgresId)` | Get database details |
| `query_render_postgres(postgresId, sql)` | Run SQL query |

### Key Value

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `list_key_value()` | List Key Value instances |
| `get_key_value(keyValueId)` | Get Key Value details |

### Environment Variables

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `update_environment_variables(serviceId, envVars)` | Set env vars on a service |

### Workspace

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `list_workspaces()` | List available workspaces |
| `get_selected_workspace()` | Get the active workspace |

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Wrong URL (using SSE endpoint) | Use `https://mcp.render.com/mcp` (not `/sse`) |
| Expired or invalid API key | Generate a new key from Dashboard > Account Settings > API Keys |
| Wrong workspace selected | Run `list_workspaces()` and switch to the correct one |
| Using MCP to create image-backed services | Not supported — use Dashboard or API for prebuilt Docker images |
| Missing `Bearer` prefix in auth header | Header must be `Authorization: Bearer <key>` |

## Troubleshooting

See `references/troubleshooting.md` for connection errors, auth failures, timeout issues, and tool-specific quirks.

## References

| Document | Contents |
|----------|----------|
| `references/troubleshooting.md` | Connection errors, auth failures, tool-specific issues, timeout handling |

## Related Skills

- **render-deploy** — Deploy flows using MCP tools
- **render-debug** — Debug failures using MCP logs and metrics
- **render-monitor** — Monitor health using MCP metrics
- **render-cli** — CLI alternative when MCP is unavailable

---
> Source: [render-oss/render-plugin-claude-code](https://github.com/render-oss/render-plugin-claude-code) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).
<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-06-16 -->

