scps/skills/render-cli/references/command-cheatsheet.md

Render CLI Command Cheatsheet

Authentication

# Interactive login (opens browser)
render login

# CI/CD authentication (no login needed)
export RENDER_API_KEY=rnd_...

# Set active workspace
render workspace set

# List workspaces
render workspaces -o json

Services

# List all services
render services
render services -o json --confirm

# Filter by type (via jq)
render services -o json --confirm | jq '.[] | select(.type == "web_service")'

Deploys

# Trigger deploy (interactive)
render deploys create

# Trigger deploy (non-interactive)
render deploys create srv-xxx --confirm -o json

# Deploy and wait for completion
render deploys create srv-xxx --wait --confirm -o json

# Deploy specific commit
render deploys create srv-xxx --commit abc123 --wait --confirm

# Deploy specific Docker image
render deploys create srv-xxx --image ghcr.io/org/app:v1.2.3 --wait --confirm

# List deploys
render deploys list srv-xxx -o json --confirm

Logs

# View recent logs
render logs -r srv-xxx

# Stream logs (follow mode)
render logs -r srv-xxx --tail

# Logs in JSON format
render logs -r srv-xxx -o json

SSH

# SSH into running instance
render ssh srv-xxx

# Ephemeral shell (isolated, no running service process)
render ssh srv-xxx --ephemeral
render ssh srv-xxx -e

Database (psql)

# Interactive psql session
render psql db-xxx

# Single query
render psql db-xxx -c "SELECT NOW();"

# JSON output
render psql db-xxx -c "SELECT id, name FROM users LIMIT 5;" -o json

# CSV output (via psql passthrough)
render psql db-xxx -c "SELECT id, email FROM users;" -o text -- --csv

# Quiet output (no headers, unaligned)
render psql db-xxx -c "SELECT count(*) FROM users;" -o text -- -t -A

Blueprints

# Validate render.yaml in current directory
render blueprints validate

# Validate specific file
render blueprints validate path/to/render.yaml

Skills

# Interactive skill management
render skills

# Install skills
render skills install

# Update skills
render skills update

# List installed skills
render skills list

Output Formats

Flag	Format	Use case
-o json	JSON	Scripting, piping to jq
-o yaml	YAML	Config generation
-o text	Plain text	Human-readable in CI logs
-o interactive	Menu-based	Default in TTY

Set globally:

export RENDER_OUTPUT=json

Non-Interactive Patterns

Always include --confirm and -o <format> for CI/CD:

# Deploy and check exit code
render deploys create srv-xxx --wait --confirm -o json
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
  echo "Deploy failed"
  exit 1
fi

# Get service URL
render services -o json --confirm | jq -r '.[] | select(.id == "srv-xxx") | .serviceDetails.url'

Config

# Config file location
cat ~/.render/cli.yaml

# Override config path
export RENDER_CLI_CONFIG_PATH=/path/to/cli.yaml