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Deploy OpenClaw on Render using Infrastructure as Code. The included render.yaml Blueprint defines your entire stack declaratively, service, disk, environment variables, so you can deploy with a single click and version your infrastructure alongside your code.

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Prerequisites

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Deploy with a Render Blueprint

Deploy to Render Clicking this link will:
  1. Create a new Render service from the render.yaml Blueprint at the root of this repo.
  2. Build the Docker image and deploy
Once deployed, your service URL follows the pattern https://<service-name>.onrender.com.

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Understanding the Blueprint

Render Blueprints are YAML files that define your infrastructure. The render.yaml in this repository configures everything needed to run OpenClaw: 
services:
  - type: web
    name: openclaw
    runtime: docker
    plan: starter
    healthCheckPath: /health
    envVars:
      - key: OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT
        value: "8080"
      - key: OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR
        value: /data/.openclaw
      - key: OPENCLAW_WORKSPACE_DIR
        value: /data/workspace
      - key: OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN
        generateValue: true # auto-generates a secure token
    disk:
      name: openclaw-data
      mountPath: /data
      sizeGB: 1
Key Blueprint features used:
FeaturePurpose
runtime: dockerBuilds from the repo’s Dockerfile
healthCheckPathRender monitors /health and restarts unhealthy instances
generateValue: trueAuto-generates a cryptographically secure value
diskPersistent storage that survives redeploys

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Choosing a plan

PlanSpin-downDiskBest for
FreeAfter 15 min idleNot availableTesting, demos
StarterNever1GB+Personal use, small teams
Standard+Never1GB+Production, multiple channels
The Blueprint defaults to starter. To use free tier, change plan: free in your fork’s render.yaml (but note: no persistent disk means config resets on each deploy).

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After deployment

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Access the Control UI

The web dashboard is available at https://<your-service>.onrender.com/. Connect using the OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN value that was auto-generated during deploy (find it in Dashboard → your service → Environment).

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Render Dashboard features

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Logs

View real-time logs in Dashboard → your service → Logs. Filter by:
  • Build logs (Docker image creation)
  • Deploy logs (service startup)
  • Runtime logs (application output)

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Shell access

For debugging, open a shell session via Dashboard → your service → Shell. The persistent disk is mounted at /data.

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Environment variables

Modify variables in Dashboard → your service → Environment. Changes trigger an automatic redeploy.

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Auto-deploy

If you use the original OpenClaw repository, Render will not auto-deploy your OpenClaw. To update it, run a manual Blueprint sync from the dashboard.

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Custom domain

  1. Go to Dashboard → your service → Settings → Custom Domains
  2. Add your domain
  3. Configure DNS as instructed (CNAME to *.onrender.com)
  4. Render provisions a TLS certificate automatically

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Scaling

Render supports horizontal and vertical scaling:
  • Vertical: Change the plan to get more CPU/RAM
  • Horizontal: Increase instance count (Standard plan and above)
For OpenClaw, vertical scaling is usually sufficient. Horizontal scaling requires sticky sessions or external state management.

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Backups and migration

Export your configuration and workspace at any time using the shell access in the Render Dashboard: 
openclaw backup create
This creates a portable backup archive you can restore on any OpenClaw host. See Backup for details.

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Troubleshooting

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Service will not start

Check the deploy logs in the Render Dashboard. Common issues:
  • Missing OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN — verify it is set in Dashboard → Environment
  • Port mismatch — ensure OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=8080 is set so the gateway binds to the port Render expects

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Slow cold starts (free tier)

Free tier services spin down after 15 minutes of inactivity. The first request after spin-down takes a few seconds while the container starts. Upgrade to Starter plan for always-on.

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Data loss after redeploy

This happens on free tier (no persistent disk). Upgrade to a paid plan, or regularly export your config via openclaw backup create in the Render shell.

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Health check failures

Render expects a 200 response from /health within 30 seconds. If builds succeed but deploys fail, the service may be taking too long to start. Check:
  • Build logs for errors
  • Whether the container runs locally with docker build && docker run

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Next steps