> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cloudthinker.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Render > Connect Render to CloudThinker to review services, deploys, logs, and datastores, with deploys gated behind your approval Connect your Render account to let CloudThinker agents review workspaces, services, deploy history, logs, performance, Postgres databases, and key-value stores, and diagnose issues before customers notice. Render authenticates with an **API key** from your Render account. Deploys and environment-variable changes stay deliberate actions that require your [approval](/guide/approval). ## Prerequisites * A **Render account** with access to the workspace you want CloudThinker to reach. * Permission to create an API key in that account. ## Setup In the Render Dashboard, open your **Account Settings** page and create an API key. Copy it immediately — Render shows the key in full only when it is created. Navigate to **Connections → Render** and paste the key into **RENDER\_API\_KEY**. Click **Connect**. CloudThinker verifies the credential and shows a **Connected** status. Treat the API key as a secret. If you believe it is compromised, revoke it in the Render Dashboard, create a new one, and update the connection. ## Connection details | Field | Description | Example | | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------- | | **RENDER\_API\_KEY** | API key from your Render account settings | — | ## Required permissions The API key authenticates as your Render account, so agents see the workspaces and services that account can see. Create the key from an account scoped to the workspace agents should investigate, rather than an account with access to everything you host. ## Agent capabilities Once connected, agents can: | Capability | Description | | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Service review** | List workspaces and services with their current state | | **Deploy history** | Review deploys and correlate them with incidents | | **Log investigation** | Read service logs to diagnose errors and slowdowns | | **Datastore review** | Review Render Postgres databases and key-value stores | | **Approval-gated changes** | Trigger deploys or environment-variable changes only after you approve them | ### Verify the connection ```text theme={null} @alex list my Render services and summarize their current status ``` ### Example prompts ```text theme={null} @alex #recommend a fix for my erroring Render web service based on its recent logs @alex #report what shipped this week in the deploy history of the api service on Render @alex #report the plans and status of my Render Postgres instances ``` ## Troubleshooting The API key is wrong or was revoked. Create a new key in the Render Dashboard's Account Settings and update the connection. The key belongs to an account without access to that workspace. Create the key from an account in the right Render workspace. Deploys and environment-variable changes wait for approval in CloudThinker. Check for a pending [approval](/guide/approval) before retrying. ## Security * **Least privilege** — grant only the permissions the agents need for your use case; start read-only and widen later. * **Read-only by default** — use read-only credentials unless you want agents to make changes through this connection. * **Rotate credentials** — rotate keys and tokens on your normal schedule; CloudThinker picks up the new value when you update the connection. * **Revoke on offboarding** — remove the credential at the provider when you delete a connection or a teammate leaves. - **Approval for changes** — deploys and environment-variable changes wait for explicit approval in CloudThinker. - **One-time visibility** — Render shows an API key in full only at creation, so store it in a password manager before leaving the page. ## Related App platform review and log investigation Frontend deployments and logs