Add Render blueprint and DATABASE_URL guard

README.md

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Stellar Tags is a payment platform that combines a Soroban smart contract, a Nod
 
 ## Architecture Map
 
-The following diagram maps exactly how data flows between the user, Vercel, Railway, and the Stellar network.
+The following diagram maps exactly how data flows between the user, Render, and the Stellar network.
 
 ```text
 [ User / Browser ]
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ The following diagram maps exactly how data flows between the user, Vercel, Rail
        | HTTP API Calls (via VITE_API_BASE)
        v
 [ stellar-payment-platform ] <---> [ PostgreSQL Database ]
-  (server.js: Server router on Railway)      (via Prisma ORM: User/payment layout)
+  (server.js: Server router on Render)        (via Prisma ORM: User/payment layout)
        |
        | Stellar Network / RPC
        v
@@ -127,6 +127,12 @@ Useful Prisma commands (run from `stellar-payment-platform/`):
 > `.env` is gitignored — never commit real credentials. Each contributor keeps
 > their own local `DATABASE_URL`.
 
+### Render deployment
+
+The repository includes a [render.yaml](render.yaml) blueprint for the backend API and its PostgreSQL database. When you deploy from Render, import the blueprint or create the service from the repo so `DATABASE_URL` is injected automatically from the managed database.
+
+If you deploy the backend without the blueprint, make sure the web service has a PostgreSQL `DATABASE_URL` secret configured before startup. The container runs Prisma migrations on boot, so the variable must already exist.
+
 ### Smart contract (Soroban)
 
 ```bash
@@ -167,6 +173,8 @@ To ensure a seamless local developer installation requiring zero guesswork, plea
 - `LOG_MAX_SIZE` - (Optional) Size at which the active log file rotates. Defaults to `20m`.
 - `LOG_MAX_FILES` - (Optional) Retention for rotated files, as a count (`30`) or an age (`14d`). Defaults to `14d`.
 
+For Render deployments, make sure the web service has `DATABASE_URL` set in its environment or linked from a Render PostgreSQL instance before startup. The container runs `prisma migrate deploy` during boot, so the variable must be available at runtime.
+
 ## Logging
 
 The server logs through a shared [Winston](https://github.com/winstonjs/winston) logger

render.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+databases:
+  - name: stellar-tags-db
+    databaseName: stellar_tags
+    user: stellar_tags
+    plan: basic-256mb
+
+services:
+  - type: web
+    name: stellar-tags-api
+    runtime: docker
+    dockerfilePath: ./Dockerfile-backend
+    dockerContext: .
+    autoDeployTrigger: commit
+    plan: starter
+    healthCheckPath: /health
+    envVars:
+      - key: NODE_ENV
+        value: production
+      - key: LOG_DIR
+        value: /app/logs
+      - key: DATABASE_URL
+        fromDatabase:
+          name: stellar-tags-db
+          property: connectionString

stellar-payment-platform/startup.sh

@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ set -e
 # this schema (`url` in the datasource block, the "metrics" preview feature).
 PRISMA="./node_modules/.bin/prisma"
 
+if [ -z "${DATABASE_URL:-}" ]; then
+  echo "ERROR: DATABASE_URL is not set." >&2
+  echo "Render must provide a PostgreSQL connection string to this service before startup." >&2
+  echo "Link a Render PostgreSQL instance or set DATABASE_URL in the service environment." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 if [ ! -x "$PRISMA" ]; then
   echo "ERROR: Prisma CLI not found at $PRISMA." >&2
   echo "It must be a production dependency so it survives 'npm prune --omit=dev'." >&2