Phase 10: Render deploy blueprint

- render.yaml: single Docker web service (SPA + API same-origin), free tier,
  Neon Postgres via AIDND_DATABASE_URL, generated AIDND_SECRET_KEY,
  /api/health check, us-east region, auto-deploy on main.
- README: "Deploy (Render)" section.
- Record verified Postgres path (real Neon, PG 18.4) and Phase 10 decisions
  (Neon, free tier, cloud Docker build) in plan/.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_017e6tQuojBLYPetUfmhit4X

README.md

@@ -115,6 +115,22 @@ frontend/   React + Vite SPA  ──HTTP/SSE──►  backend/  FastAPI
 In production the backend serves the built SPA from one port (see `Dockerfile`); in
 development Vite proxies `/api` to FastAPI.
 
+## Deploy (Render)
+
+The repo ships a [`render.yaml`](render.yaml) blueprint: one Docker web service that
+serves the SPA and API same-origin, backed by external [Neon](https://neon.tech) Postgres
+(the free tier has no persistent disk, so the database lives off-box).
+
+1. Create a **Neon** project and copy its pooled connection string.
+2. In Render: **New → Blueprint**, point it at this repo. Render reads `render.yaml`.
+3. Fill the secrets it prompts for (`sync: false` vars): `AIDND_DATABASE_URL` (the Neon
+   string) and, to offer a no-signup demo, `AIDND_DEMO_API_KEY` / `AIDND_DEMO_MODELS`.
+   `AIDND_SECRET_KEY` is generated automatically and kept stable across deploys.
+4. Deploy. Pushes to `main` auto-deploy thereafter. Health check: `/api/health`.
+
+On the free tier the service sleeps after ~15 min idle; the first request then takes
+~30–60s to wake.
+
 ## Repo notes
 
 - `plan/` — the phased implementation plan this was built from, kept as a build log

plan/09-phase-hardening.md

@@ -74,5 +74,20 @@ rate-limited instead of burning the demo key, and the app streams turns normally
   (No LLM key configured here, so it streams the "No model configured" error event; a *live*
   provider turn through this path was verified end-to-end in Phase 8.)
 
-All Phase 9 exit criteria met. Not yet exercised: Postgres (`DATABASE_URL`) path and the
-Docker production image specifically — both are Phase 10 deploy steps.
+All Phase 9 exit criteria met.
+
+### Postgres path verified 2026-07-07 (real Neon, PostgreSQL 18.4)
+
+Pointed the backend at a live Neon `DATABASE_URL` (pooled, `sslmode=require&channel_binding=require`):
+
+- **Driver/URL:** `postgres://`/`postgresql://` normalized to `postgresql+psycopg://`; raw
+  psycopg3 connect succeeds.
+- **Bootstrap:** fresh DB → `create_all` builds all 11 tables and stamps `schema_version = 23`
+  (= `LATEST_VERSION`); the SQLite-only migrations 2–23 are correctly skipped on a fresh DB.
+- **Embedding column:** `memories.embedding` is Postgres `json`; a float list round-trips
+  intact (`[0.1, 0.2, 0.3, -0.4]` back as a `list`).
+- **ORM CRUD:** user → scenario → adventure → memory create/read/delete with FK cascades works.
+- **HTTP round-trip (multi-user, TestClient):** guest bootstrap → register → me → create
+  scenario → list → settings → delete, all 200/201/204 against Neon.
+
+Remaining Phase 10 step: the Docker production image specifically (build + run the container).

plan/10-phase-deploy.md

@@ -13,11 +13,21 @@ GitHub repo.
 **Ask before implementing:** Render tier (free-with-sleep vs ~$7/mo always-on — depends on the
 Phase 9 database decision), and the exact service name (it becomes the public URL).
 
+### Decisions (confirmed 2026-07-07)
+
+| Question | Answer |
+|---|---|
+| Database | **Neon Postgres** (external managed; free tier has no persistent disk). Path fully verified against real Neon — see `plan/09-phase-hardening.md`. |
+| Tier | **Free** (sleeps after ~15 min idle; ~30–60s first-wake). |
+| Service name | `ai-dnd` (→ `ai-dnd.onrender.com`, adjustable in dashboard). |
+| Region | `virginia` (us-east, matches Neon us-east-1). |
+| Local Docker preflight | Skipped by choice — Render builds the same Dockerfile in the cloud; its build logs are the image test. |
+
 ## Deploy
 
-- [ ] `render.yaml` blueprint: web service from the Dockerfile, env vars (SECRET_KEY generated,
-      demo-key vars, `MULTI_USER=true`), health check endpoint, plus disk or managed Postgres
-      per the Phase 9 decision.
+- [x] `render.yaml` blueprint: web service from the Dockerfile, env vars (SECRET_KEY generated,
+      demo-key vars, `MULTI_USER=true`), `/api/health` health check, external Neon Postgres.
+      README gained a "Deploy (Render)" section.
 - [ ] Set up the Render service, connect the GitHub repo, auto-deploy on push to `main`.
 - [ ] Seed production with 2–3 good demo scenarios (public/starter scenarios from Phase 8) so
       first-time visitors have something great to click immediately.

render.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# Render Blueprint — https://render.com/docs/blueprint-spec
+#
+# One web service: the multi-stage Dockerfile builds the React SPA and the
+# FastAPI backend into a single image that serves both same-origin. Database
+# is external Neon Postgres (set AIDND_DATABASE_URL in the dashboard); the
+# free tier has no persistent disk, which is why the DB lives off-box.
+#
+# First deploy: create a Blueprint from this repo in the Render dashboard,
+# then fill the `sync: false` secrets (Neon URL + demo key). Pushes to `main`
+# auto-deploy thereafter.
+
+services:
+  - type: web
+    name: ai-dnd
+    runtime: docker
+    dockerfilePath: ./Dockerfile
+    dockerContext: .
+    plan: free           # sleeps after ~15 min idle; first wake takes ~30-60s
+    region: virginia     # us-east, closest to the Neon us-east-1 database
+    healthCheckPath: /api/health
+    autoDeploy: true
+    envVars:
+      # Multi-user hardening on (guest sessions, per-user data, rate limits).
+      - key: AIDND_MULTI_USER
+        value: "1"
+
+      # Signs session cookies + encrypts stored API keys. Render generates a
+      # strong value once and keeps it stable across deploys (a regenerated
+      # secret would log out every user on each deploy).
+      - key: AIDND_SECRET_KEY
+        generateValue: true
+
+      # Neon Postgres connection string (pooled, sslmode=require). Secret —
+      # set it in the dashboard; never commit it.
+      - key: AIDND_DATABASE_URL
+        sync: false
+
+      # --- Shared demo key (optional): lets first-time visitors play without
+      #     bringing their own API key. Set these in the dashboard to enable;
+      #     leave unset to require BYOK. ---
+      - key: AIDND_DEMO_API_KEY
+        sync: false
+      - key: AIDND_DEMO_MODELS
+        sync: false
+      - key: AIDND_DEMO_TURNS_PER_DAY
+        value: "20"
+
+      # CORS is unset on purpose: the SPA is served same-origin by FastAPI.