diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 61297e17b..0e827afb5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ Deploy nanobot's gateway and bundled WebUI from the repository's ready-to-use Bl
 
 [![Deploy to Render](https://render.com/images/deploy-to-render-button.svg)](https://render.com/deploy?repo=https://github.com/HKUDS/nanobot)
 
-Render will ask for the model credential and WebUI access secret, then provision persistent storage for sessions, memory, and WebUI history. Persistent disks require a paid Render service.
+Render will ask for `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` and a private `NANOBOT_WEB_TOKEN`, then provision persistent storage for sessions, memory, and WebUI history. Persistent disks require a paid Render service.
 
 **Self-host**
 
diff --git a/docs/deployment.md b/docs/deployment.md
index 8ab63cf02..0e009b601 100644
--- a/docs/deployment.md
+++ b/docs/deployment.md
@@ -39,6 +39,23 @@ Run nanobot online without managing a server. The blueprint deploys the gateway
 
 [Review the deployment blueprint](../render.yaml)
 
+### First Deployment
+
+1. Click **Deploy to Render**, sign in, and review the Blueprint. It creates one Starter web service and a 1 GB persistent disk.
+2. Enter your `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`. Set `NANOBOT_WEB_TOKEN` to a new random value and save it in your password manager; this is the password for the public WebUI.
+3. Create the Blueprint and wait for the service status to become **Live**. The first build can take several minutes.
+4. Open the generated `onrender.com` URL. The **Authentication required** page means the gateway is running: enter the same `NANOBOT_WEB_TOKEN` value to open the WebUI.
+
+The model API key is used by nanobot to call Anthropic. The Web token only protects access to this deployment; do not share it in issues, screenshots, or chat.
+
+### Updates and Data
+
+The Blueprint disables automatic deploys so upstream repository changes do not unexpectedly restart your agent. To update, open the service in the Render Dashboard and choose **Manual Deploy → Deploy latest commit**.
+
+The persistent disk keeps `config.json`, sessions, memory, WebUI history, cron state, media, and logs across restarts and updates. The deployment initializes `config.json` only when it does not already exist, so settings changed later in the WebUI are not replaced on every boot.
+
+If deployment fails, open the service **Logs** page first. A missing model key fails provider requests after startup, while an incorrect Web token leaves you on the authentication page.
+
 ## Docker
 
 > [!TIP]