RivetKit backend and Rivet Actor runtime guidance. Use for building, modifying, debugging, or testing Rivet Actors, registries, serverless/runner modes, deployment, or actor-based workflows.
Build high-performance, long-lived, in-memory processes on Rivet's actor runtime. Use this skill whenever HTTP endpoints, databases, or queues no longer meet the requirements for AI agents, realtime collaboration, workflow orchestration, or geo-distributed data.
If something is not working as intended or you are stuck, prompt the user to join the Rivet Discord or file an issue on the Rivet GitHub to report an issue and get help.
Provide the user with a pre-generated report with:
Use the inspector HTTP API to examine running actors. These endpoints are accessible through the gateway at /gateway/{actor_id}/inspector/*. Key endpoints:
GET /inspector/summary - full actor snapshot (state, connections, RPCs, queue)GET /inspector/state / PATCH /inspector/state - read/write actor stateGET /inspector/connections - active connectionsGET /inspector/rpcs - available actionsPOST /inspector/action/{name} - execute an action with {"args": [...]}GET /inspector/queue?limit=50 - queue statusGET /inspector/traces?startMs=0&endMs=...&limit=1000 - trace spans (OTLP JSON)GET /inspector/workflow-history - workflow history and statusIn local dev, no auth token is needed. In production, pass Authorization: Bearer <RIVET_INSPECTOR_TOKEN>. See the debugging docs for details.
When providing information from Rivet documentation, cite the canonical URL so users can learn more. Each reference file includes its canonical URL in the header metadata.
How to cite:
Finding canonical URLs:
The Reference Map below links to reference files. Each file's header contains:
> Canonical URL: https://rivet.dev/docs/actors/actions
Use that canonical URL when citing, not the reference file path.
Examples:
https://rivet.dev/docs/actors/actionshttps://rivet.dev/docs/clients/reacthttps://rivet.dev/docs/self-hosting/kubernetesnpm install [email protected]
setup({ use: { /* actors */ } }).registry.serve() or registry.handler() (serverless) or registry.startRunner() (runner mode). Prefer serverless mode unless the user has a specific reason to use runner mode./api/rivet/metadata returns 200 before deploying.For more information, read the quickstart guide relevant to the user's project.
try/catch unless it is required for a real recovery path, cleanup boundary, or to add actionable context.catch, you must handle the error explicitly, at minimum by logging it.c.vars is ephemeral. Data in c.vars is lost on every restart, crash, upgrade, or sleep/wake cycle. Only use c.vars for non-serializable objects (e.g., physics engines, WebSocket references, event emitters, caches) or truly transient runtime data (e.g., current input direction that doesn't matter after disconnect).
Persistent storage options. Any data that must survive restarts belongs in one of these, NOT in c.vars:
c.state — CBOR-serializable data for small, bounded datasets. Ideal for configuration, counters, small player lists, phase flags, etc. Keep under 128 KB. Do not store unbounded or growing data here (e.g., chat logs, event histories, spawned entity lists that grow without limit). State is read/written as a single blob on every persistence cycle.c.kv — Key-value store for unbounded data. This is what c.state uses under the hood. Supports binary values. Use for larger or variable-size data like user inventories, world chunks, file blobs, or any collection that may grow over time. Keys are scoped to the actor instance.c.db — SQLite database for structured or complex data. Use when you need queries, indexes, joins, aggregations, or relational modeling. Ideal for leaderboards, match histories, player pools, or any data that benefits from SQL.Common mistake: Storing meaningful game/application data in c.vars instead of persisting it. For example, if users can spawn objects in a physics simulation, the spawn definitions (position, size, type) must be persisted in c.state (or c.kv if unbounded), even though the physics engine handles (non-serializable) live in c.vars. On restart, run() should recreate the runtime objects from the persisted data.
Assume the user is deploying to Rivet Cloud, unless otherwise specified. If user is self-hosting, read the self-hosting guides below.
The RivetKit OpenAPI specification is available in the skill directory at openapi.json. This file documents all HTTP endpoints for managing actors.
actors.ts
import { actor, event, setup } from "rivetkit";
const counter = actor({
state: { count: 0 },
events: {
count: event<number>(),
},
actions: {
increment: (c, amount: number) => {
c.state.count += amount;
c.broadcast("count", c.state.count);
return c.state.count;
},
},
});
export const registry = setup({
use: { counter },
});
server.ts
Integrate with the user's existing server if applicable. Otherwise, default to Hono.
import { registry } from "./actors";
export default registry.serve();
import { Hono } from "hono";
import { registry } from "./actors";
const app = new Hono();
app.all("/api/rivet/*", (c) => registry.handler(c.req.raw));
export default app;
import { Elysia } from "elysia";
import { registry } from "./actors";
const app = new Elysia()
.all("/api/rivet/*", (c) => registry.handler(c.request));
export default app;
Use the client SDK that matches your app:
Persistent data that survives restarts, crashes, and deployments. State is persisted on Rivet Cloud or Rivet self-hosted, so it survives restarts if the current process crashes or exits.
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const counter = actor({
state: { count: 0 },
actions: {
increment: (c) => c.state.count += 1,
},
});
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
interface CounterState {
count: number;
}
const counter = actor({
state: { count: 0 } as CounterState,
createState: (c, input: { start?: number }): CounterState => ({
count: input.start ?? 0,
}),
actions: {
increment: (c) => c.state.count += 1,
},
});
Keys uniquely identify actor instances. Use compound keys (arrays) for hierarchical addressing:
import { actor, setup } from "rivetkit";
import { createClient } from "rivetkit/client";
const chatRoom = actor({
state: { messages: [] as string[] },
actions: {
getRoomInfo: (c) => ({ org: c.key[0], room: c.key[1] }),
},
});
const registry = setup({ use: { chatRoom } });
const client = createClient<typeof registry>();
// Compound key: [org, room]
client.chatRoom.getOrCreate(["org-acme", "general"]);
// Access key inside actor via c.key
Don't build keys with string interpolation like "org:${userId}" when userId contains user data. Use arrays instead to prevent key injection attacks.
Pass initialization data when creating actors.
import { actor, setup } from "rivetkit";
import { createClient } from "rivetkit/client";
const game = actor({
createState: (c, input: { mode: string }) => ({ mode: input.mode }),
actions: {},
});
const registry = setup({ use: { game } });
const client = createClient<typeof registry>();
// Client usage
const gameHandle = client.game.getOrCreate(["game-1"], {
createWithInput: { mode: "ranked" }
});
Temporary data that doesn't survive restarts. Use for non-serializable objects (event emitters, connections, etc).
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const counter = actor({
state: { count: 0 },
vars: { lastAccess: 0 },
actions: {
increment: (c) => {
c.vars.lastAccess = Date.now();
return c.state.count += 1;
},
},
});
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const counter = actor({
state: { count: 0 },
createVars: () => ({
emitter: new EventTarget(),
}),
actions: {
increment: (c) => {
c.vars.emitter.dispatchEvent(new Event("change"));
return c.state.count += 1;
},
},
});
Actions are the primary way clients and other actors communicate with an actor.
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const counter = actor({
state: { count: 0 },
actions: {
increment: (c, amount: number) => (c.state.count += amount),
getCount: (c) => c.state.count,
},
});
Events enable real-time communication from actors to connected clients.
import { actor, event } from "rivetkit";
const chatRoom = actor({
state: { messages: [] as string[] },
events: {
newMessage: event<{ text: string }>(),
},
actions: {
sendMessage: (c, text: string) => {
// Broadcast to ALL connected clients
c.broadcast("newMessage", { text });
},
},
});
Access the current connection via c.conn or all connected clients via c.conns. Use c.conn.id or c.conn.state to securely identify who is calling an action. Connection state is initialized via connState or createConnState, which receives parameters passed by the client on connect.
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const chatRoom = actor({
state: {},
connState: { visitorId: 0 },
onConnect: (c, conn) => {
conn.state.visitorId = Math.random();
},
actions: {
whoAmI: (c) => c.conn.state.visitorId,
},
});
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const chatRoom = actor({
state: {},
// params passed from client
createConnState: (c, params: { userId: string }) => ({
userId: params.userId,
}),
actions: {
// Access current connection's state and params
whoAmI: (c) => ({
state: c.conn.state,
params: c.conn.params,
}),
// Iterate all connections with c.conns
notifyOthers: (c, text: string) => {
for (const conn of c.conns.values()) {
if (conn !== c.conn) conn.send("notification", { text });
}
},
},
});
Use queues to process durable messages in order inside a run loop.
import { actor, queue } from "rivetkit";
const counter = actor({
state: { value: 0 },
queues: {
increment: queue<{ amount: number }>(),
},
run: async (c) => {
for await (const message of c.queue.iter()) {
c.state.value += message.body.amount;
}
},
});
Use workflows when your run logic needs durable, replayable multi-step execution.
import { actor, queue } from "rivetkit";
import { workflow } from "rivetkit/workflow";
const worker = actor({
state: { processed: 0 },
queues: {
tasks: queue<{ url: string }>(),
},
run: workflow(async (ctx) => {
await ctx.loop("task-loop", async (loopCtx) => {
const message = await loopCtx.queue.next("wait-task");
await loopCtx.step("process-task", async () => {
await processTask(message.body.url);
loopCtx.state.processed += 1;
});
});
}),
});
async function processTask(url: string): Promise<void> {
const res = await fetch(url, { method: "POST" });
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Task failed: ${res.status}`);
}
Actors can call other actors using c.client().
import { actor, setup } from "rivetkit";
const inventory = actor({
state: { stock: 100 },
actions: {
reserve: (c, amount: number) => { c.state.stock -= amount; }
}
});
const order = actor({
state: {},
actions: {
process: async (c) => {
const client = c.client<typeof registry>();
await client.inventory.getOrCreate(["main"]).reserve(1);
},
},
});
const registry = setup({ use: { inventory, order } });
Schedule actions to run after a delay or at a specific time. Schedules persist across restarts, upgrades, and crashes.
import { actor, event } from "rivetkit";
const reminder = actor({
state: { message: "" },
events: {
reminder: event<{ message: string }>(),
},
actions: {
// Schedule action to run after delay (ms)
setReminder: (c, message: string, delayMs: number) => {
c.state.message = message;
c.schedule.after(delayMs, "sendReminder");
},
// Schedule action to run at specific timestamp
setReminderAt: (c, message: string, timestamp: number) => {
c.state.message = message;
c.schedule.at(timestamp, "sendReminder");
},
sendReminder: (c) => {
c.broadcast("reminder", { message: c.state.message });
},
},
});
Permanently delete an actor and its state using c.destroy().
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const userAccount = actor({
state: { email: "", name: "" },
onDestroy: (c) => {
console.log(`Account ${c.state.email} deleted`);
},
actions: {
deleteAccount: (c) => {
c.destroy();
},
},
});
Actors support hooks for initialization, background processing, connections, networking, and state changes. Use run for long-lived background loops, and exit cleanly on shutdown with c.aborted or c.abortSignal.
import { actor, event, queue } from "rivetkit";
interface RoomState {
users: Record<string, boolean>;
name?: string;
}
interface RoomInput {
roomName: string;
}
interface ConnState {
userId: string;
joinedAt: number;
}
const chatRoom = actor({
state: { users: {} } as RoomState,
vars: { startTime: 0 },
connState: { userId: "", joinedAt: 0 } as ConnState,
events: {
stateChanged: event<RoomState>(),
},
queues: {
work: queue<{ task: string }>(),
},
// State & vars initialization
createState: (c, input: RoomInput): RoomState => ({ users: {}, name: input.roomName }),
createVars: () => ({ startTime: Date.now() }),
// Actor lifecycle
onCreate: (c) => console.log("created", c.key),
onDestroy: (c) => console.log("destroyed"),
onWake: (c) => console.log("actor started"),
onSleep: (c) => console.log("actor sleeping"),
run: async (c) => {
for await (const message of c.queue.iter()) {
console.log("processing", message.body.task);
}
},
onStateChange: (c, newState) => c.broadcast("stateChanged", newState),
// Connection lifecycle
createConnState: (c, params): ConnState => ({ userId: (params as { userId: string }).userId, joinedAt: Date.now() }),
onBeforeConnect: (c, params) => { /* validate auth */ },
onConnect: (c, conn) => console.log("connected:", conn.state.userId),
onDisconnect: (c, conn) => console.log("disconnected:", conn.state.userId),
// Networking
onRequest: (c, req) => new Response(JSON.stringify(c.state)),
onWebSocket: (c, socket) => socket.addEventListener("message", console.log),
// Response transformation
onBeforeActionResponse: <Out>(c: unknown, name: string, args: unknown[], output: Out): Out => output,
actions: {},
});
When writing helper functions outside the actor definition, use *ContextOf<typeof myActor> to extract the correct context type. Do not manually define your own context interface — always derive it from the actor definition.
import { actor, ActionContextOf } from "rivetkit";
const gameRoom = actor({
state: { players: [] as string[], score: 0 },
actions: {
addPlayer: (c, playerId: string) => {
validatePlayer(c, playerId);
c.state.players.push(playerId);
},
},
});
// Good: derive context type from actor definition
function validatePlayer(c: ActionContextOf<typeof gameRoom>, playerId: string) {
if (c.state.players.includes(playerId)) {
throw new Error("Player already in room");
}
}
// Bad: don't manually define context types like this
// type MyContext = { state: { players: string[] }; ... };
Use UserError to throw errors that are safely returned to clients. Pass metadata to include structured data. Other errors are converted to generic "internal error" for security.
import { actor, UserError } from "rivetkit";
const user = actor({
state: { username: "" },
actions: {
updateUsername: (c, username: string) => {
if (username.length < 3) {
throw new UserError("Username too short", {
code: "username_too_short",
metadata: { minLength: 3, actual: username.length },
});
}
c.state.username = username;
},
},
});
import { actor, setup } from "rivetkit";
import { createClient, ActorError } from "rivetkit/client";
const user = actor({
state: { username: "" },
actions: { updateUsername: (c, username: string) => { c.state.username = username; } }
});
const registry = setup({ use: { user } });
const client = createClient<typeof registry>();
try {
await client.user.getOrCreate([]).updateUsername("ab");
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof ActorError) {
console.log(error.code); // "username_too_short"
console.log(error.metadata); // { minLength: 3, actual: 2 }
}
}
For custom protocols or integrating libraries that need direct access to HTTP Request/Response or WebSocket connections, use onRequest and onWebSocket.
Customize how actors appear in the UI with display names and icons. It's recommended to always provide a name and icon to actors in order to make them easier to distinguish in the dashboard.
import { actor } from "rivetkit";
const chatRoom = actor({
options: {
name: "Chat Room",
icon: "💬", // or FontAwesome: "comments", "chart-line", etc.
},
// ...
});
Find the full client guides here:
Actors scale naturally through isolated state and message-passing. Structure your applications with these patterns:
Create one actor per user, document, or room. Use compound keys to scope entities:
import { createClient } from "rivetkit/client";
import type { registry } from "./actors";
const client = createClient<typeof registry>();
// Single key: one actor per user
client.user.getOrCreate(["user-123"]);
// Compound key: document scoped to an organization
client.document.getOrCreate(["org-acme", "doc-456"]);
import { actor, setup } from "rivetkit";
export const user = actor({
state: { name: "" },
actions: {},
});
export const document = actor({
state: { content: "" },
actions: {},
});
export const registry = setup({ use: { user, document } });
Data actors handle core logic (chat rooms, game sessions, user data). Coordinator actors track and manage collections of data actors—think of them as an index.
import { actor, setup } from "rivetkit";
// Coordinator: tracks chat rooms within an organization
export const chatRoomList = actor({
state: { rooms: [] as string[] },
actions: {
addRoom: async (c, name: string) => {
// Create the chat room actor
const client = c.client<typeof registry>();
await client.chatRoom.create([c.key[0], name]);
c.state.rooms.push(name);
},
listRooms: (c) => c.state.rooms,
},
});
// Data actor: handles a single chat room
export const chatRoom = actor({
state: { messages: [] as string[] },
actions: {
send: (c, msg: string) => { c.state.messages.push(msg); },
},
});
export const registry = setup({ use: { chatRoomList, chatRoom } });
import { createClient } from "rivetkit/client";
import type { registry } from "./actors";
const client = createClient<typeof registry>();
// Coordinator per org
const coordinator = client.chatRoomList.getOrCreate(["org-acme"]);
await coordinator.addRoom("general");
await coordinator.addRoom("random");
// Access chat rooms created by coordinator
client.chatRoom.get(["org-acme", "general"]);
Use a run loop for continuous background work inside an actor. Process queue messages in order, run logic on intervals, stream AI responses, or coordinate long-running tasks.
import { actor, queue, setup } from "rivetkit";
const counterWorker = actor({
state: { value: 0 },
queues: {
mutate: queue<{ delta: number }>(),
},
run: async (c) => {
for await (const message of c.queue.iter()) {
c.state.value += message.body.delta;
}
},
actions: {
getValue: (c) => c.state.value,
},
});
const registry = setup({ use: { counterWorker } });
Use this pattern for long-lived, durable workflows that initialize resources, process commands in a loop, then clean up.
import { actor, queue, setup } from "rivetkit";
import { Loop, workflow } from "rivetkit/workflow";
type WorkMessage = { amount: number };
type ControlMessage = { type: "stop"; reason: string };
const worker = actor({
state: {
phase: "idle" as "idle" | "running" | "stopped",
processed: 0,
total: 0,
stopReason: null as string | null,
},
queues: {
work: queue<WorkMessage>(),
control: queue<ControlMessage>(),
},
run: workflow(async (ctx) => {
await ctx.step("setup", async () => {
await fetch("https://api.example.com/workers/init", { method: "POST" });
ctx.state.phase = "running";
ctx.state.stopReason = null;
});
const stopReason = await ctx.loop("worker-loop", async (loopCtx) => {
const message = await loopCtx.queue.next("wait-command", {
names: ["work", "control"],
});
if (message.name === "work") {
await loopCtx.step("apply-work", async () => {
await fetch("https://api.example.com/workers/process", {
method: "POST",
body: JSON.stringify({ amount: message.body.amount }),
});
loopCtx.state.processed += 1;
loopCtx.state.total += message.body.amount;
});
return;
}
return Loop.break((message.body as ControlMessage).reason);
});
await ctx.step("teardown", async () => {
await fetch("https://api.example.com/workers/shutdown", { method: "POST" });
ctx.state.phase = "stopped";
ctx.state.stopReason = stopReason;
});
}),
});
const registry = setup({ use: { worker } });
onBeforeConnect or createConnState and throw an error to reject unauthorized connections.c.conn.state to securely identify users in actions rather than trusting action parameters.onBeforeConnect.When deploying new code, set a version number so Rivet can route new actors to the latest runner and optionally drain old ones. Use a build timestamp, git commit count, or CI build number as the version.
Do not put all your logic in a single actor. A god actor serializes every operation through one bottleneck, kills parallelism, and makes the entire system fail as a unit. Split into focused actors per entity.
Actors are long-lived and maintain state across requests. Creating a new actor for every incoming request throws away the core benefit of the model and wastes resources on actor creation and teardown. Use actors for persistent entities and regular functions for stateless work.