diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 28e1c00..498ee75 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -25,8 +25,13 @@ API_HASH=
 OWNER_ID=
 
 BOT_TOKEN=
-BOT_USERNAME= # without @
+# Optional: bot username without @. Usually auto-fetched from BOT_TOKEN.
+BOT_USERNAME=
 
 MONGO_URI=
+DB_NAME=Ether
+SESSION_NAME=etheruserbot
 
 DEBUG=False
+WEB_SERVICE=False
+PORT=8080
diff --git a/Procfile b/Procfile
index eb131d6..25fcdc8 100644
--- a/Procfile
+++ b/Procfile
@@ -1 +1 @@
-worker: python3 main.py
+worker: python main.py
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dda08cf..4207d92 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -103,20 +103,21 @@ Ether uses environment variables for configuration. These can be set in a `.env`
 | :--- | :--- | :--- |
 | `API_ID` | Required | Your Telegram API ID from [my.telegram.org](https://my.telegram.org) |
 | `API_HASH` | Required | Your Telegram API Hash from [my.telegram.org](https://my.telegram.org) |
-| `BOT_TOKEN` | Required | Your Bot Token from [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) |
 | `OWNER_ID` | Required | Your numeric Telegram User ID |
+| `BOT_TOKEN` | Required | Your Bot Token from [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) |
 | `MONGO_URI` | Required | MongoDB Atlas connection string |
-| `BOT_USERNAME` | Required | Your Bot's username (without @) |
+| `BOT_USERNAME` | Optional | Auto-fetched from `BOT_TOKEN`; set manually only if needed |
+| `SESSION_NAME` | Optional | MongoDB session document name (Default: `etheruserbot`) |
 | `DB_NAME` | Optional | Database name (Default: `Ether`) |
 | `DEBUG` | Optional | Set to `true` for verbose logging (Default: `false`) |
-| `WEB_SERVICE` | Optional | Set to `true` for cloud keep-alive services |
-| `PORT` | Optional | Port for the web service (Default: `8080`) |
+| `WEB_SERVICE` | Optional | Set to `true` when the host requires an HTTP health endpoint |
+| `PORT` | Optional | Port for the web service (Default: `8080`; Render uses `10000`) |
 
 ---
 
 ## Deployment Options
 
-Ether is designed to be deployed anywhere. Choose the platform that fits your needs.
+Ether is a long-running Telegram client. For reliable operation, use a host that allows long-lived processes and provide a persistent MongoDB database for sessions and settings.
 
 <div align="center">
 
@@ -126,30 +127,57 @@ Ether is designed to be deployed anywhere. Choose the platform that fits your ne
 
 </div>
 
+### Deployment Matrix
+
+| Target | Files Used | Runtime Type | How to Verify |
+| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
+| Render | `render.yaml`, `Dockerfile` | Docker web service | HTTP health check at `/health` |
+| Heroku | `app.json`, `heroku.yml`, `Dockerfile` | Container worker dyno | Worker logs and Telegram `/login` |
+| Docker Compose / VPS | `docker-compose.yml`, `Dockerfile` | Local Docker service | `docker compose config` and `/health` |
+| Manual Python | `requirements.txt`, `main.py` | Local Python process | Import and compile checks |
+| JustRunMyApp / Generic Docker Host | `Dockerfile` | Long-running Docker container | Same env vars and health endpoint rules as Docker |
+
 ### Quick Start Guides
 
 #### 1. Cloud Hosting (Render - Recommended)
-Render provides the most stable environment for Ether with native Docker support.
+Render should be deployed as a Docker **Web Service** because Render requires web services to bind an HTTP port.
+
 1.  **Fork** this repository to your own GitHub account.
 2.  Click the **Deploy to Render** button above.
 3.  Connect your GitHub account and select the forked repository.
-4.  Configure the **Environment Variables** (see [Configuration](#configuration)).
-    *   **Crucial:** Ensure `WEB_SERVICE` is set to `true` to prevent the service from sleeping.
-5.  Render will automatically build and deploy the container.
+4.  Use the checked-in `render.yaml` blueprint:
+    *   Runtime: `docker`
+    *   Dockerfile: `./Dockerfile`
+    *   Health check path: `/health`
+    *   `PORT=10000`
+    *   `WEB_SERVICE=true`
+5.  Set the required environment variables from [Configuration](#configuration).
+6.  Deploy, then open:
+    ```text
+    https://your-app.onrender.com/health
+    ```
+    Expected response:
+    ```json
+    {"status":"healthy"}
+    ```
+7.  Open your Telegram bot and run `/login`.
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Render Free web services sleep after idle periods and can restart at any time. The HTTP endpoint keeps the deploy valid, but it does not make the free plan always-on. Use a paid Render instance, VPS, or another always-on host for a 24/7 userbot.
 
 ---
 
 ### Keep-Alive & Automation (Cloud)
 
-Cloud providers like Render often put free-tier apps to "sleep" after inactivity. Use these tools to ensure Ether stays online 24/7.
+Cloud providers often put free-tier apps to sleep after inactivity. External monitors can reduce idle sleep, but a paid always-on service or VPS is the more reliable option for a 24/7 userbot.
 
 #### UptimeRobot (Keep-Alive)
-To prevent Render from sleeping, set up a monitor to ping your bot's URL:
+To keep a Render web service receiving inbound HTTP traffic, set up a monitor to ping the health endpoint:
 1.  Go to [UptimeRobot](https://uptimerobot.com/) and create a free account.
 2.  Click **Add New Monitor**.
 3.  **Monitor Type**: `HTTP(s)`
 4.  **Friendly Name**: `Ether Userbot`
-5.  **URL**: Your Render app URL (e.g., `https://your-app.onrender.com/`)
+5.  **URL**: `https://your-app.onrender.com/health`
 6.  **Monitoring Interval**: Every `5 minutes`.
 7.  Click **Create Monitor**.
 
@@ -157,28 +185,50 @@ To prevent Render from sleeping, set up a monitor to ping your bot's URL:
 If you need to trigger specific bot actions or ensure the web service remains active via external triggers:
 1.  Create an account at [Cron-job.org](https://cron-job.org/).
 2.  Create a **New Cronjob**.
-3.  **URL**: Your Render app URL.
+3.  **URL**: `https://your-app.onrender.com/health`
 4.  **Schedule**: Every 5 or 10 minutes.
 5.  This acts as a secondary heart-beat for your bot.
 
 ---
 
 #### 2. Heroku Deployment
-Ideal for users familiar with the Heroku ecosystem.
+Heroku should be deployed as a container **worker** dyno. Do not run a web dyno unless you add a separate web process.
+
 1.  Click the **Deploy to Heroku** button above.
 2.  Enter a unique app name and fill in the required environment variables.
 3.  Once the build finishes, go to the **Resources** tab.
-4.  **Important:** Turn off the `web` dyno and turn **ON** the `worker` dyno.
-5.  Render will automatically build and deploy the container.
+4.  Confirm the `worker` dyno is enabled and the `web` dyno is disabled.
+5.  Set `WEB_SERVICE=false` for worker-only Heroku deployments.
+6.  Check logs:
+    ```bash
+    heroku logs --tail --ps worker -a your-app-name
+    ```
+7.  Open your Telegram bot and run `/login`.
+
+CLI deployment:
+```bash
+heroku create your-app-name
+heroku stack:set container -a your-app-name
+heroku config:set API_ID=... API_HASH=... OWNER_ID=... BOT_TOKEN=... MONGO_URI=... WEB_SERVICE=false -a your-app-name
+git push heroku main
+heroku ps:scale web=0 worker=1 -a your-app-name
+```
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> Heroku no longer has free dynos. Use a paid dyno type appropriate for a long-running worker.
 
 ---
 
 #### 3. JustRunMyApp (One-Click)
-A simple, zero-config deployment platform.
+Use this path only if the platform supports long-running Docker containers and runtime environment variables.
+
 1.  Click the **Deploy Now** button for JustRunMyApp above.
-2.  Paste the repository URL: `https://github.com/LearningBotsOfficial/Ether`
-3.  Follow the on-screen prompts to set your Environment Variables.
-4.  Launch the app and wait for the status to show "Running".
+2.  Paste the repository URL: `https://github.com/LearningBotsOfficial/Ether`.
+3.  Choose Dockerfile-based deployment.
+4.  Set the required environment variables from [Configuration](#configuration).
+5.  If the platform requires an HTTP endpoint, set `WEB_SERVICE=true` and `PORT` to the platform-provided port.
+6.  Launch the app and wait for the status to show `Running`.
+7.  If a public URL is provided, verify `/health`.
 
 #### 4. Docker Deployment (Local / VPS)
 The preferred method for developers and privacy-focused users.
@@ -191,10 +241,20 @@ cp .env.example .env
 nano .env
 
 # 3. Build and launch with Docker Compose
-docker-compose up -d --build
+docker compose up -d --build
+
+# 4. Verify the service
+docker compose ps
+curl http://localhost:8080/health
 ```
+
+For Windows PowerShell, the health check command is:
+```powershell
+Invoke-RestMethod http://localhost:8080/health
+```
+
 > [!TIP]
-> Using Docker Compose handles the health checks and automatic restarts for you.
+> Docker Compose sets `WEB_SERVICE=true`, exposes `${PORT:-8080}`, and uses the `/health` endpoint for container health checks. If you set `PORT` in `.env`, use that value instead of `8080` in the health check URL.
 
 #### 5. Manual Setup (Linux / VPS / Windows)
 For users who want full control over the environment.
@@ -221,7 +281,8 @@ For users who want full control over the environment.
    .venv\Scripts\activate
    
    # Install dependencies
-   pip install -r requirements.txt
+   python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+   python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
    ```
 
 4. **Configure Environment Variables**
@@ -237,6 +298,12 @@ For users who want full control over the environment.
    python main.py
    ```
 
+   If your host requires a health endpoint, set:
+   ```bash
+   export WEB_SERVICE=true
+   export PORT=8080
+   ```
+
 ---
 
 ### Managing Dependencies & Upgrading
@@ -244,30 +311,28 @@ For users who want full control over the environment.
 #### Adding or Removing Packages
 To add a new library:
 ```bash
-pip install <package-name>
-# Then update requirements.txt
-pip freeze > requirements.txt
+python -m pip install <package-name>
+# Then add the reviewed direct dependency pin to requirements.txt
 ```
 To remove a library:
 ```bash
-pip uninstall <package-name>
-# Then update requirements.txt
-pip freeze > requirements.txt
+python -m pip uninstall <package-name>
+# Then remove the direct dependency pin from requirements.txt
 ```
 
-#### Upgrading All Packages
-To upgrade all dependencies to their latest versions:
+#### Syncing Pinned Dependencies
+Install exactly the versions listed in `requirements.txt`:
 ```bash
-pip install --upgrade -r requirements.txt
-pip freeze > requirements.txt
+python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
 ```
 
-#### Syncing Environment
-Whenever you pull new changes from GitHub that include an updated `requirements.txt`, simply run:
+If you use `uv`:
 ```bash
-pip install -r requirements.txt
+uv pip install -r requirements.txt
 ```
-This ensures your local `.venv` matches the project's requirements.
+
+#### Upgrading Dependency Pins
+Pinned requirements do not upgrade automatically. To upgrade safely, check the latest package versions, edit `requirements.txt`, sync the environment, and run the verification commands in the deployment section.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/app.json b/app.json
index 42d81f6..4d0efd2 100644
--- a/app.json
+++ b/app.json
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
       "required": true
     },
     "WEB_SERVICE": {
-      "description": "Set to true to enable the keep-alive web service (requires 'web' process type).",
+      "description": "Set to false for the default Heroku worker dyno. Use true only if you add a web process.",
       "value": "false",
       "required": false
     },
@@ -51,4 +51,4 @@
     }
   },
   "stack": "container"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index e4b5cde..119945a 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-version: '3.8'
-
 services:
   ether-userbot:
     build: .
@@ -7,15 +5,18 @@ services:
     restart: unless-stopped
     env_file:
       - .env
+    environment:
+      WEB_SERVICE: "true"
+      PORT: "${PORT:-8080}"
+    ports:
+      - "${PORT:-8080}:${PORT:-8080}"
     volumes:
-      # Map the specific directories where data is generated
       - ./media:/app/media
       - ./logs:/app/logs
-      # Map session files explicitly to persist logins
       - ./sessions:/app/sessions
-      # Note: Since the bot creates session files in the root dir by default
-      # you may need to map them explicitly or configure SESSION_DIR in .env
-      - ./:/app/sessions_data # Or bind mount specific .session files
-    # If the app relies heavily on an external MongoDB, 
-    # network settings can be configured here.
-    network_mode: bridge
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "python -c \"import os, urllib.request; urllib.request.urlopen('http://127.0.0.1:' + os.getenv('PORT', '8080') + '/health', timeout=5).read()\""]
+      interval: 30s
+      timeout: 10s
+      retries: 3
+      start_period: 20s
diff --git a/heroku.yml b/heroku.yml
index 7b13190..c8ad1f4 100644
--- a/heroku.yml
+++ b/heroku.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 build:
   docker:
     worker: Dockerfile
+run:
+  worker: python main.py
diff --git a/plugins/logger.py b/plugins/logger.py
index f0ad82b..887d8d1 100644
--- a/plugins/logger.py
+++ b/plugins/logger.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 # =============================================================================
 
 import time
-from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
 from telethon import events
 from utils.logger import get_logger
 from utils.task_helper import safe_run
@@ -179,14 +179,15 @@ async def cache_messages(event):
         ):
             return
 
-        expire_at = datetime.utcnow() + timedelta(hours=48)
+        now = datetime.now(UTC)
+        expire_at = now + timedelta(hours=48)
 
         await msg_col.insert_one({
             "msg_id": event.id,
             "chat_id": event.chat_id,
             "sender_id": event.sender_id,
             "text": event.text,
-            "date": datetime.utcnow(),
+            "date": now,
             "expire_at": expire_at
         })
 
diff --git a/render.yaml b/render.yaml
index 1fd3bbf..220a95e 100644
--- a/render.yaml
+++ b/render.yaml
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ services:
     plan: free
     region: oregon
 
-    autoDeploy: false
+    autoDeployTrigger: off
 
-    # Use root endpoint for health checks (always available)
-    healthCheckPath: /
+    # Use the lightweight health endpoint for Render health checks.
+    healthCheckPath: /health
 
     envVars:
       # Telegram API Credentials (Required - Get from my.telegram.org)
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ services:
       - key: MONGO_URI
         sync: false
 
-      # Port (Render will override with dynamic port)
+      # Public HTTP port for the health-check web service.
       - key: PORT
         value: "10000"
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 8183364..38ed314 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-aiohttp==3.13.5
-fastapi==0.136.1
+aiohttp==3.14.1
+fastapi==0.136.3
 psutil==7.2.2
-pymongo[srv]==4.13.0
-python-dotenv==1.2.0
-telethon==1.43.0
-uvicorn[standard]==0.47.0
\ No newline at end of file
+pymongo==4.17.0
+python-dotenv==1.2.2
+telethon==1.43.2
+uvicorn[standard]==0.49.0