
About
BullMQ expert for Redis-backed job queues, background processing,
name: bullmq-specialist description: BullMQ expert for Redis-backed job queues, background processing, and reliable async execution in Node.js/TypeScript applications. risk: none source: vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0) date_added: 2026-02-27
BullMQ Specialist
BullMQ expert for Redis-backed job queues, background processing, and reliable async execution in Node.js/TypeScript applications.
Principles
- Jobs are fire-and-forget from the producer side - let the queue handle delivery
- Always set explicit job options - defaults rarely match your use case
- Idempotency is your responsibility - jobs may run more than once
- Backoff strategies prevent thundering herds - exponential beats linear
- Dead letter queues are not optional - failed jobs need a home
- Concurrency limits protect downstream services - start conservative
- Job data should be small - pass IDs, not payloads
- Graceful shutdown prevents orphaned jobs - handle SIGTERM properly
Capabilities
- bullmq-queues
- job-scheduling
- delayed-jobs
- repeatable-jobs
- job-priorities
- rate-limiting-jobs
- job-events
- worker-patterns
- flow-producers
- job-dependencies
Scope
- redis-infrastructure -> redis-specialist
- serverless-queues -> upstash-qstash
- workflow-orchestration -> temporal-craftsman
- event-sourcing -> event-architect
- email-delivery -> email-systems
Tooling
Core
- bullmq
- ioredis
Hosting
- upstash
- redis-cloud
- elasticache
- railway
Monitoring
- bull-board
- arena
- bullmq-pro
Patterns
- delayed-jobs
- repeatable-jobs
- job-flows
- rate-limiting
- sandboxed-processors
Patterns
Basic Queue Setup
Production-ready BullMQ queue with proper configuration
When to use: Starting any new queue implementation
import { Queue, Worker, QueueEvents } from 'bullmq'; import IORedis from 'ioredis';
// Shared connection for all queues const connection = new IORedis(process.env.REDIS_URL, { maxRetriesPerRequest: null, // Required for BullMQ enableReadyCheck: false, });
// Create queue with sensible defaults const emailQueue = new Queue('emails', { connection, defaultJobOptions: { attempts: 3, backoff: { type: 'exponential', delay: 1000, }, removeOnComplete: { count: 1000 }, removeOnFail: { count: 5000 }, }, });
// Worker with concurrency limit const worker = new Worker('emails', async (job) => { await sendEmail(job.data); }, { connection, concurrency: 5, limiter: { max: 100, duration: 60000, // 100 jobs per minute }, });
// Handle events
worker.on('failed', (job, err) => {
console.error(Job ${job?.id} failed:, err);
});
Delayed and Scheduled Jobs
Jobs that run at specific times or after delays
When to use: Scheduling future tasks, reminders, or timed actions
// Delayed job - runs once after delay await queue.add('reminder', { userId: 123 }, { delay: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // 24 hours });
// Repeatable job - runs on schedule await queue.add('daily-digest', { type: 'summary' }, { repeat: { pattern: '0 9 * * *', // Every day at 9am tz: 'America/New_York', }, });
// Remove repeatable job await queue.removeRepeatable('daily-digest', { pattern: '0 9 * * *', tz: 'America/New_York', });
Job Flows and Dependencies
Complex multi-step job processing with parent-child relationships
When to use: Jobs depend on other jobs completing first
import { FlowProducer } from 'bullmq';
const flowProducer = new FlowProducer({ connection });
// Parent waits for all children to complete await flowProducer.add({ name: 'process-order', queueName: 'orders', data: { orderId: 123 }, children: [ { name: 'validate-inventory', queueName: 'inventory', data: { orderId: 123 }, }, { name: 'charge-payment', queueName: 'payments', data: { orderId: 123 }, }, { name: 'notify-warehouse', queueName: 'notifications', data: { orderId: 123 }, }, ], });
Graceful Shutdown
Properly close workers without losing jobs
When to use: Deploying or restarting workers
const shutdown = async () => { console.log('Shutting down gracefully...');
// Stop accepting new jobs await worker.pause();
// Wait for current jobs to finish (with timeout) await worker.close();
// Close queue connection await queue.close();
process.exit(0); };
process.on('SIGTERM', shutdown); process.on('SIGINT', shutdown);
Bull Board Dashboard
Visual monitoring for BullMQ queues
When to use: Need visibility into queue status and job states
import { createBullBoard } from '@bull-board/api'; import { BullMQAdapter } from '@bull-board/api/bullMQAdapter'; import { ExpressAdapter } from '@bull-board/express';
const serverAdapter = new ExpressAdapter(); serverAdapter.setBasePath('/admin/queues');
createBullBoard({ queues: [ new BullMQAdapter(emailQueue), new BullMQAdapter(orderQueue), ], serverAdapter, });
app.use(

