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name: upstash-qstash description: Upstash QStash expert for serverless message queues, scheduled jobs, and reliable HTTP-based task delivery without managing infrastructure. risk: unknown source: vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0) date_added: 2026-02-27

Upstash QStash

Upstash QStash expert for serverless message queues, scheduled jobs, and reliable HTTP-based task delivery without managing infrastructure.

Principles

• HTTP is the interface - if it speaks HTTPS, it speaks QStash
• Endpoints must be public - QStash calls your URLs from the cloud
• Verify signatures always - never trust unverified webhooks
• Schedules are fire-and-forget - QStash handles the cron
• Retries are built-in - but configure them for your use case
• Delays are free - schedule seconds to days in the future
• Callbacks complete the loop - know when delivery succeeds or fails
• Deduplication prevents double-processing - use message IDs

Capabilities

• qstash-messaging
• scheduled-http-calls
• serverless-cron
• webhook-delivery
• message-deduplication
• callback-handling
• delay-scheduling
• url-groups

Scope

• complex-workflows -> inngest
• redis-queues -> bullmq-specialist
• event-sourcing -> event-architect
• workflow-orchestration -> temporal-craftsman

Tooling

Core

• qstash-sdk
• upstash-console

Frameworks

• nextjs
• cloudflare-workers
• vercel-functions
• aws-lambda
• netlify-functions

Patterns

• scheduled-jobs
• delayed-messages
• webhook-fanout
• callback-verification

Related

• upstash-redis
• upstash-kafka

Patterns

Basic Message Publishing

Sending messages to be delivered to endpoints

When to use: Need reliable async HTTP calls

import { Client } from '@upstash/qstash';

const qstash = new Client({ token: process.env.QSTASH_TOKEN!, });

// Simple message to endpoint await qstash.publishJSON({ url: 'https://myapp.com/api/process', body: { userId: '123', action: 'welcome-email', }, });

// With delay (process in 1 hour) await qstash.publishJSON({ url: 'https://myapp.com/api/reminder', body: { userId: '123' }, delay: 60 * 60, // seconds });

// With specific delivery time await qstash.publishJSON({ url: 'https://myapp.com/api/scheduled', body: { report: 'daily' }, notBefore: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 86400, // tomorrow });

Scheduled Cron Jobs

Setting up recurring scheduled tasks

When to use: Need periodic background jobs without infrastructure

import { Client } from '@upstash/qstash';

const qstash = new Client({ token: process.env.QSTASH_TOKEN!, });

// Create a scheduled job const schedule = await qstash.schedules.create({ destination: 'https://myapp.com/api/cron/daily-report', cron: '0 9 * * *', // Every day at 9 AM UTC body: JSON.stringify({ type: 'daily' }), headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', }, });

console.log('Schedule created:', schedule.scheduleId);

// List all schedules const schedules = await qstash.schedules.list();

// Delete a schedule await qstash.schedules.delete(schedule.scheduleId);

Signature Verification

Verifying QStash message signatures in your endpoint

When to use: Any endpoint receiving QStash messages (always!)

// app/api/webhook/route.ts (Next.js App Router) import { Receiver } from '@upstash/qstash'; import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';

const receiver = new Receiver({ currentSigningKey: process.env.QSTASH_CURRENT_SIGNING_KEY!, nextSigningKey: process.env.QSTASH_NEXT_SIGNING_KEY!, });

export async function POST(req: NextRequest) { const signature = req.headers.get('upstash-signature'); const body = await req.text();

// ALWAYS verify signature const isValid = await receiver.verify({ signature: signature!, body, url: req.url, });

if (!isValid) { return NextResponse.json( { error: 'Invalid signature' }, { status: 401 } ); }

// Safe to process const data = JSON.parse(body); await processMessage(data);

return NextResponse.json({ success: true }); }

Callback for Delivery Status

Getting notified when messages are delivered or fail

When to use: Need to track delivery status for critical messages

import { Client } from '@upstash/qstash';

const qstash = new Client({ token: process.env.QSTASH_TOKEN!, });

// Publish with callback await qstash.publishJSON({ url: 'https://myapp.com/api/critical-task', body: { taskId: '456' }, callback: 'https://myapp.com/api/qstash-callback', failureCallback: 'https://myapp.com/api/qstash-failed', });

// Callback endpoint receives delivery status // app/api/qstash-callback/route.ts export async function POST(req: NextRequest) { // Verify signature first! const data = await req.json();

// data contains: // - sourceMessageId: original message ID // - url: destination URL // - status: HTTP status code // - body: response body

if (data.status >= 200 && data.status < 300) { await markTaskComplete(data.so