Implement BullMQ job workflows in NestJS. Use when building queue processors, redis-throttler, Upstash limits, idle polling, stalled jobs, and retention policies.
Installation
Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.
Implement BullMQ job workflows in NestJS. Use when building queue processors, redis-throttler, Upstash limits, idle polling, stalled jobs, and retention policies.
license
MIT
version
1.0.0
author
[Filippo De Silva](https://github.com/FilippoDeSilva)
Set idle polling: Add drainDelay + stalledInterval + maxStalledCount to every @Processor. Default drainDelay (5 ms) burns 570M Redis commands/day at idle. See patterns.md.
Throttle worker error logs: BullMQ workers emit raw unhandled ReplyErrors on Redis failure (e.g. Upstash rate limits). Always extend BaseProcessor instead of WorkerHost to rate-limit these logs. See patterns.md.
Set job retention: Add removeOnComplete, removeOnFail, attempts, backoff to every BullModule.registerQueue. See patterns.md.
Use shared constants: All numeric options live in src/common/constants/bull-queue.constants.ts. Key constants: QUEUE_DRAIN_DELAY_MS (10 000 ms), QUEUE_STALLED_INTERVAL_MS (60 000 ms). Use getSharedBullQueueOptions helper for registerQueue. Queue/job names go in {feature}.constants.ts. Never inline magic numbers.
Wrap every queue.add(): Persist DB record first, then enqueue inside try-catch. Redis errors must not surface as 500s. See patterns.md.
Throttler fail-open: ThrottlerGuard registered as global APP_GUARD — Redis blip propagates errors to ALL HTTP routes. RedisThrottlerStorage.increment() must catch all Redis errors and return fail-open pass-through record. Redis blip must not kill all HTTP routes. See patterns.md.
Guard new queues: Follow isRedisEnabled() conditional + mock token pattern in every module. NestJS DI throws on startup without mock.
Keep processor and cron: Cron schedules; processor executes. Both always required — they complementary. See patterns.md.
Use local Redis in dev: Never point dev machines at Upstash — idle workers exhaust free tier (500K/day) in minutes.
Anti-Patterns
No bare @Processor(NAME): Always pass worker options object with drainDelay and stalledInterval.
No bare WorkerHost extension: Always extend BaseProcessor instead to intercept and rate-limit worker errors.
No registerQueue without defaultJobOptions: Omitting causes unbounded Redis memory growth.
No inline numbers: Use bull-queue.constants.ts — never write 10_000, 60_000, 50, 20, 3, or 5_000 directly.
No unguarded queue.add(): Wrap in try-catch; persist DB state first.
No throws in throttler increment: Catch Redis errors; return fail-open record.
No missing mock token: Provide getQueueToken mock when redisEnabled = false.
No removing processor because cron exists: They serve different roles.