> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/taskforcesh/bullmq/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> How to install BullMQ for Python

## Install via pip

BullMQ is available as a Python package on PyPI and can be installed using pip:

```bash theme={null}
pip install bullmq
```

## Requirements

* **Python**: 3.10 or higher
* **Redis**: 5.0 or higher (6.2+ recommended for best performance)

## Dependencies

The package automatically installs the following dependencies:

* **redis** (6.4.0) - Python Redis client
* **msgpack** (1.1.2) - MessagePack serialization
* **semver** (3.0.4) - Semantic versioning utilities

## Development Installation

If you want to contribute to BullMQ Python or install from source:

```bash theme={null}
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/taskforcesh/bullmq.git
cd bullmq/python

# Install in development mode
pip install -e .

# Install development dependencies
pip install -e ".[dev]"
```

## Verify Installation

You can verify the installation by importing the package:

```python theme={null}
import bullmq
print(bullmq.__version__)
```

## Redis Setup

BullMQ requires a Redis server. You can:

### Run Redis Locally

```bash theme={null}
# Using Docker
docker run -d -p 6379:6379 redis:latest

# Or install Redis directly
# On Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt-get install redis-server

# On macOS:
brew install redis
```

### Use a Managed Redis Service

For production, consider using a managed Redis service:

* [Redis Cloud](https://redis.com/cloud/)
* [AWS ElastiCache](https://aws.amazon.com/elasticache/)
* [Google Cloud Memorystore](https://cloud.google.com/memorystore)
* [Azure Cache for Redis](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/cache/)

## Connection Configuration

When creating a Queue or Worker, you can specify Redis connection details:

```python theme={null}
from bullmq import Queue

# Using connection string
queue = Queue(
    "myQueue",
    {"connection": "rediss://<user>:<password>@<host>:<port>"}
)

# Or using connection parameters (if using a custom Redis client)
# Note: The Python client handles connections internally
```

## Common Issues

### Binary Response Warnings

If you see warnings about binary responses, ensure your Redis client is configured with `decode_responses=True`:

<Warning>
  If Redis responses are in binary format, pass the `decode_responses=True` option. See the [redis-py documentation](https://redis-py.readthedocs.io/en/latest/examples/connection_examples.html) for more details.
</Warning>

### Connection Errors

If you can't connect to Redis:

1. Verify Redis is running: `redis-cli ping` (should return `PONG`)
2. Check your connection string has the correct host, port, and credentials
3. Ensure your firewall allows connections to the Redis port (default: 6379)

## Next Steps

<Card title="Usage Guide" icon="code" href="/python/usage">
  Learn how to create queues and workers
</Card>