Upstash Redis SDK - Complete Skills Guide

This directory contains comprehensive guides for using the @upstash/redis SDK. These skill files are designed to help developers and AI assistants understand and use the SDK effectively.

Installation

npm install @upstash/redis

Quick Start

Basic Initialization

import { Redis } from "@upstash/redis";

// Initialize with explicit credentials const redis = new Redis({ url: "UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL", token: "UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN", });

// Or initialize from environment variables const redis = Redis.fromEnv();

Environment Variables

Set these in your .env file:

UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL=https://your-redis.upstash.io UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN=your-token-here

Skill Files Overview

Data Structures (skills/data-structures/)

Redis data types with auto-serialization examples:

• strings.md - GET, SET, INCR, DECR, APPEND with automatic type handling

• hashes.md - HSET, HGET, HMGET with object serialization

• lists.md - LPUSH, RPUSH, LRANGE with array handling

• sets.md - SADD, SMEMBERS, set operations

• sorted-sets.md - ZADD, ZRANGE, ZRANK, leaderboard patterns

• json.md - JSON.SET, JSON.GET, JSONPath queries for nested objects

• streams.md - XADD, XREAD, XGROUP, consumer groups

Advanced Features (skills/advanced-features/)

Complex operations and optimizations:

• auto-pipeline.md - Automatic request batching, performance optimization

• pipeline-and-transactions.md - Manual pipelines, MULTI/EXEC, WATCH for atomic operations

• scripting.md - Lua scripts, EVAL, EVALSHA for server-side logic

Patterns (skills/patterns/)

Common use cases and architectural patterns:

• caching.md - Cache-aside, write-through, TTL strategies

• rate-limiting.md - Integration with @upstash/ratelimit package

• session-management.md - Session storage and user state management

• distributed-locks.md - Lock implementations, deadlock prevention

• leaderboard.md - Sorted set leaderboards, real-time rankings

Performance (skills/performance/)

Optimization techniques and best practices:

• batching-operations.md - MGET, MSET, batch operations

• pipeline-optimization.md - When to use pipelines, performance tips

• ttl-expiration.md - Key expiration strategies, memory management

• data-serialization.md - Deep dive into auto serialization, custom serializers, edge cases

• error-handling.md - Error types, retry strategies, timeout handling, debugging tips

• redis-replicas.md - Global database setup, read replicas, read-your-writes consistency

Migrations (skills/migrations/)

Migration guides from other libraries:

• from-ioredis.md - Migration from ioredis, key differences, serialization changes

• from-redis-node.md - Migration from node-redis, API differences

Common Mistakes (Especially for LLMs)

❌ Mistake 1: Treating Everything as Strings

// ❌ WRONG - Don't do this with @upstash/redis await redis.set("count", "42"); // Stored as string "42" const count = await redis.get("count"); const incremented = parseInt(count) + 1; // Manual parsing needed

// ✅ CORRECT - Let the SDK handle it await redis.set("count", 42); // Stored as number const count = await redis.get("count"); const incremented = count + 1; // Just use it

❌ Mistake 2: Manual JSON Serialization

// ❌ WRONG - Unnecessary with @upstash/redis await redis.set("user", JSON.stringify({ name: "Alice" })); const user = JSON.parse(await redis.get("user"));

// ✅ CORRECT - Automatic handling await redis.set("user", { name: "Alice" }); const user = await redis.get("user");

Quick Command Reference

// Strings await redis.set("key", "value"); await redis.get("key"); await redis.incr("counter"); await redis.decr("counter");

// Hashes await redis.hset("user:1", { name: "Alice", age: 30 }); await redis.hget("user:1", "name"); await redis.hgetall("user:1");

// Lists await redis.lpush("tasks", "task1", "task2"); await redis.rpush("tasks", "task3"); await redis.lrange("tasks", 0, -1);

// Sets await redis.sadd("tags", "javascript", "redis"); await redis.smembers("tags");

// Sorted Sets await redis.zadd("leaderboard", { score: 100, member: "player1" }); await redis.zrange("leaderboard", 0, -1);

// JSON await redis.json.set("user:1", "$", { name: "Alice", address: { city: "NYC" } }); await redis.json.get("user:1");

// Expiration await redis.setex("session", 3600, { userId: "123" }); await redis.expire("key", 60); await redis.ttl("key");

Best Practices

• Use environment variables for credentials, never hardcode

• Leverage auto-serialization - pass native JavaScript types

• Use TypeScript types for better type safety

• Set appropriate TTLs to manage memory

• Use pipelines for multiple operations

• Namespace your keys (e.g., user:123 , session:abc )

Resources

• Official Documentation

• GitHub Repository

• API Reference

• Examples

Getting Help

For detailed information on specific topics, refer to the individual skill files in the skills/ directory. Each file contains comprehensive examples, use cases, and best practices for its topic.