Receive SQS Messages: AWS SQS action

Inputs

The fields this action accepts.

Every field can be mapped from an upstream trigger, AI step, table row, or hard-coded literal.

Field	Type	Required	Description
Queue URL queue_url	string	Required	A fully qualified URL (https://...) for the queue url.
Max Messages max_messages	number	Optional	1-10.
Wait Time (s) wait_time_seconds	number	Optional	Long-poll timeout. 0-20.
Visibility Timeout (s) visibility_timeout	number	Optional	Hide from other consumers while you process. Delete before this expires.

Sample request

{
  "queue_url": "e.g. https://example.com/path",
  "max_messages": "{{trigger.max_messages}}",
  "wait_time_seconds": "{{trigger.wait_time_seconds}}",
  "visibility_timeout": "{{trigger.visibility_timeout}}"
}

Returns

{
  "Messages": [
    {
      "Body": "{\"event\":\"order.created\"}",
      "MD5OfBody": "...",
      "MessageId": "abc",
      "ReceiptHandle": "AQEBxyz..."
    }
  ]
}

Use these fields in downstream nodes for routing, logging, or error handling.

FAQ

Questions about Receive SQS Messages.

What does the Receive SQS Messages action do in AWS SQS?

Long-polls the queue for up to 10 messages. Pass wait_time_seconds=20 for full long polling (waits up to 20s for new messages to arrive on quiet queues) — reduces empty-receive costs significantly. Schedule this on a cadence to drain a queue from a workflow.

What inputs does Receive SQS Messages require?

Required: Queue URL. Every input accepts a static value or a variable from any upstream node in your workflow.

Can I use dynamic inputs from earlier workflow nodes?

Yes. Any field on this action can pull values from upstream nodes, whether that's a form response, a trigger payload, an AI output, or a lookup result.

What happens if AWS SQS returns an error?

The workflow pauses on the failed node, the error message is captured in the run log, and you can retry the run with one click. Auto-retry policies are configurable per workflow with exponential backoff up to 5 attempts.

Does Receive SQS Messages support batch operations?

Yes. Run Receive SQS Messages inside a Loop node to process arrays. Tiny Command handles AWS SQS's rate limits automatically so you don't have to throttle manually.

More actions

Other AWS SQS actions.

Action

Delete SQS Message

Acknowledges a received SQS message so it doesn't redeliver after the visibility timeout. Must call this within the visibility timeout window or SQS re-delivers the message to another consumer.

Action

Send SQS Message

Sends a message to a Standard or FIFO queue with optional delay (delay_seconds) for delayed delivery and message_attributes for typed metadata that subscribers can filter on. The standard hook for decoupling: webhook trigger → push to queue → external worker consumes.

How do I pull messages from an SQS queue?

The fields this action accepts.

Apps that pair well as the trigger for Receive SQS Messages.

Questions about Receive SQS Messages.

Other AWS SQS actions.

Send receive sqs messages from your workflows.