**Experimental**: This documentation covers the AWS SDK for Python v4, which is experimental, non-GA software intended for evaluation and testing only. Do not use it for production workloads. For production applications, use the [AWS SDK for Python (Boto3)](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/boto3/latest/guide/quickstart.html). To understand the differences between the two SDKs, see [Choosing the right AWS SDK for Python](choosing-sdk.md).

# Configure long polling for Amazon SQS
<a name="sqs-long-polling"></a>

Long polling waits for a message to become available instead of returning immediately. Configure it at two levels: set `ReceiveMessageWaitTimeSeconds` as the queue default, or set `wait_time_seconds` on an individual `receive_message` request. A request-level value overrides the queue default.

The `client` that is used in the following examples can be created from the snippet in [Set up the examples](services-sqs.md#sqs-shared-setup).

Queue attribute values are strings. Valid values for `ReceiveMessageWaitTimeSeconds` are `"0"` through `"20"`. Values greater than `"0"` enable long polling, and `"0"` uses short polling. The corresponding request-level values are integers from `0` through `20`.

## Enable long polling when creating a queue
<a name="sqs-long-polling-create"></a>

For request and response details, see the [create\_queue()](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-python/v4/reference/clients/sqs/operations/create_queue/) API reference.

Set `ReceiveMessageWaitTimeSeconds` in the queue attributes to establish the default when the queue is created.

 **Imports** 

```
from aws_sdk_sqs.client import AsyncSQSClient
from aws_sdk_sqs.models import CreateQueueInput
```

 **Code** 

```
async def create_long_polling_queue(
    client: AsyncSQSClient, queue_name: str, wait_time_seconds: int = 20
) -> str:
    """Create a queue with a default long-poll wait and return its URL."""
    if not 0 <= wait_time_seconds <= 20:
        raise ValueError("The long-poll wait must be between 0 and 20 seconds")
    response = await client.create_queue(
        input=CreateQueueInput(
            queue_name=queue_name,
            attributes={
                "ReceiveMessageWaitTimeSeconds": str(wait_time_seconds)
            },
        )
    )
    if not response.queue_url:
        raise RuntimeError("SQS did not return a queue URL")
    return response.queue_url
```

## Enable long polling on an existing queue
<a name="sqs-long-polling-existing"></a>

For request and response details, see the [set\_queue\_attributes()](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-python/v4/reference/clients/sqs/operations/set_queue_attributes/) API reference.

Use `set_queue_attributes` to change the default for an existing queue. Queue attribute changes can take up to 60 seconds to propagate.

 **Imports** 

```
from aws_sdk_sqs.client import AsyncSQSClient
from aws_sdk_sqs.models import SetQueueAttributesInput
```

 **Code** 

```
async def set_long_polling(
    client: AsyncSQSClient, queue_url: str, wait_time_seconds: int = 20
) -> None:
    """Set the queue's default receive wait time."""
    if not 0 <= wait_time_seconds <= 20:
        raise ValueError("The long-poll wait must be between 0 and 20 seconds")
    await client.set_queue_attributes(
        input=SetQueueAttributesInput(
            queue_url=queue_url,
            attributes={"ReceiveMessageWaitTimeSeconds": str(wait_time_seconds)},
        )
    )
```

## Enable long polling for a receive request
<a name="sqs-long-polling-request"></a>

For request and response details, see the [receive\_message()](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-python/v4/reference/clients/sqs/operations/receive_message/) API reference.

Set `wait_time_seconds` on `receive_message` to configure one request. Ensure that the client's response timeout is longer than the wait time. An empty response is still valid when the wait time expires.

 **Imports** 

```
from aws_sdk_sqs.client import AsyncSQSClient
from aws_sdk_sqs.models import Message, ReceiveMessageInput
```

 **Code** 

```
async def receive_with_long_polling(
    client: AsyncSQSClient, queue_url: str, wait_time_seconds: int = 20
) -> list[Message]:
    """Receive up to ten messages using a request-specific wait time."""
    if not 0 <= wait_time_seconds <= 20:
        raise ValueError("The long-poll wait must be between 0 and 20 seconds")
    response = await client.receive_message(
        input=ReceiveMessageInput(
            queue_url=queue_url,
            max_number_of_messages=10,
            wait_time_seconds=wait_time_seconds,
        )
    )
    return response.messages or []
```

## More information
<a name="sqs-long-polling-more-info"></a>
+ [Amazon SQS short and long polling](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/SQSDeveloperGuide/sqs-short-and-long-polling.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service Developer Guide
+ [SetQueueAttributes](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_SetQueueAttributes.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service API Reference
+ [ReceiveMessage](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_ReceiveMessage.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service API Reference