**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).

# Work with Amazon SQS queues
<a name="sqs-queue-operations"></a>

A *message queue* is the logical container used for sending messages reliably in Amazon Simple Queue Service. There are two types of queues: *standard* and *first-in, first-out* (FIFO). To learn more about queues and the differences between these types, see the [Amazon Simple Queue Service Developer Guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/SQSDeveloperGuide/welcome.html).

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).

## Create a queue
<a name="sqs-create-queue"></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.

Create a queue with `create_queue`. The response returns the queue URL, which SQS data-plane operations use. To configure long polling when creating a queue, see [Configure long polling for Amazon SQS](sqs-long-polling.md).

 **Imports** 

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

 **Code** 

```
async def create_queue(client: AsyncSQSClient, queue_name: str) -> str:
    """Create a queue and return its URL."""
    response = await client.create_queue(
        input=CreateQueueInput(queue_name=queue_name)
    )
    if not response.queue_url:
        raise RuntimeError("SQS did not return a queue URL")
    return response.queue_url
```

## List queues
<a name="sqs-list-queues"></a>

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

Use `list_queues` to discover queues by name prefix. Continue with `next_token` until the service returns no token.

 **Imports** 

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

 **Code** 

```
async def list_queues(client: AsyncSQSClient, prefix: str) -> list[str]:
    """Return every queue URL whose queue name starts with the prefix."""
    queue_urls: list[str] = []
    next_token = None
    while True:
        page = await client.list_queues(
            input=ListQueuesInput(
                queue_name_prefix=prefix,
                next_token=next_token,
            )
        )
        queue_urls.extend(page.queue_urls or [])
        next_token = page.next_token
        if not next_token:
            return queue_urls
```

## Get a queue URL
<a name="sqs-get-queue-url"></a>

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

If you have a queue name instead of its URL, resolve it with `get_queue_url`.

 **Imports** 

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

 **Code** 

```
async def get_queue_url(client: AsyncSQSClient, queue_name: str) -> str:
    """Return the URL of an existing queue."""
    response = await client.get_queue_url(
        input=GetQueueUrlInput(queue_name=queue_name)
    )
    if not response.queue_url:
        raise RuntimeError("SQS did not return a queue URL")
    return response.queue_url
```

## Get a queue ARN
<a name="sqs-get-queue-arn"></a>

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

SQS data-plane operations use the queue URL. Resource policies and service integrations use the same queue's ARN. Retrieve it with `get_queue_attributes`.

 **Imports** 

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

 **Code** 

```
async def get_queue_arn(client: AsyncSQSClient, queue_url: str) -> str:
    """Return the ARN of an existing queue."""
    response = await client.get_queue_attributes(
        input=GetQueueAttributesInput(
            queue_url=queue_url,
            attribute_names=["QueueArn"],
        )
    )
    queue_arn = (response.attributes or {}).get("QueueArn")
    if not queue_arn:
        raise RuntimeError("SQS did not return the queue ARN")
    return queue_arn
```

## Delete a queue
<a name="sqs-delete-queue"></a>

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

Delete a temporary queue by URL after its messages and integrations are no longer needed.

 **Imports** 

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

 **Code** 

```
async def delete_queue(client: AsyncSQSClient, queue_url: str) -> None:
    """Delete the queue at the specified URL."""
    await client.delete_queue(input=DeleteQueueInput(queue_url=queue_url))
```

## More information
<a name="sqs-queue-more-info"></a>
+ [CreateQueue](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_CreateQueue.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service API Reference
+ [ListQueues](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_ListQueues.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service API Reference
+ [GetQueueUrl](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_GetQueueUrl.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service API Reference
+ [GetQueueAttributes](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_GetQueueAttributes.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service API Reference
+ [DeleteQueue](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/APIReference/API_DeleteQueue.html) in the Amazon Simple Queue Service API Reference