ActionAWS SQSUpdated September 2026

How do I pull messages from an SQS queue?

Short answer: You can receive sqs messages in AWS SQS by hand from its own interface, but it won’t repeat itself. On TinyCommand, add the AWS SQS Receive SQS Messages action to a workflow, map its 4 inputs from any upstream app, and it runs automatically every time the trigger fires. No code, and a free tier to start.

Receive SQS Messages in AWS SQS — start free
Inputs

The fields this action accepts.

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

FieldTypeRequiredDescription
Queue URL
queue_url
stringRequiredA fully qualified URL (https://...) for the queue url.
Max Messages
max_messages
numberOptional1-10.
Wait Time (s)
wait_time_seconds
numberOptionalLong-poll timeout. 0-20.
Visibility Timeout (s)
visibility_timeout
numberOptionalHide 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.

Triggered by

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

Any of these apps can fire this action as part of a workflow.

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 run history shows the failed step with its input and the error message AWS SQS returned, so you can fix the input and run the workflow again. Automatic retries are built into HTTP steps only, where you can also set your own retry count and delay.
Does Receive SQS Messages support batch operations?
Run Receive SQS Messages inside a loop to process each item in an array. TinyCommand does not throttle calls for you, so for large arrays add a Delay step if you need to stay within AWS SQS's rate limits.
More actions

Other AWS SQS actions.

Receive SQS Messages in AWS SQS — start free