How to Create an Amazon SQS FIFO Queue: A Beginner's Tutorial | Amazon SQS Tutorial

🚀 Master AWS & Java with Ram N Java!

Subscribe for more clear, hands-on tutorials on cloud-native development.

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

What is a FIFO Queue?

Amazon SQS (Simple Queue Service) is a managed message queuing service that helps you decouple microservices. A FIFO (First-In-First-Out) queue is special because it guarantees that messages are processed in the exact order they are sent and that they are delivered only once (deduplication).

Step 1: Choose the FIFO Type

Log in to your AWS Management Console and navigate to SQS. Click Create queue and select the FIFO type. Remember: your queue name must end with the .fifo suffix (for example: user-queue.fifo).

Step 2: Understanding Key Settings

• Visibility Timeout: How long a message remains hidden from other consumers after being read (Default: 30 seconds).
• Message Retention: How long SQS keeps a message if it isn't deleted (Default: 4 days).
• Receive Message Wait Time: This enables Long Polling to reduce empty responses and lower costs.
• Content-Based Deduplication: If enabled, SQS automatically removes duplicate messages sent within a 5-minute window.

Step 3: Sending and Receiving Messages

Once created, you can test your queue directly in the console:

1. Click Send and receive messages.
2. Enter your Message body and a Message group ID (required for FIFO).
3. Click Send message.
4. To see the message, go to the Receive messages section and click Poll for messages.

Step 4: Cleanup (Purge or Delete)

If you want to clear all messages without deleting the queue itself, use the Purge button. To remove the queue entirely, select it and click Delete.

Conclusion

Creating a FIFO queue is a simple but powerful way to ensure your distributed applications handle data reliably and in the correct order. This is essential for tasks like financial transactions or inventory updates. Happy building!