Skip to main content
Direct connection is the simplest way to connect bullstudio to your Redis instance. Use this method when your Redis is publicly accessible, such as managed Redis services from cloud providers.

​
Prerequisites

  • A Redis instance accessible over the internet
  • Redis hostname and port
  • Authentication credentials (if required)
  • TLS certificate (for secure connections)

​
Setting Up a Direct Connection

1

Navigate to Connections

Go to your workspace and click on Connections in the sidebar.
2

Add a new connection

Click Add Connection and select the Direct Redis tab.
3

Enter connection details

Fill in your Redis connection information:
Add Redis connection dialog
FieldDescriptionRequired
NameA friendly name for this connectionYes
HostRedis hostname or IP addressYes
PortRedis port (default: 6379)Yes
DatabaseRedis database number (default: 0)No
UsernameRedis ACL username (Redis 6+)No
PasswordRedis passwordNo
TLSEnable TLS encryptionRecommended
4

Test the connection

Click Test Connection to verify bullstudio can reach your Redis instance.
5

Save

Click Save to create the connection. Your queues will appear automatically.

​
TLS Configuration

Always enable TLS when connecting to Redis over the public internet to encrypt data in transit.

​
Standard TLS

For most managed Redis services, simply enable the TLS toggle. bullstudio will use standard TLS verification.

​
Custom CA Certificate

If your Redis uses a self-signed or private CA certificate:
  1. Enable TLS
  2. Paste your CA certificate in PEM format in the TLS Certificate field
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
MIIDXTCCAkWgAwIBAgIJAJC1HiIAZAiUMA0Gcg...
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

​
Authentication

​
Password-Only (Redis 5 and earlier)

Enter your Redis password in the Password field. Leave Username empty.

​
ACL Authentication (Redis 6+)

Redis 6 introduced Access Control Lists (ACL) for fine-grained permissions:
  1. Enter the ACL Username
  2. Enter the corresponding Password
Create a dedicated Redis user for bullstudio with read-only permissions for enhanced security.

​
Example: Creating a Read-Only Redis User

ACL SETUSER bullstudio on >your-password ~* +@read +@connection +client +info +ping
This creates a user that can:
  • Read all keys (~*)
  • Execute read commands (+@read)
  • Manage connections (+@connection)
  • Run CLIENT, INFO, and PING commands

​
Access Modes

bullstudio supports two access modes:
ModeDescriptionCapabilities
Read-WriteFull access to queue operationsView jobs, retry failed jobs, remove jobs, pause/resume queues
Read-OnlyMonitoring onlyView jobs and metrics; no modifications allowed
Use Read-Only mode for production environments where you want to prevent accidental job modifications.

​
Cloud Provider Examples

  1. Enable In-Transit Encryption on your ElastiCache cluster
  2. Use the Primary Endpoint as the host
  3. Enable TLS in bullstudio
  4. Enter your AUTH token as the password
Host: your-cluster.xxxxxx.ng.0001.use1.cache.amazonaws.com
Port: 6379
TLS: Enabled
Password: your-auth-token

​
Troubleshooting

Causes:
  • Redis is not publicly accessible
  • Firewall blocking the connection
  • Incorrect hostname or port
Solutions:
  • Verify your Redis instance allows external connections
  • Check security group / firewall rules allow inbound traffic on the Redis port
  • Confirm the hostname and port are correct
  • Ensure your Redis instance is publicly accessible
Causes:
  • Incorrect password
  • Wrong username (for ACL auth)
  • User doesn’t have required permissions
Solutions:
  • Double-check your password
  • For Redis 6+, ensure you’re using the correct username
  • Verify the user has at least read permissions
Causes:
  • TLS not enabled on Redis
  • Certificate verification failed
  • Wrong port (TLS vs non-TLS)
Solutions:
  • Confirm TLS is enabled on your Redis instance
  • Some providers use different ports for TLS (e.g., 6380)
  • If using a self-signed certificate, add it to the TLS Certificate field
Causes:
  • Connected to wrong Redis database
  • No BullMQ queues exist yet
  • Queues use a custom prefix
Solutions:
  • Verify the database number (0-15)
  • Confirm your application has created queues
  • Check if your queues use a non-default prefix

​
Next Steps

Dashboard

Explore your queue metrics and analytics.

Job Management

Browse and manage individual jobs.