Upstash Redis with Netlify

Netlify runs your server code as Netlify Functions and Edge Functions. Both connect to Upstash Redis with the HTTP-based @upstash/redis SDK, and the same code works in both runtimes.

Database Setup#

Create a Redis database using the Upstash Console or Upstash CLI. For Edge Functions, which run close to your users, add read regions near your traffic.

On the database page, open the Connect section and copy UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL and UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN.

Project Setup#

In your site’s repository, install the SDK:

npm install @upstash/redis

For local development with the Netlify CLI, put the two values in a .env file at the project root:

UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL="YOUR_REST_URL"UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN="YOUR_REST_TOKEN"

Add .env to your .gitignore so the token is not committed. If the project has no static site, still set a publish directory (for example public), so Netlify does not serve the project root.

Netlify Function#

Create netlify/functions/counter.mjs. Netlify Functions can read environment variables from process.env, so Redis.fromEnv() works as is:

import { Redis } from "@upstash/redis";const redis = Redis.fromEnv();export default async (req, context) => {  const count = await redis.incr("counter");  return Response.json({ count });};export const config = {  path: "/api/counter",};

Netlify Edge Function#

Create netlify/edge-functions/edge-counter.ts. Edge Functions read environment variables with Netlify.env.get():

import { Redis } from "@upstash/redis";import type { Config } from "@netlify/edge-functions";const redis = new Redis({  url: Netlify.env.get("UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL")!,  token: Netlify.env.get("UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN")!,});export default async (req: Request) => {  const count = await redis.incr("edge-counter");  return Response.json({ count });};export const config: Config = {  path: "/edge/counter",};

Edge Functions import npm packages by name after you install them. Netlify marks npm support in Edge Functions as beta.

Set Environment Variables in Netlify#

1

Import or open your site

In the Netlify app, create a new project and pick your Git provider under Import a Git repository, or open an existing project.

2

Add the variables

Go to Project configuration → Environment variables and click Add a variable → Add a single variable for UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL and UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN. Keep All scopes selected so functions can read them at runtime. On paid plans you can pick specific scopes instead; include Functions if you do.

3

Deploy

Trigger a new deploy. Functions get variable values at deploy time, so changes need a new deploy. New projects can be private by default and return 401 to anyone outside your team; to call the functions from elsewhere, click Make public on the project.

Variables declared in netlify.toml are not available to Functions or Edge Functions, so set them in the Netlify UI or with the Netlify CLI (netlify env:set).

Test#

curl https://YOUR_SITE.netlify.app/api/counter# {"count":1}curl https://YOUR_SITE.netlify.app/edge/counter# {"count":1}

Run netlify dev to test both functions locally with the values from .env.

Next Steps#

• Add rate limiting to a function with @upstash/ratelimit.
• For frameworks on Netlify such as Next.js or Astro, use the same SDK and environment variables in the framework’s server routes.