---
id: "retry-queue-without-dlq"
type: "rule"
severity: "error"
url: "https://localhost:3000/catalogue/rules/retry-queue-without-dlq"
---

# Retry queue without dead-letter queue

A queue in the retry role has no dead-letter queue, so poison messages are retried forever or dropped.

| | |
|---|---|
| Severity | error |
| Selects | every node of kind queue |
| Components in scope | 24 |

## Why

A retry queue is where poison messages end up. With no dead-letter queue they are retried forever or dropped in silence, and nobody ever looks at the failed payment.

## What it checks

It looks at every node of kind queue, and fires when:

- all of these hold:
  - the node's `role` is "retry"
  - the node's `deadLetterQueue` is false

Message template:

```
Retry queue '{{node.id}}' has no dead-letter queue. Messages that keep failing must be parked for manual investigation.
```

## Applies to

- [Queue](https://localhost:3000/catalogue/kinds/queue.md) `queue`

24 catalogue components fall under it.

## Tripped by

Reference designs whose broken twin names this rule in its header:

- [distributed-email](https://localhost:3000/d/zeema/distributed-email)
- [gojek-platform](https://localhost:3000/d/zeema/gojek-platform)
- [meta-threads](https://localhost:3000/d/zeema/meta-threads)
- [payment-system](https://localhost:3000/d/zeema/payment-system)
- [robinhood-trading](https://localhost:3000/d/zeema/robinhood-trading)

## Source (`rule` YAML, verbatim)

```yaml
# yaml-language-server: $schema=../schema/rule.schema.json
# A retry queue is where poison messages end up. Without a dead-letter queue they are
# retried forever or silently dropped, and nobody investigates the failed payment.
# Tripped by: designs/payment-system.broken.yaml
schemaVersion: "1"
type: "rule"
id: "retry-queue-without-dlq"
severity: "error"
select:
  node:
    kind: "queue"
when:
  all:
    - prop: "role"
      equals: "retry"
    - prop: "deadLetterQueue"
      equals: false
message: "Retry queue '{{node.id}}' has no dead-letter queue. Messages that keep failing must be parked for manual investigation."
```

Human page: https://localhost:3000/catalogue/rules/retry-queue-without-dlq