---
id: amazon-sqs-extended-client
version: "1.0.1"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# amazon-sqs-extended-client — Python version of AWS SQS extended client

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 217.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

This package wraps boto3's SQS client to transparently handle messages exceeding SQS's 256 KB limit by storing the actual payload in S3 and placing a reference in the queue. It mirrors the behavior of the Java extended client library and manages the full lifecycle: sending large messages, retrieving them with dereferencing, and optionally deleting S3 payloads when messages are consumed.

You configure it by setting attributes on the boto3 client (large_payload_support for the bucket name, always_through_s3 to force all messages to S3, use_legacy_attribute for backward compatibility) and then use send_message, receive_message, and delete_message as normal—the library handles S3 interaction transparently. It supports messages up to 2 GB and enforces a maximum of 10 message attributes per payload.

Use it for:

- Send and receive SQS messages larger than 256 KB without rewriting application code.
- Archive large message payloads in S3 while maintaining SQS queue semantics for ordering and delivery.
- Migrate from the Java extended client to Python while preserving message format compatibility.
- Handle occasional large payloads without redesigning your queue architecture.
- Clean up S3 payloads automatically when messages are deleted from the queue.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Extends boto3's SQS client to handle messages larger than 256 KB by automatically storing payloads in S3 and managing references in the queue.

Yes, if you need to send SQS messages over 256 KB and want a drop-in boto3 extension. The package is stable, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. However, maintenance is dormant, so verify it handles your specific SQS features (FIFO, deduplication) and concurrency model before committing to production.

## Install

pip install amazon-sqs-extended-client
uv add amazon-sqs-extended-client
poetry add amazon-sqs-extended-client

## Installing amazon-sqs-extended-client

Before you install: Low install friction with a single pure-Python dependency (boto3). Maintenance is dormant—last commit was 2024-09-11—but the package is marked Production/Stable, suggesting it may be feature-complete rather than actively developed.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; you must include a copy of the license and note any modifications.

Quickstart:

import boto3

client = boto3.client('sqs', region_name='us-east-1')
client.large_payload_support = 'my-bucket'
client.send_message(QueueUrl='queue-url', MessageBody=large_payload)

Requires an AWS account, valid credentials, an existing SQS queue, and an S3 bucket for payload storage.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package handles concurrent access to S3 payloads safely in multi-threaded or async contexts.
- Performance characteristics and latency overhead when sending/receiving messages near or exceeding 256 KB.
- Compatibility with SQS features like message deduplication, FIFO queues, or visibility timeouts.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 217.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

sqs large message payload, amazon sqs extended client, sqs s3 message storage, exceed sqs 256kb limit, boto3 sqs extended, sqs payload over 256kb, aws sqs large messages, aws-sqs, s3-integration, message-queue

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