> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://upstash.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SETEX

> Set value with expiration.

<Warning>
  Prefer [`SET`](/docs/redis/commands/string/set) with the `EX` argument in new code: `SET <key> <value> EX <seconds>`.
</Warning>

Use `SETEX` to set a value together with a lifetime in seconds.

The value and the expiration are applied atomically, so the key never exists without an expiration; writing the value and expiring it in two commands leaves a window in which a failure makes the key permanent. A lifetime of zero or less returns an error.

Use [`PSETEX`](/docs/redis/commands/string/psetex) for millisecond precision. [`SET`](/docs/redis/commands/string/set) with `EX` or `PX` does the same thing and additionally supports conditions and reading the previous value.

## Syntax

```redis theme={"system"}
SETEX <key> <seconds> <value>
```

## Arguments

| Argument    | Required | Repeatable | Description                        |
| ----------- | -------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `<key>`     | Yes      | No         | Redis key targeted by the command. |
| `<seconds>` | Yes      | No         | Lifetime in seconds.               |
| `<value>`   | Yes      | No         | String value to store.             |

## Response

The reply reports the result of the operation. Error replies have the same shape in RESP2 and RESP3 and are surfaced as exceptions by the SDKs below.

| Protocol | Reply              |
| -------- | ------------------ |
| RESP2    | Simple string `OK` |
| RESP3    | Simple string `OK` |

<Note>
  Client libraries often decode bulk strings, maps, sets, and numeric strings into language-native values. The table describes the Redis wire reply.
</Note>

## Examples

TCP examples use the TLS `REDIS_URL` from the Upstash console. REST examples use `UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL` and `UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN`.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Redis CLI" icon="terminal">
    ```bash theme={"system"}
    SETEX my-key 1000 value
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="@upstash/redis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import { Redis } from "@upstash/redis";

    const redis = Redis.fromEnv();
    const result = await redis.setex("my-key", 1000, "value");
    console.log(result);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="upstash_redis" icon="python" iconType="brands">
    ```python theme={"system"}
    from upstash_redis import Redis

    redis = Redis.from_env()
    result = redis.setex("my-key", 1000, "value")
    print(result)
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="ioredis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import Redis from "ioredis";

    const redis = new Redis(process.env.REDIS_URL!);
    const result = await redis.setex("my-key", "1000", "value");
    console.log(result);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="node-redis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import { createClient } from "redis";

    const client = await createClient({ url: process.env.REDIS_URL })
      .on("error", console.error)
      .connect();
    const result = await client.setEx("my-key", 1000, "value");
    console.log(result);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="redis-py" icon="python" iconType="brands">
    ```python theme={"system"}
    import os
    import redis

    client = redis.from_url(os.environ["REDIS_URL"])
    result = client.setex("my-key", 1000, "value")
    print(result)
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="go-redis" icon="golang" iconType="brands">
    ```go theme={"system"}
    package main

    import (
        "context"
        "fmt"
        "os"
        "time"

        "github.com/redis/go-redis/v9"
    )

    func main() {
        opts, err := redis.ParseURL(os.Getenv("REDIS_URL"))
        if err != nil {
            panic(err)
        }
        client := redis.NewClient(opts)
        result, err := client.SetEx(context.Background(), "my-key", "value", 1000*time.Second).Result()
        if err != nil {
            panic(err)
        }
        fmt.Println(result)
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="jedis" icon="java" iconType="brands">
    ```java theme={"system"}
    import java.net.URI;

    import redis.clients.jedis.Jedis;

    try (Jedis jedis = new Jedis(new URI(System.getenv("REDIS_URL")))) {
      Object result = jedis.setex("my-key", 1000, "value");
      System.out.println(result);
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="redis-rs" icon="rust" iconType="brands">
    ```rust theme={"system"}
    use redis::TypedCommands;

    fn main() -> redis::RedisResult<()> {
        let url = std::env::var("REDIS_URL").expect("REDIS_URL is not set");
        let client = redis::Client::open(url)?;
        let mut connection = client.get_connection()?;

        let result = connection.set_ex("my-key", "value", 1000)?;
        println!("{result:?}");
        Ok(())
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [PSETEX](/docs/redis/commands/string/psetex.md)
- [Redis as a Cache for Your FastAPI App](/docs/redis/tutorials/python_fastapi_caching.md)
- [Document Updates](/docs/redis/search/document-updates.md)