✅ 1. Use socket.reconnectStrategy

In the modern node‑redis client (v4 and later), you don’t use the old retry_strategy option. Instead, you configure reconnection using the socket.reconnectStrategy option when creating a client:

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import{ createClient } from 'redis'; const client = createClient({ socket: { reconnectStrategy: (retries, cause) => { if (retries >= MAX_ATTEMPTS) { return new Error('Too many reconnect attempts'); } // Return a delay in ms before next retry return calculateDelay(retries); } } }); client.on('error', err => console.error('Redis error', err)); await client.connect();

• retries is the count of attempts so far, starting at 0.

• cause is the Error that triggered this reconnect attempt.

• If the function returns:

  • false or new Error(…) → stop retrying.

  • a number (ms) → that’s the delay before the next attempt.

This gives full control—you can stop after a fixed number or vary delay. npm+12Redis+12Stack Overflow+12Stack OverflowUNPKG+4Redis Documentation+4Snyk+4

📦 Legacy support: node-redis-retry-strategy package

If you're using legacy clients expecting retry_strategy, or you need a drop‑in function:

• The node-redis-retry-strategy package provides a strategy where you can configure:

  • number_of_retry_attempts (default 5)

  • delay_of_retry_attempts (default 500 ms)

  • wait_time (how long before quitting retries, default 300 000 ms) npm+2UNPKG+2Snyk+2

Example:

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constredis = require('redis'); const retryStrategy = require('node-redis-retry-strategy'); const client = redis.createClient({ host: '127.0.0.1', port: 6379, retry_strategy: retryStrategy({ number_of_retry_attempts: 7, delay_of_retry_attempts: 1000, wait_time: 600000 }) });

This is helpful if you’re migrating older code or using compatibility layers. UNPKGSnyk

🧠 Why migrations matter: how defaults changed

• In node‑redis v4+, retry_strategy, max_attempts, retry_max_delay, and connect_timeout are deprecated.

• Instead, custom reconnect logic is done via socket.reconnectStrategy. By default, reconnection is disabled unless you specify a strategy. Redis+8Stack Overflow+8Snyk+8

• Default behavior without configuration is: no reconnection, so if you don’t provide reconnectStrategy, the client won’t retry.

✅ Summary Table

ScenarioHow to set retry countExample behaviorNew node‑redis (v4+)Use socket.reconnectStrategyYour custom function handles limits and delayLegacy code expecting retry_strategyUse node-redis-retry-strategy packageConfigure with number_of_retry_attempts etc.

A friendly example of humanized explanation:

Imagine Redis connection drops. You want it to try reconnecting a few times—say 5 attempts—with increasing wait times. In modern node‑redis, you hand it a little function:

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reconnectStrategy: (retries, err) => { if (retries >= 5) return new Error('Reached retry limit'); return retries * 500 + Math.random() * 100; }

That way, if Redis goes offline, your app will give it up after the 5th try. Before then, it’s patiently trying again with a touch of randomness (jitter).