PlugWiki

python-background-jobs skill (wshobson) for Claude Code: task queues

Helps Claude build Python background jobs: task queues, workers, retries and job status endpoints.

Installs
11.4K
on skills.sh
Stars
42.1K
on GitHub
Files
1
besides SKILL.md
Updated
Oct 2026
last repo commit

python-background-jobs is a skill from wshobson/agents. Claude loads it when you add task queues, workers or other work that should run outside a request. SKILL.md teaches four ideas: queue a job and return a job ID, make tasks safe to retry, track job state, and expect at-least-once delivery.

The examples use Celery with a Redis broker at redis://localhost:6379. SKILL.md says RQ, Dramatiq, AWS SQS and GCP Tasks are equally valid. references/details.md adds a dead letter queue, a status polling endpoint, task chaining and alternative task queues. The folder bundles no scripts.

Good for

  • Backend developers moving slow work out of web requests
  • Teams adding retries, idempotency and dead letter queues
  • Python developers choosing between Celery, RQ and Dramatiq

Install python-background-jobs

Claude Code

  1. 1

    Copy this prompt.

    Install the python-background-jobs skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill python-background-jobs

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.
  2. 2

    Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js.

Pick one route. The plugin routes install the whole python-development plugin: 16 skills, 3 agent file(s) and 1 command file(s), counted from the plugin folder in the repo tree, which has no hooks or MCP config files. The skills-only routes install just this skill, with no agents or commands.

Built from the package data we hold. Not yet tested by us. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Python background job patterns including task queues, workers, and event-driven architecture. Use when implementing async task processing, job queues, long-running operations, or decoupling work from request/response cycles.

Sections in SKILL.md

  1. When to Use This Skill
  2. Core Concepts
  3. 1. Task Queue Pattern
  4. 2. Idempotency
  5. 3. Job State Machine
  6. 4. At-Least-Once Delivery
  7. Quick Start
  8. Fundamental Patterns
  9. Pattern 1: Return Job ID Immediately
  10. Pattern 2: Celery Task Configuration
  11. Pattern 3: Make Tasks Idempotent
  12. Pattern 4: Job State Management
  13. Detailed worked examples and patterns
  14. Best Practices Summary

Key facts

Author
Seth Hobson (wshobson)
Repository
wshobson/agents
License
MIT (plugin manifest)
Plugin
python-development (16 skills in the repo tree)
Installs on skills.sh
11,381 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars (repo)
42,081 (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit
Oct 30, 2026
Files
2 files including SKILL.md (references/details.md)

What it includes

  • Task queue pattern, idempotency, job state machine and at-least-once delivery.

    Core concepts

  • Accept the request, save a job record, enqueue the task, reply with a poll URL.

    Pattern 1: return a job ID

  • Retries, time limits, late acknowledgment and exponential backoff.

    Pattern 2: Celery configuration

  • Check-before-write, idempotency keys, upserts and a deduplication window.

    Pattern 3: idempotent tasks

  • A repository class that records status changes with timestamps.

    Pattern 4: job state

  • Dead letter queue, status polling, task chaining and alternative queues.

    Advanced patterns (references/details.md)

  • Timeouts, DLQ, logging transitions, no retries for permanent failures.

    Best practices (10)

From the official docs

Questions

How do I install the python-background-jobs skill?

Use the install box above. The skills CLI command installs only this skill. The plugin route installs python-development, which holds 16 skills, 3 agent file(s) and 1 command file(s) in the repo.

Do I have to use Celery?

No. SKILL.md uses Celery for its examples and says alternatives like RQ, Dramatiq and cloud queues such as AWS SQS and GCP Tasks are equally valid choices.

Do I need Redis?

The examples set a Redis broker at redis://localhost:6379, and the RQ and Dramatiq examples in references/details.md also use Redis. You supply the broker and workers.

Is python-background-jobs safe to install?

The folder holds two Markdown files and no scripts, so installing adds instructions only. Claude may write worker and queue code in your project, so review it before you run it, especially tasks that charge payments or send email.

What does it say about retries?

Tasks may be retried, so design them to be safe to run twice. It suggests exponential backoff for transient errors and no retries for permanent failures such as validation errors.

Does python-background-jobs work in the Claude app or Codex?

The install box lists a zip upload for the Claude app and a plugin route for Codex. The wshobson/agents README names Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, Antigravity CLI, GitHub Copilot and Pi as supported tools.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository
wshobson/agents
Folder
plugins/python-development/skills/python-background-jobs

wshobson/agentsskills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 8
  1. wshobson/agents README · github.com
  2. Marketplace manifest · github.com
  3. Claude Code skills · code.claude.com
  4. Using skills in Claude · support.claude.com
  5. python-background-jobs SKILL.md · github.com
  6. references/details.md · github.com
  7. skills.sh listing · skills.sh
  8. Repository · github.com

Updated Nov 2, 2026.