RabbitMQ with Node-RED

Overview

Node-RED can connect to RabbitMQ using both AMQP and MQTT protocols, enabling visual flow-based programming for industrial IoT and messaging workflows.

Integration Methods

MQTT Nodes (Built-in)

Node-RED has native MQTT nodes that connect directly to RabbitMQ's MQTT plugin:

• mqtt in: Subscribe to topics
• mqtt out: Publish to topics
• Configuration: Point to RabbitMQ host with MQTT port (default 1883)

AMQP Nodes (via contrib)

The node-red-contrib-amqp package provides AMQP 0-9-1 nodes:

• amqp in: Consume from queues
• amqp out: Publish to exchanges
• Supports routing keys and exchange types

Common Use Cases

1. Protocol Bridging: Convert MQTT from devices to AMQP for enterprise systems
2. Message Transformation: Visual data transformation between formats
3. Conditional Routing: Visual logic for message routing decisions
4. Alerting: Send notifications based on message content
5. Data Enrichment: Add context to messages before forwarding

Configuration Example

// MQTT broker config for RabbitMQ
{
  "broker": "rabbitmq.example.com",
  "port": 1883,
  "clientid": "nodered-client"
}

Considerations

• MQTT is simpler to configure in Node-RED
• AMQP offers more control over exchanges and routing
• Use MQTT for IoT device ingestion, AMQP for complex routing