ERR
RedisERRORCommonCommand ErrorHIGH confidence

Wrong number of arguments for command

What this means

This is one of the most common errors in Redis, returned when a command is called with fewer or more arguments than it expects. The server-side check is strict and requires the exact number of arguments.

Why it happens
  1. 1A client library bug or misuse where a command wrapper is called incorrectly.
  2. 2Manual command execution with a typo in the number of parameters.
  3. 3An outdated client attempting to use a command whose signature has changed in a newer Redis version.
How to reproduce

A client calls the 'SET' command with only a key and no value.

trigger — this will error
trigger — this will error
SET mykey

expected output

(error) ERR wrong number of arguments for 'set' command

Fix 1

Consult the command documentation

WHEN Immediately upon seeing this error

Consult the command documentation
# For example, for SET
SET mykey "myvalue"

# For RPUSH
RPUSH mylist "item1" "item2"

Why this works

The official Redis documentation for each command clearly specifies its required arguments. Correcting the call to match the documentation resolves the error.

Fix 2

Update your client library

WHEN If your code seems correct but the error persists

Update your client library
# Example for Node.js
npm install redis@latest

Why this works

An outdated client might have an incorrect implementation of a command's argument structure. Updating to the latest version ensures compatibility.

What not to do

Keep adding or removing arguments randomly

This is inefficient and can lead to further errors. Always check the official command syntax first.

Sources
Official documentation ↗

Server-side command argument validation

Content generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy. Found an error? hello@errcodes.dev

← All Redis errors