redis/redis-py · error · IncorrectPolicyType

Incorrect request policy type: {policy_type}

Error message

Incorrect request policy type: {policy_type}

What it means

Raised inside CommandsParser.get_command_policies() when the policy string parsed out of a command's 'tips' field has a request_policy:<value> whose <value> does not match any RequestPolicy enum member (e.g. 'request_policy:random'). The except ValueError re-raises as IncorrectPolicyType, a plain Exception subclass. This indicates an unknown routing hint in the server's COMMAND tips or a stale enum table in the client.

Source

Thrown at redis/_parsers/commands.py:297

                command_name: The command name to associate with found policies
            """
            if isinstance(data, (str, bytes)):
                # Decode bytes to string if needed
                policy = str_if_bytes(data.decode())

                # Check if this is a policy string
                if policy.startswith("request_policy") or policy.startswith(
                    "response_policy"
                ):
                    if policy.startswith("request_policy"):
                        policy_type = policy.split(":")[1]

                        try:
                            command_with_policies[module_name][
                                command_name
                            ].request_policy = RequestPolicy(policy_type)
                        except ValueError:
                            raise IncorrectPolicyType(
                                f"Incorrect request policy type: {policy_type}"
                            )

                    if policy.startswith("response_policy"):
                        policy_type = policy.split(":")[1]

                        try:
                            command_with_policies[module_name][
                                command_name
                            ].response_policy = ResponsePolicy(policy_type)
                        except ValueError:
                            raise IncorrectPolicyType(
                                f"Incorrect response policy type: {policy_type}"
                            )

            elif isinstance(data, list):
                # For lists, recursively process each element
                for item in data:

View on GitHub (pinned to da03cdc7e8)

Solutions

1. Upgrade redis-py to a version whose RequestPolicy enum includes the policy your server advertises.
2. Check the offending tip with 'redis-cli COMMAND INFO <cmd>' and look at the tips field.
3. If running a custom module, normalize its request_policy tip to one of the supported enum values.
4. Pin the module/Redis version to one known-compatible with your redis-py release.

Example fix

// before
rc = RedisCluster(...)
rc.commands_parser.get_command_policies()  # IncorrectPolicyType

// after
# upgrade redis-py, or on the server side ensure tips only contain
# supported values: all_nodes, all_shards, all_replicas, multi_shard,
# special, default_keyless, default_keyed, default_node

# Sanity-check tip values against the enum before policy computation
from redis._parsers.commands import RequestPolicy
SUPPORTED = {p.value for p in RequestPolicy}
def tips_ok(cmd_info):
    for tip in (cmd_info.get("tips") or []):
        if isinstance(tip, (bytes, str)) and b"request_policy:" in (tip.encode() if isinstance(tip, str) else tip):
            val = (tip.decode() if isinstance(tip, bytes) else tip).split(":")[1]
            if val not in SUPPORTED:
                return False, val
    return True, None

try:
    policies = rc.commands_parser.get_command_policies()
except redis.exceptions.IncorrectPolicyType as e:
    # unsupported request_policy value; upgrade client or patch module tips
    raise

When it happens

Trigger: Connecting to a Redis version or module that advertises a request_policy tip value the installed redis-py does not know; manually injecting custom tips; running a custom Redis fork that emits non-standard policy strings.

Common situations: Newer Redis / module version than redis-py supports; mixed-version cluster where one node advertises a policy string the client enum lacks; pre-release or experimental module.

Related errors

• Incorrect response policy type: {policy_type}
• {cmd_name.upper()} command doesn't exist in Redis commands
• Subcommand {subcommand_name} not found in command {command_n
• Command {command_name} not found in commands
• Cannot identify slot number for command: {args[0]},it cannot

AI-assisted analysis of redis/redis-py@da03cdc7e8 (2026-08-04). Data as JSON: /data/errors/ccf0e7be2956a654.json. Report an issue: GitHub.