ActiveMQ Connection
The ActiveMQ connection type enables automations to send and receive messages through an Apache ActiveMQ broker using the JMS, AMQP, or STOMP protocols. It supports both on-premises ActiveMQ Classic deployments and ActiveMQ Artemis.
Connection Details
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type ID | ACTIVEMQ |
| Category | Messaging and Event Systems |
| Testable | Yes |
Friendly Example
| What you enter | Example |
|---|---|
| Connection name | ActiveMQ - Order Processing |
| Used for | Publishing new order events to a queue and consuming fulfilment confirmations |
| Main details to collect | Broker URL, username, and password |
| Best person to provide it | Messaging or platform administrator |
After it is saved, workflow builders select ActiveMQ - Order Processing in a node instead of entering these details again.
Mandatory Fields
| Field | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
brokerUrl | Full URL of the ActiveMQ broker, including the protocol, host, and port. See the protocol reference below for supported formats. | tcp://activemq.internal:61616 |
username | Username the automation authenticates with on the broker. | automation-user |
password | Password for the broker user. Encrypted at rest. | (your password) |
ActiveMQ supports multiple wire protocols. Choose the one your broker is configured to accept:
| Protocol | Default Port | Broker URL Format |
|---|---|---|
| OpenWire (default) | 61616 | tcp://host:61616 |
| AMQP 1.0 | 5672 | amqp://host:5672 |
| STOMP | 61613 | stomp://host:61613 |
OpenWire is the native ActiveMQ protocol and offers the broadest feature support. Use AMQP when interoperability with other brokers is required.
Advanced Fields
| Field | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
connectionTimeout | Time in milliseconds to wait for the broker connection to be established before the attempt fails. | 10000 |
maxReconnectAttempts | Number of times the client will try to reconnect after a dropped connection before raising an error. Set to -1 for unlimited retries. | 5 |
ssl | Set to true to enable TLS encryption. Use the ssl:// scheme in the broker URL and confirm the broker is configured for TLS. | false |
When ssl is enabled, prefix the broker URL with ssl:// instead of tcp:// and use the TLS port (typically 61617 for OpenWire over TLS):
ssl://activemq.internal:61617
Confirm with your administrator that the broker certificate is signed by a trusted CA or has been added to the platform's trust store.
Setup Instructions
-
Locate the broker URL from your ActiveMQ configuration file (
activemq.xml). Look for the<transportConnectors>section — each<transportConnector>entry shows the protocol and port the broker is listening on. -
Identify or create the broker user. The default ActiveMQ installation ships with the credentials
admin/admin. Do not use these in production. Create a dedicated user:- In the ActiveMQ Web Console (typically
http://broker-host:8161/admin), navigate to Manage ActiveMQ broker → Users and add a new user. - Or, for file-based authentication, add the user to
conf/credentials.propertiesand grant the appropriate permissions inconf/login.config.
- In the ActiveMQ Web Console (typically
-
Confirm broker reachability from the platform host. Verify that the relevant port (e.g.,
61616) is open in any firewalls between the platform and the broker. -
Choose the correct protocol for your automation. Use
tcp://(OpenWire) unless your environment requires AMQP or STOMP interoperability. -
Create the connection in the Global Configurator. Enter the broker URL, username, and password, then test the connection to confirm successful authentication.
The default admin / admin credentials are publicly known and grant full broker access. Always create a dedicated user with the minimum permissions required by the automation before deploying to a production environment.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely Cause |
|---|---|
Connection refused on the broker port | The broker is not running, the port is wrong, or a firewall is blocking the connection — verify the broker URL and confirm the port is reachable |
Failed to authenticate or SecurityException | The username or password is incorrect, or the user does not exist in the broker's credential store |
| Connection test times out | The connectionTimeout is too low for the network latency, or the broker host is unreachable — increase the timeout or check network routing |
SSL handshake failed | TLS is enabled in the connection but the broker is not configured for SSL, or the broker certificate is not trusted by the platform — verify the broker URL scheme and certificate chain |