How to Install Celery in Django: Step-by-Step Guide

To install Celery in a Django project, run pip install celery and then create a celery.py file in your Django project to configure it. Finally, update your __init__.py to load Celery when Django starts.

Syntax

Installing Celery requires the Python package and basic setup files in your Django project.

• pip install celery: Installs the Celery package.
• celery.py: Configures Celery with your Django settings.
• __init__.py: Ensures Celery starts with Django.

bash

pip install celery

Example

This example shows how to install Celery, configure it in a Django project, and create a simple task.

python

1. Install Celery:

pip install celery

2. Create a file <code>celery.py</code> in your Django project folder (same level as <code>settings.py</code>):

from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
import os
from celery import Celery

os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'myproject.settings')

app = Celery('myproject')
app.config_from_object('django.conf:settings', namespace='CELERY')
app.autodiscover_tasks()

3. In <code>__init__.py</code> of the same folder, add:

from .celery import app as celery_app

__all__ = ('celery_app',)

4. Create a task in any app, e.g., in <code>tasks.py</code>:

from celery import shared_task

@shared_task
def add(x, y):
    return x + y

5. Run Celery worker in terminal:

celery -A myproject worker --loglevel=info

Output

 -------------- celery@hostname v5.x.x (singularity)
--- ***** -----
--- * ***  * -- Linux-... 
--- * - *  * -- Python 3.x.x
--- *** -----
 --------------

[configurations loaded]
[tasks registered]
[worker ready]

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when installing Celery in Django include:

• Not setting the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE environment variable before starting Celery.
• Forgetting to import Celery app in __init__.py, so Celery does not start with Django.
• Not running a message broker like RabbitMQ or Redis, which Celery needs to work.
• Using old Celery syntax or not matching Celery version with Django compatibility.

python

Wrong way:

# Missing import in __init__.py
# Celery app not loaded, tasks won't run

Right way:

# __init__.py
from .celery import app as celery_app

__all__ = ('celery_app',)

Quick Reference

Step	Command / File	Purpose
1	pip install celery	Install Celery package
2	celery.py	Configure Celery with Django settings
3	__init__.py	Import Celery app to start with Django
4	tasks.py	Define asynchronous tasks
5	celery -A myproject worker --loglevel=info	Run Celery worker process

Key Takeaways

Install Celery using pip and configure it in a celery.py file inside your Django project.

Always import the Celery app in your __init__.py to ensure it loads with Django.

Run a message broker like Redis or RabbitMQ before starting Celery workers.

Use @shared_task decorator to define tasks that Celery can run asynchronously.

Check environment variables and Celery version compatibility to avoid common errors.