feat: ability to cancel jobs (#11409)

This adds new `payload.jobs.cancel` and `payload.jobs.cancelByID` methods that allow you to cancel already-running jobs, or prevent queued jobs from running.

While it's not possible to cancel a function mid-execution, this will stop job execution the next time the job makes a request to the db, which happens after every task.

docs/jobs-queue/jobs.mdx

@@ -44,3 +44,31 @@ const createdJob = await payload.jobs.queue({
   },
 })
 ```
+
+#### Cancelling Jobs
+
+Payload allows you to cancel jobs that are either queued or currently running. When cancelling a running job, the current task will finish executing, but no subsequent tasks will run. This happens because the job checks its cancellation status between tasks.
+
+##### Cancel a Single Job
+
+To cancel a specific job, use the `payload.jobs.cancelByID` method with the job's ID:
+
+```ts
+await payload.jobs.cancelByID({
+  id: createdJob.id,
+})
+```
+
+##### Cancel Multiple Jobs
+
+To cancel multiple jobs at once, use the `payload.jobs.cancel` method with a `Where` query:
+
+```ts
+await payload.jobs.cancel({
+  where: {
+    workflowSlug: {
+      equals: 'createPost',
+    },
+  },
+})
+```

packages/payload/src/queues/config/jobsCollection.ts

@@ -221,6 +221,21 @@ export const getDefaultJobsCollection: (config: Config) => CollectionConfig | nu
           return doc
         },
       ],
+      /**
+       * If another update comes in after a job as already been cancelled, we need to make sure that update doesn't
+       * change the state of the job.
+       */
+      beforeChange: [
+        ({ data, originalDoc }) => {
+          if (originalDoc?.error?.cancelled) {
+            data.processing = false
+            data.hasError = true
+            delete data.completedAt
+            delete data.waitUntil
+          }
+          return data
+        },
+      ],
     },
     lockDocuments: false,
   }

packages/payload/src/queues/localAPI.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// @ts-strict-ignore
 import type { BaseJob, RunningJobFromTask } from './config/types/workflowTypes.js'
 
 import {
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ export const getJobsLocalAPI = (payload: Payload) => ({
       ? RunningJob<TTaskOrWorkflowSlug>
       : RunningJobFromTask<TTaskOrWorkflowSlug>
   > => {
-    let queue: string
+    let queue: string | undefined = undefined
 
     // If user specifies queue, use that
     if (args.queue) {
@@ -55,15 +54,26 @@ export const getJobsLocalAPI = (payload: Payload) => ({
       }
     }
 
+    const data: Partial<BaseJob> = {
+      input: args.input,
+    }
+
+    if (queue) {
+      data.queue = queue
+    }
+    if (args.waitUntil) {
+      data.waitUntil = args.waitUntil?.toISOString()
+    }
+    if (args.workflow) {
+      data.workflowSlug = args.workflow as string
+    }
+    if (args.task) {
+      data.taskSlug = args.task as string
+    }
+
     return (await payload.create({
       collection: 'payload-jobs',
-      data: {
+      data,
-        input: args.input,
-        queue,
-        taskSlug: 'task' in args ? args.task : undefined,
-        waitUntil: args.waitUntil?.toISOString() ?? undefined,
-        workflowSlug: 'workflow' in args ? args.workflow : undefined,
-      } as BaseJob,
       req: args.req,
     })) as TTaskOrWorkflowSlug extends keyof TypedJobs['workflows']
       ? RunningJob<TTaskOrWorkflowSlug>
@@ -78,14 +88,14 @@ export const getJobsLocalAPI = (payload: Payload) => ({
     where?: Where
   }): Promise<ReturnType<typeof runJobs>> => {
     const newReq: PayloadRequest = args?.req ?? (await createLocalReq({}, payload))
-    const result = await runJobs({
+
+    return await runJobs({
       limit: args?.limit,
       overrideAccess: args?.overrideAccess !== false,
       queue: args?.queue,
       req: newReq,
       where: args?.where,
     })
-    return result
   },
 
   runByID: async (args: {
@@ -93,12 +103,89 @@ export const getJobsLocalAPI = (payload: Payload) => ({
     overrideAccess?: boolean
     req?: PayloadRequest
   }): Promise<ReturnType<typeof runJobs>> => {
-    const newReq: PayloadRequest = args?.req ?? (await createLocalReq({}, payload))
+    const newReq: PayloadRequest = args.req ?? (await createLocalReq({}, payload))
-    const result = await runJobs({
+
+    return await runJobs({
       id: args.id,
-      overrideAccess: args?.overrideAccess !== false,
+      overrideAccess: args.overrideAccess !== false,
+      req: newReq,
+    })
+  },
+
+  cancel: async (args: {
+    overrideAccess?: boolean
+    queue?: string
+    req?: PayloadRequest
+    where: Where
+  }): Promise<void> => {
+    const newReq: PayloadRequest = args.req ?? (await createLocalReq({}, payload))
+
+    const and: Where[] = [
+      args.where,
+      {
+        completedAt: {
+          exists: false,
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        hasError: {
+          not_equals: true,
+        },
+      },
+    ]
+
+    if (args.queue) {
+      and.push({
+        queue: {
+          equals: args.queue,
+        },
+      })
+    }
+
+    await payload.db.updateMany({
+      collection: 'payload-jobs',
+      data: {
+        completedAt: null,
+        error: {
+          cancelled: true,
+        },
+        hasError: true,
+        processing: false,
+        waitUntil: null,
+      } as Partial<
+        {
+          completedAt: null
+          waitUntil: null
+        } & BaseJob
+      >,
+      req: newReq,
+      where: { and },
+    })
+  },
+
+  cancelByID: async (args: {
+    id: number | string
+    overrideAccess?: boolean
+    req?: PayloadRequest
+  }): Promise<void> => {
+    const newReq: PayloadRequest = args.req ?? (await createLocalReq({}, payload))
+
+    await payload.db.updateOne({
+      id: args.id,
+      collection: 'payload-jobs',
+      data: {
+        completedAt: null,
+        error: {
+          cancelled: true,
+        },
+        hasError: true,
+        processing: false,
+        waitUntil: null,
+      } as {
+        completedAt: null
+        waitUntil: null
+      } & BaseJob,
       req: newReq,
     })
-    return result
   },
 })

packages/payload/src/queues/operations/runJobs/runJob/getRunTaskFunction.ts

@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ export const getRunTaskFunction = <TIsInline extends boolean>(
           processing: false,
         })
 
-        return
+        throw new Error(errorMessage)
       }
 
       let maxRetries: number | undefined = finalRetriesConfig?.attempts

packages/payload/src/queues/operations/runJobs/runJob/getUpdateJobFunction.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ export function getUpdateJobFunction(job: BaseJob, req: PayloadRequest): UpdateJ
       job[key] = updatedJob[key]
     }
 
+    if ((updatedJob.error as any)?.cancelled) {
+      throw new Error('Job cancelled')
+    }
+
     return updatedJob
   }
 }

test/queues/config.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { updatePostStep1, updatePostStep2 } from './runners/updatePost.js'
 import { clearAndSeedEverything } from './seed.js'
 import { externalWorkflow } from './workflows/externalWorkflow.js'
 import { inlineTaskTestWorkflow } from './workflows/inlineTaskTest.js'
+import { longRunningWorkflow } from './workflows/longRunning.js'
 import { noRetriesSetWorkflow } from './workflows/noRetriesSet.js'
 import { retries0Workflow } from './workflows/retries0.js'
 import { retriesBackoffTestWorkflow } from './workflows/retriesBackoffTest.js'
@@ -378,6 +379,7 @@ export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
       retriesBackoffTestWorkflow,
       subTaskWorkflow,
       subTaskFailsWorkflow,
+      longRunningWorkflow,
     ],
   },
   editor: lexicalEditor(),

test/queues/int.spec.ts

@@ -1129,6 +1129,79 @@ describe('Queues', () => {
     expect(jobAfterRun.input.amountTask1Retried).toBe(0)
   })
 
+
+  it('ensure jobs can be cancelled using payload.jobs.cancelByID', async () => {
+    payload.config.jobs.deleteJobOnComplete = false
+
+    const job = await payload.jobs.queue({
+      workflow: 'longRunning',
+      input: {},
+    })
+    void payload.jobs.run().catch((_ignored) => {})
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000))
+
+    // Should be in processing - cancel job
+    await payload.jobs.cancelByID({
+      id: job.id,
+    })
+
+    // Wait 4 seconds. This ensures that the job has enough time to finish
+    // if it hadn't been cancelled. That way we can be sure that the job was
+    // actually cancelled.
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 4000))
+
+    // Ensure job is not completed and cancelled
+    const jobAfterRun = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: 'payload-jobs',
+      id: job.id,
+      depth: 0,
+    })
+
+    expect(Boolean(jobAfterRun.completedAt)).toBe(false)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.hasError).toBe(true)
+    // @ts-expect-error error is not typed
+    expect(jobAfterRun.error?.cancelled).toBe(true)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.processing).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('ensure jobs can be cancelled using payload.jobs.cancel', async () => {
+    payload.config.jobs.deleteJobOnComplete = false
+
+    const job = await payload.jobs.queue({
+      workflow: 'longRunning',
+      input: {},
+    })
+    void payload.jobs.run().catch((_ignored) => {})
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000))
+
+    // Cancel all jobs
+    await payload.jobs.cancel({
+      where: {
+        id: {
+          exists: true,
+        },
+      },
+    })
+
+    // Wait 4 seconds. This ensures that the job has enough time to finish
+    // if it hadn't been cancelled. That way we can be sure that the job was
+    // actually cancelled.
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 4000))
+
+    // Ensure job is not completed and cancelled
+    const jobAfterRun = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: 'payload-jobs',
+      id: job.id,
+      depth: 0,
+    })
+
+    expect(Boolean(jobAfterRun.completedAt)).toBe(false)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.hasError).toBe(true)
+    // @ts-expect-error error is not typed
+    expect(jobAfterRun.error?.cancelled).toBe(true)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.processing).toBe(false)
+  })
+  
   it('can tasks throw error', async () => {
     payload.config.jobs.deleteJobOnComplete = false
 

test/queues/payload-types.ts

@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ export interface Config {
       retriesBackoffTest: WorkflowRetriesBackoffTest;
       subTask: WorkflowSubTask;
       subTaskFails: WorkflowSubTaskFails;
+      longRunning: WorkflowLongRunning;
     };
   };
 }
@@ -308,6 +309,7 @@ export interface PayloadJob {
         | 'retriesBackoffTest'
         | 'subTask'
         | 'subTaskFails'
+        | 'longRunning'
       )
     | null;
   taskSlug?:
@@ -718,6 +720,13 @@ export interface WorkflowSubTaskFails {
     message: string;
   };
 }
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "WorkflowLongRunning".
+ */
+export interface WorkflowLongRunning {
+  input?: unknown;
+}
 /**
  * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
  * via the `definition` "auth".

test/queues/workflows/longRunning.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import type { WorkflowConfig } from 'payload'
+
+/**
+ * Should finish after 2 seconds
+ */
+export const longRunningWorkflow: WorkflowConfig<'longRunning'> = {
+  slug: 'longRunning',
+  inputSchema: [],
+  handler: async ({ inlineTask }) => {
+    for (let i = 0; i < 4; i += 1) {
+      await inlineTask(String(i), {
+        task: async () => {
+          // Wait 500ms
+          await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 500))
+          return {
+            output: {},
+          }
+        },
+      })
+    }
+  },
+}