# Run a Delayed Message Now

Messages that are waiting on a delay or on a retry backoff can be released early
from the console. QStash then delivers the message on its next poll instead of
waiting for the scheduled time.

This works for two kinds of waiting messages:

- **Delayed messages**, published with `Upstash-Delay` or `Upstash-Not-Before`.
- **Retrying messages**, whose last delivery attempt failed and which are waiting
  out the retry delay before the next attempt.

<Note>
  Releasing a message does not add an attempt. A retrying message uses the
  attempt it was already scheduled for, so if it was on its last retry and fails
  again, it goes to the [DLQ](/qstash/features/dlq) as usual.
</Note>

## From the console

Open the [Upstash Console](https://console.upstash.com/qstash), go to the `Logs`
tab and select the message. Waiting messages show a **Run now** button (for
delays) or a **Retry now** button (for retries) at the top of the details panel,
and next to the step that is holding the message back.

<Frame caption="A message published with a two hour delay, released with Run now">
  <img src="/img/qstash/run-now-delayed.jpg" alt="Run now button on a delayed message in the Upstash Console" />
</Frame>

<Frame caption="A message waiting out a one day retry delay, released with Retry now">
  <img src="/img/qstash/retry-now-backoff.jpg" alt="Retry now button on a retrying message in the Upstash Console" />
</Frame>

The button is also available when hovering a row in the logs table. It only
appears while the message is genuinely waiting: not while a delivery is in
progress, not for queued messages, and not after a cancel was requested.

## From the API

The console calls the [retry a message now](/qstash/api-reference/messages/retry-a-message-now)
endpoint. You can call it yourself with the message ID:

```bash
curl -X POST https://qstash.upstash.io/v2/messages/<MESSAGE_ID>/retry \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <QSTASH_TOKEN>"
```

The endpoint returns `200` when a waiting message was released and `404` when
the message is not waiting, for example because it is already being delivered.
Messages in a [queue](/qstash/features/queues) cannot be released this way and
return `400`.