# GUARD.CREATE

> Create a guard cache namespace with an optional entry limit and default TTL.

URL: https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-create/

```
GUARD.CREATE namespace [MAX_ENTRIES n] [TTL seconds]
```

- Group: Keyed caches
- Complexity: O(1)
- HotKV Cloud: Performance and Scale plans
- On-Premise: requires the guard-cache license feature

The guard cache stores only responses that have already passed your schema validation or guardrail checks, so a hit is known to be safe to replay without checking it again. `GUARD.CREATE` creates a namespace. You must create a
namespace before you can store entries in it with [GUARD.SET](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-set/index.md).

## Options

| Option | Effect |
| --- | --- |
| `MAX_ENTRIES n` | Maximum number of entries. `0` or omitted uses the server's per-namespace limit, and larger values are capped at that limit (`max_entries_per_namespace` under `[guard]`). When the namespace is full, HotKV evicts existing entries to make room. |
| `TTL seconds` | Default time to live for entries stored without their own `TTL`. `0` or omitted means entries do not expire. |

Options can be given in any order and are case-insensitive.

## Return value

| Case | RESP2 | RESP3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Namespace created | Simple string `OK` | Same |

Errors:

- `ERR namespace already exists or limit reached` if the namespace exists, or the server already holds its maximum number of guard cache namespaces (`max_namespaces` under `[guard]`).
- `ERR invalid MAX_ENTRIES` or `ERR invalid TTL` if a value is not a non-negative integer.
- `ERR unknown option` for any other option name.
- `ERR wrong number of arguments for 'guard.create' command` if the argument count is wrong.
- `NOLICENSE guard-cache requires a HotKV license. Contact sales@hotkv.com` if your license does not include the `guard-cache` feature.

## Examples

```
127.0.0.1:6379> GUARD.CREATE validated TTL 86400
OK
127.0.0.1:6379> GUARD.CREATE validated
(error) ERR namespace already exists or limit reached
```

## Compatibility

HotKV-only command. Redis and Valkey have no equivalent.

## See also

[GUARD.SET](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-set/index.md), [GUARD.GET](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-get/index.md), [GUARD.DEL](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-del/index.md), [GUARD.STATS](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-stats/index.md), [GUARD.FLUSH](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-flush/index.md), [GUARD.DROP](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-drop/index.md), [GUARD.LIST](https://docs.hotkv.com/commands/guard-list/index.md), [AI features guide](https://docs.hotkv.com/ai-features/index.md)