A query language for APIs that lets clients ask for exactly the data they need — no more, no less.
Official siteGraphQL is a query language and runtime for APIs, created at Facebook. Instead of many fixed REST endpoints, it exposes a single endpoint backed by a typed schema, and the client specifies exactly which fields it wants. That eliminates over-fetching and under-fetching and lets one request pull related data that REST would spread across several calls.
The strong, introspectable schema is a real asset: it doubles as documentation and powers excellent tooling. The cost is added server-side complexity around caching, query cost limits and performance.
GraphQL sits over your data sources and answers precisely-shaped queries against a typed schema. Clients request the exact fields and relationships they need in one round trip, and the schema is self-documenting and introspectable.
GraphQL earns its keep when clients have varied data needs, when you aggregate several backends behind one API, or when frontend and backend teams iterate independently. Mobile and complex dashboards benefit most from asking for only what they render.
It shifts complexity to the server: HTTP caching is harder than with REST, you need query-cost limits to prevent abuse, and naive resolvers cause N+1 database queries (solved with batching/dataloaders). For simple, uniform APIs, REST is often the lighter choice.
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The powerful, standards-compliant open-source relational database — the safe default for structured data.
Common questions
Straight answers on how this fits your marketing and build.
Use GraphQL when clients have varied data needs or you aggregate multiple backends and want to avoid over-fetching. Use REST for simpler, uniform APIs where HTTP caching and straightforward endpoints matter more than query flexibility.
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