graphql-request

What is graphql-request?

The graphql-request npm package is a minimal GraphQL client for Node.js and browsers, providing a simple and flexible way to execute GraphQL queries, mutations, and subscriptions. It is designed for making HTTP requests to a GraphQL server, and it's a lightweight alternative to more complex GraphQL clients like Apollo Client or Relay.

What are graphql-request's main functionalities?

Simple Query Execution

Execute a simple GraphQL query and log the result.

const { request } = require('graphql-request');
const query = `{ hello }`;
request('https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/movies', query).then((data) => console.log(data));

Mutation Execution

Execute a GraphQL mutation to create a new resource and log the result.

const { request } = require('graphql-request');
const mutation = `mutation ($title: String!) { createMovie(title: $title) { id } }`;
const variables = { title: 'Inception' };
request('https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/movies', mutation, variables).then((data) => console.log(data));

Error Handling

Handle errors that may occur during the execution of a GraphQL request.

const { request } = require('graphql-request');
const query = `{ hello }`;
request('https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/movies', query).catch((error) => console.error(error.response.errors));

GraphQL Subscriptions

Set up a GraphQL subscription to listen for real-time updates.

const { SubscriptionClient } = require('graphql-request');
const ws = require('ws');
const subscriptionClient = new SubscriptionClient('wss://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/movies', { reconnect: true }, ws);
const query = `subscription { newMovie { id title } }`;
const observer = subscriptionClient.request({ query }).subscribe({
  next(data) { console.log(data); },
  error(err) { console.error(err); }
});

Other packages similar to graphql-request

apollo-client

Apollo Client is a comprehensive state management library for JavaScript that enables you to manage both local and remote data with GraphQL. It is more feature-rich than graphql-request, offering advanced features like caching, optimistic UI updates, and integration with various view layers.

urql

urql is a highly customizable and versatile GraphQL client for React applications. It includes features like caching, pagination, and subscriptions. It is similar to graphql-request in its simplicity and ease of use but offers more extensibility and integration with the React ecosystem.

relay-runtime

Relay is a framework for building data-driven React applications with GraphQL. It provides a powerful and opinionated set of tools for fetching, storing, and managing GraphQL data. Relay is more complex than graphql-request and is designed for use cases that require fine-grained control over data management and performance optimization.

README

graphql-request

📡 Minimal GraphQL client supporting Node and browsers for scripts or simple apps

Features

• Most simple and lightweight GraphQL client
• Promise-based API (works with async / await)
• Typescript support (Flow coming soon)

Install

npm install graphql-request

Quickstart

Send a GraphQL query with a single line of code. ▶️ Try it out.

import { request } from 'graphql-request'

const query = `{
  Movie(title: "Inception") {
    releaseDate
    actors {
      name
    }
  }
}`
  
request('https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/movies', query).then(data => console.log(data))

Usage

import { request, GraphQLClient } from 'graphql-request'

// Run GraphQL queries/mutations using a static function
request(endpoint, query, variables).then(data => console.log(data))

// ... or create a GraphQL client instance to send requests
const client = new GraphQLClient(endpoint, { headers: {} })
client.request(query, variables).then(data => console.log(data)) 

Examples

Authentication via HTTP header

import { GraphQLClient } from 'graphql-request'

const client = new GraphQLClient('my-endpoint', {
  headers: {
    Authorization: 'Bearer my-jwt-token',
  },
})

const query = `{
  Movie(title: "Inception") {
    releaseDate
    actors {
      name
    }
  }
}`

client.request(query).then(data => console.log(data)) 

Passing more options to fetch

import { GraphQLClient } from 'graphql-request'

const client = new GraphQLClient('my-endpoint', {
 credentials: 'include',
 mode: 'cors'
})

const query = `{
  Movie(title: "Inception") {
    releaseDate
    actors {
      name
    }
  }
}`

client.request(query).then(data => console.log(data)) 

Using variables

import { request } from 'graphql-request'

const query = `query getMovie($title: String!) {
  Movie(title: $title) {
    releaseDate
    actors {
      name
    }
  }
}`

const variables = {
  title: 'Inception',
}

request('my-endpoint', query, variables).then(data => console.log(data))

Error handling

import { request } from 'graphql-request'

const wrongQuery = `{
  some random stuff
}`

request('my-endpoint', query)
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => {
    console.log(err.response.errors) // GraphQL response errors
    console.log(err.response.data) // Response data if available
  })

Using require instead of import

const { request } = require('graphql-request')

const query = `{
  Movie(title: "Inception") {
    releaseDate
    actors {
      name
    }
  }
}`
  
request('my-endpoint', query).then(data => console.log(data))

Cookie support for node

npm install fetch-cookie/node-fetch

import { GraphQLClient } from 'graphql-request'

// use this instead for cookie support
global['fetch'] = require('fetch-cookie/node-fetch')(require('node-fetch'))

const client = new GraphQLClient('my-endpoint')

const query = `{
  Movie(title: "Inception") {
    releaseDate
    actors {
      name
    }
  }
}`

client.request(query).then(data => console.log(data))

More examples coming soon...

• Fragments
• Using graphql-tag
• Typed Typescript return values

FAQ

What's the difference between graphql-request, Apollo and Relay?

graphql-request is the most minimal and simplest to use GraphQL client. It's perfect for small scripts or simple apps.

Compared to GraphQL clients like Apollo or Relay, graphql-request doesn't have a built-in cache and has no integrations for frontend frameworks. The goal is to keep the package and API as minimal as possible.

So what about Lokka?

Lokka is great but it still requires a lot of setup code to be able to send a simple GraphQL query. graphql-request does less work compared to Lokka but is a lot simpler to use.

Help & Community

Join our Slack community if you run into issues or have questions. We love talking to you!