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 & lightweight GraphQL client
• Promise-based API (works with async / await)
• Typescript support
• Isomorphic (works with Node / browsers)

Install

npm add graphql-request graphql

Quickstart

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

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

const query = gql`
  {
    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, gql } from 'graphql-request'

async function main() {
  const endpoint = 'https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/cixos23120m0n0173veiiwrjr'

  const graphQLClient = new GraphQLClient(endpoint, {
    headers: {
      authorization: 'Bearer MY_TOKEN',
    },
  })

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

  const data = await graphQLClient.request(query)
  console.log(JSON.stringify(data, undefined, 2))
}

main().catch((error) => console.error(error))

TypeScript Source

Dynamically setting headers

If you want to set headers after the GraphQLClient has been initialised, you can use the setHeader() or setHeaders() functions.

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

const client = new GraphQLClient(endpoint)

// Set a single header
client.setHeader('authorization', 'Bearer MY_TOKEN')

// Override all existing headers
client.setHeaders({
  authorization: 'Bearer MY_TOKEN'
  anotherheader: 'header_value'
})

Passing more options to fetch

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

async function main() {
  const endpoint = 'https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/cixos23120m0n0173veiiwrjr'

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

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

  const data = await graphQLClient.request(query)
  console.log(JSON.stringify(data, undefined, 2))
}

main().catch((error) => console.error(error))

TypeScript Source

Using variables

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

async function main() {
  const endpoint = 'https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/cixos23120m0n0173veiiwrjr'

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

  const variables = {
    title: 'Inception',
  }

  const data = await request(endpoint, query, variables)
  console.log(JSON.stringify(data, undefined, 2))
}

main().catch((error) => console.error(error))

TypeScript Source

Error handling

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

async function main() {
  const endpoint = 'https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/cixos23120m0n0173veiiwrjr'

  const query = gql`
    {
      Movie(title: "Inception") {
        releaseDate
        actors {
          fullname # "Cannot query field 'fullname' on type 'Actor'. Did you mean 'name'?"
        }
      }
    }
  `

  try {
    const data = await request(endpoint, query)
    console.log(JSON.stringify(data, undefined, 2))
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(JSON.stringify(error, undefined, 2))
    process.exit(1)
  }
}

main().catch((error) => console.error(error))

TypeScript Source

Using require instead of import

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

async function main() {
  const endpoint = 'https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/cixos23120m0n0173veiiwrjr'

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

  const data = await request(endpoint, query)
  console.log(JSON.stringify(data, undefined, 2))
}

main().catch((error) => console.error(error))

Cookie support for node

npm install fetch-cookie

require('fetch-cookie/node-fetch')(require('node-fetch'))

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

async function main() {
  const endpoint = 'https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/cixos23120m0n0173veiiwrjr'

  const graphQLClient = new GraphQLClient(endpoint, {
    headers: {
      authorization: 'Bearer MY_TOKEN',
    },
  })

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

  const data = await graphQLClient.rawRequest(query)
  console.log(JSON.stringify(data, undefined, 2))
}

main().catch((error) => console.error(error))

TypeScript Source

Receiving a raw response

The request method will return the data or errors key from the response. If you need to access the extensions key you can use the rawRequest method:

import { rawRequest, gql } from 'graphql-request'

async function main() {
  const endpoint = 'https://api.graph.cool/simple/v1/cixos23120m0n0173veiiwrjr'

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

  const { data, errors, extensions, headers, status } = await rawRequest(endpoint, query)
  console.log(JSON.stringify({ data, errors, extensions, headers, status }, undefined, 2))
}

main().catch((error) => console.error(error))

TypeScript Source

More examples coming soon...

• Fragments
• Using graphql-tag

FAQ

Why do I have to install graphql?

graphql-request uses a TypeScript type from the graphql package such that if you are using TypeScript to build your project and you are using graphql-request but don't have graphql installed TypeScript build will fail. Details here. If you are a JS user then you do not technically need to install graphql. However if you use an IDE that picks up TS types even for JS (like VSCode) then its still in your interest to install graphql so that you can benefit from enhanced type safety during development.

Do I need to wrap my GraphQL documents inside the gql template exported by graphql-request?

No. It is there for convenience so that you can get the tooling support like prettier formatting and IDE syntax highlighting. You can use gql from graphql-tag if you need it for some reason too.

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.