graphql-request

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

• Highlights
• Install
• Quick Start
• Examples
• Node Version Support
• Reference
  • Configuration
    • ErrorPolicy
      • None (default)
      • Ignore
      • All
• Knowledge Base
  • Why was the file upload feature taken away? Will it return?
  • Why do I have to install graphql?
  • Do I need to wrap my GraphQL documents inside the gql template exported by graphql-request?
  • What sets graphql-request apart from other clients like Apollo, Relay, etc.?

Highlights

• Most simple & lightweight GraphQL client
• Promise-based API (works with async / await)
• ESM native package (CJS build is included for now as well, but will eventually be removed)
• First class TypeScript support
  • Including TypedDocumentNode
• Isomorphic (works in both Nodejs and Browsers)

Install

npm add graphql-request graphql

Quick Start

Send a GraphQL document using a static request function:

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

const document = gql`
  {
    company {
      ceo
    }
  }
`
await request('https://api.spacex.land/graphql/', document)

The function can be passed a configuration object for more complex cases:

await request({
  url,
  document,
  variables,
  requestHeaders,
})

A class is available for constructing your own instances:

import { GraphQLClient } from 'graphql-request'

const document = gql`
  {
    company {
      ceo
    }
  }
`
const client = new GraphQLClient(endpoint)
await request('https://api.spacex.land/graphql/', document)

Examples

• Request:
  • Authentication via HTTP header
  • Method GET
  • Cancellation
  • Headers Per Request (static)
  • Headers Per Request (dynamic)
  • Cookie support for Nodejs
  • Handle Raw Response
• GraphQL:
  • Document Variables
  • Mutation
  • Batching Requests
• Configuration:
  • Fetch: Passing Options
  • Fetch: Use custom function
  • Custom JSON Serializer
  • Incremental: Set Endpoint
  • Incremental: Set Request Headers
• Community
  • GraphQL Code Generator for typed GraphQL Queries
• TypeScript
  • Use TypedDocumentNode
• Other:
  • Middleware
  • Error Handling
  • OCommonJS Support

Node Version Support

We only (officially) support versions of Nodejs of the following status:

• Current
• LTS
• Maintenance and end of life not yet reached

So for example on May 1 2023 that would mean these versions: 16, 18, 19.

Any issue that exists solely for an unsupported version of Nodejs will be rejected (not worked on).

Reference

⚠️ This reference is incomplete. Check out the examples for more reference material.

Configuration

ErrorPolicy

By default GraphQLClient will throw when an error is received. However, sometimes you still want to resolve the (partial) data you received. You can define errorPolicy in the GraphQLClient constructor.

const client = new GraphQLClient(endpoint, { errorPolicy: 'all' })

None (default)

Allow no errors at all. If you receive a GraphQL error the client will throw.

Ignore

Ignore incoming errors and resolve like no errors occurred

All

Return both the errors and data, only works with rawRequest.

Knowledge Base

Why was the file upload feature taken away? Will it return?

In this issue we decided to make this library more stable and maintainable. In principal the feature is still in scope of this library and will make a return when we find time to do the feature right.

Why do I have to install graphql?

graphql-request uses methods exposed by the graphql package to handle some internal logic. On top of that, for TypeScript users, some types are used from the graphql package to provide better typings.

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 sets graphql-request apart from other clients like Apollo, Relay, etc.?

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.