GraphQLApolloNext.js

GraphQL in Production: Lessons Learned

1 min read•1/20/2024

GraphQL in Production: Lessons Learned

After years of using GraphQL in production, here's what I've learned.

Why GraphQL?

  • • Fetch exactly what you need

  • • Strong typing with codegen

  • • Great developer experience

    • Challenges We Faced

  • N+1 queries - DataLoader is your friend

  • Caching complexity - Apollo Client cache normalization takes time to master

  • Error handling - GraphQL errors are different from REST

    • Our Stack

  • • Apollo Client for state management

  • • GraphQL Code Generator for types

  • • Strapi as headless CMS

    • Tips

  • • Start with simple queries, add complexity gradually

  • • Use fragments for reusable fields

  • • Monitor query performance in production

    • GraphQL isn't perfect, but for complex UIs it's hard to beat.