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GraphQL API

The GraphQL API allows performing queries and mutations to interact with the content-types through Strapi's GraphQL plugin. Results can be filtered, sorted and paginated.

Prerequisites

To use the GraphQL API, install the GraphQL plugin:

yarn add @strapi/plugin-graphql

Once installed, the GraphQL playground is accessible at the /graphql URL and can be used to interactively build your queries and mutations and read documentation tailored to your content-types:

GraphQL playground use exampleGraphQL playground use example

The GraphQL plugin exposes only one endpoint that handles all queries and mutations. The default endpoint is /graphql and is defined in the plugins configuration file:

/config/plugins.js|ts
  export default {
    shadowCRUD: true,
    endpoint: '/graphql', // <— single GraphQL endpoint
    subscriptions: false,
    maxLimit: -1,
    apolloServer: {},
    v4CompatibilityMode: process.env.STRAPI_GRAPHQL_V4_COMPATIBILITY_MODE ?? false,
  };
No GraphQL API to upload media files

The GraphQL API does not support media upload. Use the REST API POST /upload endpoint for all file uploads and use the returned info to link to it in content types. You can still update or delete uploaded files with the updateUploadFile and deleteUploadFile mutations using media files id (see mutations on media files).

Caution
documentId only

The GraphQL API exposes documents using only the documentId field. The previous numeric id is no longer available here, although it is still returned by the REST API for backward compatibility (see breaking change for details).

Queries​

Queries in GraphQL are used to fetch data without modifying it.

When a content-type is added to your project, 2 automatically generated GraphQL queries are added to your schema, named after the content-type's singular and plural API IDs, as in the following example:

Content-type display nameSingular API IDPlural API ID
Restaurantrestaurantrestaurants
Singular API ID vs. Plural API ID:

Singular API ID and Plural API ID values are defined when creating a content-type in the Content-Type Builder, and can be found while editing a content-type in the admin panel (see User Guide). You can define custom API IDs while creating the content-type, but these can not modified afterwards.

Screenshot of the Content-Type Builder to retrieve singular and plural API IDsScreenshot of the Content-Type Builder to retrieve singular and plural API IDs

Fetch a single document​

Documents can be fetched by their documentId.

Example query: Find a restaurant with its documentId
{
  restaurant(documentId: "a1b2c3d4e5d6f7g8h9i0jkl") {
    name
    description
  }
}

Fetch multiple documents​

To fetch multiple documents you can use simple, flat queries or Relay-style queries:

Flat queries return only the requested fields for each document. Relay-style queries end with _connection and return a nodes array together with a pageInfo object. Use Relay-style queries when you need pagination metadata.

To fetch multiple documents you can use flat queries like the following:

Example query: Find all restaurants
restaurants {
  documentId
  title
}

Fetch relations​

You can ask to include relation data in your flat queries or in your Relay-style queries:

The following example fetches all documents from the "Restaurant" content-type, and for each of them, also returns some fields for the many-to-many relation with the "Category" content-type:

Example query: Find all restaurants and their associated categories
{
  restaurants {
    documentId
    name
    description
    # categories is a many-to-many relation
    categories {
      documentId
      name
    }
  }
}

Fetch media fields​

Media fields content is fetched just like other attributes.

The following example fetches the url attribute value for each cover media field attached to each document from the "Restaurants" content-type:

{
  restaurants {
    images {
      documentId
      url
    }
  }
}

For multiple media fields, you can use flat queries or Relay-style queries:

The following example fetches some attributes from the images multiple media field found in the "Restaurant" content-type:

{
  restaurants {
    images_connection {
      nodes {
        documentId
        url
      }
    }
  }
}

Fetch components​

Components content is fetched just like other attributes.

The following example fetches the label, start_date, and end_date attributes values for each closingPeriod component added to each document from the "Restaurants" content-type:

{
  restaurants {
    closingPeriod {
      label
      start_date
      end_date
    }
  }
}

Fetch dynamic zone data​

Dynamic zones are union types in GraphQL so you need to use fragments (i.e., with ...on) to query the fields, passing the component name (with the ComponentCategoryComponentname syntax) to `__typename`:

The following example fetches data for the label attribute of a "Closingperiod" component from the "Default" components category that can be added to the "dz" dynamic zone:

{
  restaurants {
    dz {
      __typename
      ...on ComponentDefaultClosingperiod {
        # define which attributes to return for the component
        label
      }
    }
  }
}

Fetch draft or published versions​

If the Draft & Publish feature is enabled for the content-type, you can add a status parameter to queries to fetch draft or published versions of documents :

Example: Fetch draft versions of documents
query Query($status: PublicationStatus) {
  restaurants(status: DRAFT) {
    documentId
    name
    publishedAt # should return null
  }
}
Example: Fetch published versions of documents
query Query($status: PublicationStatus) {
  restaurants(status: PUBLISHED) {
    documentId
    name
    publishedAt
  }
}

Aggregations​

Aggregations can be used to compute metrics such as counts, sums, or grouped totals without fetching every document individually. Aggregations are exposed through Relay-style connection queries: every collection type includes an aggregate field under its <plural>_connection query.

Example: Total restaurants matching a filter
{
  restaurants_connection(filters: { categories: { documentId: { eq: "food-trucks" } } }) {
    aggregate {
      count
    }
  }
}

Aggregations follow the same filters, locale, publication status, and permissions as the parent query. For example, setting locale: "fr" or status: DRAFT on the connection limits the aggregation to those documents, and users can only aggregate content they are allowed to read.

The table below lists all supported aggregation operators:

OperatorDescriptionSupported field types
countReturns the number of documents that match the query.All content-types
avgComputes the arithmetic mean per numeric field.Number, integer, decimal
sumComputes the total per numeric field.Number, integer, decimal
minReturns the smallest value per field.Number, integer, decimal, date, datetime
maxReturns the largest value per field.Number, integer, decimal, date, datetime
groupByBuckets results by unique values and exposes nested aggregations for each bucket.Scalar fields (string, number, boolean, date, datetime), relations
Note

Strapi ignores null values for avg, sum, min, and max. When aggregating relations, the operators run on the target documents and still respect their locales and permissions.

Performance & limits

Aggregations operate server-side, so they are generally faster than downloading and processing large result sets on the client. However, complex groupBy trees and wide projections can still be expensive. Use filters to restrict the data set and consider setting up depthLimit and amountLimit values accordingly (see available options) to protect your API. Errors such as You are not allowed to perform this action usually mean the requester lacks the Read permission on the target collection.

Aggregate multiple metrics in one request​

Aggregations can be combined so that one network round trip returns several metrics:

Example: Average delivery time and minimum price
{
  restaurants_connection(filters: { takeAway: { eq: true } }) {
    aggregate {
      avg {
        delivery_time
      }
      min {
        price_range
      }
      max {
        price_range
      }
    }
  }
}

Group results​

Use groupBy to derive grouped metrics while optionally chaining further aggregations inside each group. Each group exposes the unique key and a nested connection that can be used for drilling down or counting the grouped items:

Example: Count restaurants per category
{
  restaurants_connection {
    aggregate {
      groupBy {
        categories {
          key
          connection {
            aggregate {
              count
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Groups inherit the top-level filters. To further refine a specific group, apply filters on the nested connection.

Combine with pagination and sorting​

Aggregations run on the entire result set that matches the query filters, not only on the current page. When a request includes pagination arguments and aggregations, the documents in nodes follow the pagination limits, but the values inside aggregate ignore pageSize or limit so they describe the whole set. You can still add sorting to order the documents returned with the aggregation results.

Example: Paginate takeaway restaurants and count all matches
{
  restaurants_connection(
    filters: { takeAway: { eq: true } }
    pagination: { page: 2, pageSize: 5 }
    sort: "name:asc"
  ) {
    nodes {
      documentId
      name
      rating
    }
    pageInfo {
      page
      pageSize
      total
    }
    aggregate {
      count
      avg {
        rating
      }
    }
  }
}

Mutations​

Mutations in GraphQL are used to modify data (e.g. create, update, and delete data).

When a content-type is added to your project, 3 automatically generated GraphQL mutations to create, update, and delete documents are added to your schema.

For instance, for a "Restaurant" content-type, the following mutations are generated:

Use caseSingular API ID
Create a new "Restaurant" documentcreateRestaurant
Update an existing "Restaurant" restaurantupdateRestaurant
Delete an existing "Restaurant" restaurantdeleteRestaurant

Create a new document​

When creating new documents, the data argument will have an associated input type that is specific to your content-type.

For instance, if your Strapi project contains the "Restaurant" content-type, you will have the following:

MutationArgumentInput type
createRestaurantdataRestaurantInput!

The following example creates a new document for the "Restaurant" content-type and returns its name and documentId:

mutation CreateRestaurant($data: RestaurantInput!) {
  createRestaurant(data: {
    name: "Pizzeria Arrivederci"
  }) {
    name
    documentId
  }
}

When creating a new document, a documentId is automatically generated.

The implementation of the mutations also supports relational attributes. For example, you can create a new "Category" and attach many "Restaurants" (using their documentId) to it by writing your query like follows:

mutation CreateCategory {
  createCategory(data: { 
    Name: "Italian Food"
    restaurants: ["a1b2c3d4e5d6f7g8h9i0jkl", "bf97tfdumkcc8ptahkng4puo"]
  }) {
    documentId
    Name
    restaurants {
      documentId
      name
    }
  }
}
Tip

If the Internationalization (i18n) feature is enabled for your content-type, you can create a document for a specific locale (see create a new localized document).

Update an existing document​

When updating an existing document , pass the documentId and the data object containing new content. The data argument will have an associated input type that is specific to your content-type.

For instance, if your Strapi project contains the "Restaurant" content-type, you will have the following:

MutationArgumentInput type
updateRestaurantdataRestaurantInput!

For instance, the following example updates an existing document from the "Restaurants" content-type and give it a new name:

mutation UpdateRestaurant($documentId: ID!, $data: RestaurantInput!) {
  updateRestaurant(
    documentId: "bf97tfdumkcc8ptahkng4puo",
    data: { name: "Pizzeria Amore" }
  ) {
    documentId
    name
  }
}
Tip

If the Internationalization (i18n) feature is enabled for your content-type, you can create a document for a specific locale (see i18n documentation).

Update relations​

You can update relational attributes by passing a documentId or an array of documentId (depending on the relation type).

For instance, the following example updates a document from the "Restaurant" content-type and adds a relation to a document from the "Category" content-type through the categories relation field:

mutation UpdateRestaurant($documentId: ID!, $data: RestaurantInput!) {
  updateRestaurant(
    documentId: "slwsiopkelrpxpvpc27953je",
    data: { categories: ["kbbvj00fjiqoaj85vmylwi17"] }
  ) {
    documentId
    name
    categories {
      documentId
      Name
    }
  }
}

Delete a document​

To delete a document , pass its documentId:

mutation DeleteRestaurant {
  deleteRestaurant(documentId: "a1b2c3d4e5d6f7g8h9i0jkl") {
    documentId
  }
}
Tip

If the Internationalization (i18n) feature is enabled for your content-type, you can delete a specific localized version of a document (see i18n documentation).

Mutations on media files​

Caution

Currently, mutations on media fields use Strapi v4 id, not Strapi 5 documentId, as unique identifiers for media files.

Media fields mutations use files id. However, GraphQL API queries in Strapi 5 do not return id anymore. Media files id can be found:

  • either in the Media Library from the admin panel,

    Media Library screenshot highlighting how to find a media file idMedia Library screenshot highlighting how to find a media file id

  • or by sending REST API GET requests that populate media files, because REST API requests currently return both id and documentId for media files.

Update an uploaded media file​

When updating an uploaded media file, pass the media's id (not its documentId) and the info object containing new content. The info argument will has an associated input type that is specific to media files.

For instance, if your Strapi project contains the "Restaurant" content-type, you will have the following:

MutationArgumentInput type
updateUploadFileinfoFileInfoInput!

For instance, the following example updates the alternativeText attribute for a media file whose id is 3:

mutation Mutation($updateUploadFileId: ID!, $info: FileInfoInput) {
  updateUploadFile(
    id: 3,
    info: {
      alternativeText: "New alt text"
    }
  ) {
    documentId
    url
    alternativeText
  }
}
Tip

If upload mutations return a forbidden access error, ensure proper permissions are set for the Upload plugin (see User Guide).

Delete an uploaded media file​

When deleting an uploaded media file, pass the media's id (not its documentId).

Example: Delete the media file with id 4
mutation DeleteUploadFile($deleteUploadFileId: ID!) {
  deleteUploadFile(id: 4) {
    documentId # return its documentId
  }
}
Tip

If upload mutations return a forbidden access error, ensure proper permissions are set for the Upload plugin (see User Guide).

Filters​

Queries can accept a filters parameter with the following syntax:

filters: { field: { operator: value } }

Multiple filters can be combined together, and logical operators (and, or, not) can also be used and accept arrays of objects. When multiple field conditions are combined, they are implicitly joined with and.

Tip

and, or and not operators can be nested inside one another.

The following operators are available:

OperatorDescription
eqEqual
eqiEqual, case insensitive
neNot equal
neiNot equal, case insensitive
ltLess than
lteLess than or equal to
gtGreater than
gteGreater than or equal to
inIncluded in an array
notInNot included in an array
containsContains, case sensitive
notContainsDoes not contain, case sensitive
containsiContains, case insensitive
notContainsiDoes not contain, case insensitive
nullIs null
notNullIs not null
betweenIs between
startsWithStarts with
endsWithEnds with
andLogical and
orLogical or
notLogical not
Simple examples for comparison operators (eq, ne, lt, lte, gt, gte, between)
# eq - returns restaurants with the exact name "Biscotte"
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { eq: "Biscotte" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# eqi - returns restaurants whose name equals "Biscotte",
#       comparison is case-insensitive
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { eqi: "Biscotte" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# ne - returns restaurants whose name is not "Biscotte"
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { ne: "Biscotte" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# nei - returns restaurants whose name is not "Biscotte",
#       comparison is case-insensitive
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { nei: "Biscotte" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# lt - returns restaurants with averagePrice less than 20
{
  restaurants(filters: { averagePrice: { lt: 20 } }) {
    name
  }
}

# lte - returns restaurants with averagePrice less than or equal to 20
{
  restaurants(filters: { averagePrice: { lte: 20 } }) {
    name
  }
}

# gt - returns restaurants with averagePrice greater than 20
{
  restaurants(filters: { averagePrice: { gt: 20 } }) {
    name
  }
}

# gte - returns restaurants with averagePrice greater than or equal to 20
{
  restaurants(filters: { averagePrice: { gte: 20 } }) {
    name
  }
}

# between - returns restaurants with averagePrice between 10 and 30
{
  restaurants(filters: { averagePrice: { between: [10, 30] } }) {
    name
  }
}
Simple examples for membership operators (in, notIn)
# in - returns restaurants with category either "pizza" or "burger"
{
  restaurants(filters: { category: { in: ["pizza", "burger"] } }) {
    name
  }
}

# notIn - returns restaurants whose category is neither "pizza" nor "burger"
{
  restaurants(filters: { category: { notIn: ["pizza", "burger"] } }) {
    name
  }
}
Simple examples for string matching operators (contains, notContains, containsi, notContains, startsWith, endsWith)
# contains - returns restaurants whose name contains "Pizzeria"
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { contains: "Pizzeria" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# notContains - returns restaurants whose name does NOT contain "Pizzeria"
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { notContains: "Pizzeria" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# containsi - returns restaurants whose name contains "pizzeria" (case‑insensitive)
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { containsi: "pizzeria" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# notContainsi - returns restaurants whose name does NOT contain "pizzeria" (case‑insensitive)
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { notContainsi: "pizzeria" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# startsWith - returns restaurants whose name starts with "Pizza"
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { startsWith: "Pizza" } }) {
    name
  }
}

# endsWith - returns restaurants whose name ends with "Inc"
{
  restaurants(filters: { name: { endsWith: "Inc" } }) {
    name
  }
}
Simple examples for null checks operators (null, notNull)
# null - returns restaurants where description is null
{
  restaurants(filters: { description: { null: true } }) {
    name
  }
}

# notNull - returns restaurants where description is not null
{
  restaurants(filters: { description: { notNull: true } }) {
    name
  }
}
Simple examples for logical operators (and, or, not)
# and - both category must be "pizza" AND averagePrice must be < 20
{
  restaurants(filters: {
    and: [
      { category: { eq: "pizza" } },
      { averagePrice: { lt: 20 } }
    ]
  }) {
    name
  }
}

# or - category is "pizza" OR category is "burger"
{
  restaurants(filters: {
    or: [
      { category: { eq: "pizza" } },
      { category: { eq: "burger" } }
    ]
  }) {
    name
  }
}

# not - category must NOT be "pizza"
{
  restaurants(filters: {
    not: { category: { eq: "pizza" } }
  }) {
    name
  }
}
Example with nested logical operators: use and, or, and not to find pizzerias under 20 euros
{
  restaurants(
    filters: {
      and: [
        { not: { averagePrice: { gte: 20 } } }
        {
          or: [
            { name: { eq: "Pizzeria" } }
            { name: { startsWith: "Pizzeria" } }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ) {
    documentId
    name
    averagePrice
  }
}
Deep filtering with the various APIs

For examples of how to deep filter with the various APIs, please refer to this blog article.

Sorting​

Queries can accept a sort parameter with the following syntax:

  • to sort based on a single value: sort: "value"
  • to sort based on multiple values: sort: ["value1", "value2"]

The sorting order can be defined with :asc (ascending order, default, can be omitted) or :desc (for descending order).

Example: Fetch and sort on name by ascending order
{
  restaurants(sort: "name") {
    documentId
    name
  }
}
Example: Fetch and sort on average price by descending order
{
  restaurants(sort: "averagePrice:desc") {
    documentId
    name
    averagePrice
  }
}
Example: Fetch and sort on title by ascending order, then on average price by descending order
{
  restaurants(sort: ["name:asc", "averagePrice:desc"]) {
    documentId
    name
    averagePrice
  }
}

Pagination​

Relay-style queries can accept a pagination parameter. Results can be paginated either by page or by offset.

Note

Pagination methods can not be mixed. Always use either page with pageSize or start with limit.

Pagination by page​

ParameterDescriptionDefault
pagination.pagePage number1
pagination.pageSizePage size10
Example query: Pagination by page
{
  restaurants_connection(pagination: { page: 1, pageSize: 10 }) {
    nodes {
      documentId
      name
    }
    pageInfo {
      page
      pageSize
      pageCount
      total
    }
  }
}

Pagination by offset​

ParameterDescriptionDefaultMaximum
pagination.startStart value0-
pagination.limitNumber of entities to return10-1
Example query: Pagination by offset
{
  restaurants_connection(pagination: { start: 10, limit: 19 }) {
    nodes {
      documentId
      name
    }
    pageInfo {
      page
      pageSize
      pageCount
      total
    }
  }
}
Tip

The default and maximum values for pagination.limit can be configured in the ./config/plugins.js file with the graphql.config.defaultLimit and graphql.config.maxLimit keys.

locale​

The Internationalization (i18n) feature adds new features to the GraphQL API:

  • The locale field is added to the GraphQL schema.
  • GraphQL can be used:
    • to query documents for a specific locale with the locale argument
    • for mutations to create, update, and delete documents for a specific locale

Fetch all documents in a specific locale​

To fetch all documents for a specific locale, pass the locale argument to the query:

Example request
query {
  restaurants(locale: "fr") {
    documentId
    name
    locale
  }
}
Example response
{
  "data": {
    "restaurants": [
      {
        "documentId": "a1b2c3d4e5d6f7g8h9i0jkl",
        "name": "Restaurant Biscotte",
        "locale": "fr"
      },
      {
        "documentId": "m9n8o7p6q5r4s3t2u1v0wxyz",
        "name": "Pizzeria Arrivederci",
        "locale": "fr"
      },
    ]
  }
}

Fetch a document in a specific locale​

To fetch a documents for a specific locale, pass the documentId and the locale arguments to the query:

Example query
query Restaurant($documentId: ID!, $locale: I18NLocaleCode) {
  restaurant(documentId: "a1b2c3d4e5d6f7g8h9i0jkl", locale: "fr") {
    documentId
    name
    description
    locale
  }
}
Example response
{
  "data": {
    "restaurant": {
      "documentId": "lviw819d5htwvga8s3kovdij",
      "name": "Restaurant Biscotte",
      "description": "Bienvenue au restaurant Biscotte!",
      "locale": "fr"
    }
  }
}

Create a new localized document​

The locale field can be passed to create a localized document for a specific locale (for more information about mutations with GraphQL, see the GraphQL API documentation).

Example: Create a new restaurant for the French locale
mutation CreateRestaurant($data: RestaurantInput!, $locale: I18NLocaleCode) {
  createRestaurant(
    data: {
      name: "Brasserie Bonjour",
      description: "Description in French goes here"
    },
    locale: "fr"
  ) {
  documentId
  name
  description
  locale
}

Update a document for a specific locale​

A locale argument can be passed in the mutation to update a document for a given locale (for more information about mutations with GraphQL, see the GraphQL API documentation).

Example: Update the description field of restaurant for the French locale
mutation UpdateRestaurant($documentId: ID!, $data: RestaurantInput!, $locale: I18NLocaleCode) {
  updateRestaurant(
    documentId: "a1b2c3d4e5d6f7g8h9i0jkl"
    data: {
      description: "New description in French"
    },
    locale: "fr"
  ) {
  documentId
  name
  description
  locale
}

Delete a locale for a document​

Pass the locale argument in the mutation to delete a specific localization for a document :

mutation DeleteRestaurant($documentId: ID!, $locale: I18NLocaleCode) {
  deleteRestaurant(documentId: "xzmzdo4k0z73t9i68a7yx2kk", locale: "fr") {
    documentId
  }
}

Advanced use cases​

Click on the following cards for short guides on more advanced use cases leveraging the GraphQL API and Strapi features:

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