What is GraphQL?

GraphQL, developed by Facebook, provides a single endpoint through which clients can query exactly the data they need. Unlike REST where each endpoint returns a fixed data structure, GraphQL lets the client specify the shape of the response. This reduces network requests and payload sizes, especially for mobile apps with bandwidth constraints. GraphQL also provides a strongly typed schema, real-time data via subscriptions, and built-in introspection for documentation. At Attreides, we implement GraphQL with Apollo Server or Pothos, use code generation for type-safe client queries, and implement DataLoader patterns to prevent N+1 query problems.