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GraphQL Subscriptions

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description GraphQL Subscriptions Overview

The ability of GraphQL to handle real-time data updates via persistent connections (usually WebSockets). This moves beyond simple polling or standard REST webhooks, allowing clients to subscribe to specific data changes as they happen (e.g., a chat message or stock price update). While powerful, implementing reliable, scalable subscriptions requires careful management of connection state and message queuing.

help GraphQL Subscriptions FAQ

How do GraphQL subscriptions deliver live updates?

A client starts a subscription for a specific event or data field, and the server pushes matching updates when they occur. Persistent connections, commonly WebSockets, are often used to keep the stream open.

How are GraphQL subscriptions different from polling?

Polling repeatedly sends requests, such as asking every five seconds whether a chat message arrived. A subscription can deliver the message when the server receives it, reducing unnecessary requests and usually lowering delay.

What are GraphQL subscriptions useful for?

Common examples include chat messages, delivery-status changes, live dashboards, and stock-price updates. The client subscribes to the data it needs instead of receiving an entire REST resource on every refresh.

Do GraphQL subscriptions always use WebSockets?

No. WebSockets are common, but the transport is separate from the GraphQL operation itself. Implementations can also use other persistent or streaming transports, depending on the server and client libraries.

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