README

WPGraphQL Monorepo

Unlock the power of WordPress data with GraphQL

WPGraphQL provides an extendable GraphQL API for any WordPress site, unlocking modern development workflows.

Whether you're a WordPress developer exploring GraphQL or a GraphQL expert diving into WordPress, WPGraphQL simplifies data interaction and empowers your development workflow.

📁 Repository Structure

This is a monorepo containing the WPGraphQL ecosystem of plugins and websites:

wp-graphql/
├── plugins/
│   ├── wp-graphql/          # WPGraphQL core plugin
│   ├── wp-graphql-ide/      # IDE extension plugin
│   └── wp-graphql-smart-cache/ # Smart Cache extension plugin
├── websites/
│   └── wpgraphql.com/        # WPGraphQL.com Next.js website
├── .wp-env.json             # Shared WordPress environment config
├── package.json             # Root workspace configuration
└── turbo.json               # Turborepo build orchestration

For end users: Nothing changes! Install WPGraphQL from WordPress.org, Composer, or download the release zip.

For contributors: Clone the repo and run:

npm install           # Install dependencies (uses workspaces)
npm run wp-env start  # Start WordPress environment with all plugins

📚 See the Development Guide for detailed setup instructions.

🎯 Vision

WPGraphQL aims to be the canonical GraphQL API for WordPress, providing:

A complete, flexible GraphQL schema for accessing WordPress data
Standards-based implementation following GraphQL and WordPress best practices
An extensible foundation for plugins to build upon
Production-ready performance suitable for high-traffic sites
Long-term stability with semantic versioning and backward compatibility

What Belongs in WPGraphQL Core?

In scope:

GraphQL schema for WordPress core features (posts, pages, users, taxonomies, etc.)
Performance optimizations that benefit all users
Developer APIs for extending the schema
Standards and patterns for the WPGraphQL ecosystem

Candidates for core (via Experiments):

Proposed features that need real-world validation before committing
Breaking changes that require community feedback
Performance improvements that need testing at scale
Learn more about Experiments →

Better as extensions:

Plugin-specific integrations (ACF, Yoast, WooCommerce, etc.)
Opinionated workflows or conventions
Features specific to particular frameworks or use cases

The difference: Experiments are potential core features being validated. Extensions are intentionally separate functionality that should remain as plugins. Experiments may graduate to core or be removed; extensions live independently forever.

This focus keeps WPGraphQL maintainable while enabling a rich ecosystem of extensions.

🚀 Get Started

📦 Install WPGraphQL: wp plugin install wp-graphql --activate
👩‍💻 Try it out: Live Demo
📖 Read the Quick Start Guide.
💬 Join the Community on Discord
⭐ Star the Repo on GitHub 😉

🌟 Key Features

Flexible API: Access posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, users, and more.
Extendable Schema: Easily add functionality with functions like register_graphql_field and register_graphql_connection.
- Plugins like WPGraphQL Smart Cache, WPGraphQL for ACF and other extension plugins demonstrate the power of extendability.
Modern Framework Integration: Works seamlessly with Next.js, Svelte, Astro and other frameworks.
Optimized Performance: Query only the data you need. Collect multiple resources in one request, reducing round-trips. Use WPGraphQL Smart Cache for enhanced performance and network-level caching and cache-invalidation.
Developer Tools: Explore the schema with tools like the GraphiQL IDE and WordPress Playground.

📖 Documentation

For Users:

For Contributors:

Development Setup - Local environment setup
Contributing Guide - How to contribute
Testing Guide - Running tests
Architecture - Codebase overview

🤝 Community Support

WPGraphQL is powered by a passionate community of contributors, backers, and sponsors.

Want to help maintain and grow WPGraphQL?

🙌 Shout Outs

We extend our gratitude to the following projects and organizations for their contributions to the WordPress and GraphQL ecosystems:

Webonyx: For the amazing graphql-php library that powers WPGraphQL's core functionality.
Ivome: For the graphql-relay-php library used in relay connections.
Automattic: For supporting WPGraphQL's ongoing development as a canonical WordPress plugin.
Gatsby: For their contributions to the WPGraphQL ecosystem and support for headless WordPress development.
WPEngine: For funding early development of WPGraphQL and supporting its growth.
Facebook: For open-sourcing the GraphQL spec, GraphiQL, and maintaining the JavaScript reference implementation.
Apollo: For pushing GraphQL forward and inspiring schema design best practices.
The WordPress REST API Contributors: For paving the way with the WP-API project, inspiring WPGraphQL's architecture.

Thank you to all these organizations and individuals for their efforts in shaping the tools we rely on today.

🔌 Canonical Plugin

WPGraphQL is becoming a Canonical Plugin on WordPress.org, ensuring long-term support and a growing community of users and contributors.

🛠 Privacy & Telemetry

WPGraphQL uses the Appsero SDK to collect telemetry data only after user consent, helping us improve the plugin responsibly.

wp-graphql / wp-graphql

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