GraphQL: the client asks, the server delivers precisely that

GraphQL, created by Facebook for its own applications, inverts the logic of a classic API: instead of fixed routes returning predefined structures, the client describes exactly the data it needs and receives precisely that — not one extra field, not one extra round trip. The advantage becomes tangible in two situations: mobile applications on slow networks, where every kilobyte and every round trip counts, and products with multiple clients — web, mobile, partners — each needing different slices of the same data without the server building dedicated routes for each. We implement it in those scenarios with its full specific infrastructure: query-complexity limits, caching designed differently than REST, per-field monitoring. Our transparent position: for an ordinary API with simple operations, REST remains easier to build, secure and understand — GraphQL adopted on a fashion wave adds complexity without benefit.