GraphQL variables

GraphQL requests can be split into query and variable sections.

In the query section, GraphQL variables begin with the $ symbol and are declared after the query or mutation keyword, similar to passing an argument to a function.

When you declare a variable, you need to specify its type, such as CustomerInput. This lets GraphQL know that you intend to refer to this type by this variable name later in the actual query.

For example, the following query declares an $input variable and passes it to the input argument:

In the variable section, variables are defined as a JSON object.

The following JSON object defines the $input variable for the query section:

The following example simplifies the customerCreate mutation example by using variables, resulting in an abstracted mutation that can be reused to create multiple customers.

Learn how to optimize your GraphQL implementation further with inline fragments and multi-query requests.