Free ebook GraphQL API Design and Performance: Build Flexible Backends with Schemas, Resolvers, and Security

Course content

Schema-First API Design for Flexible Backends

Core GraphQL Building Blocks: Types, Queries, Mutations, and Inputs

Modeling with Enums, Interfaces, and Unions for Evolving Domains

Resolver Architecture and Mapping Schema to Data Sources

Database Integration and Data Modeling for GraphQL Workloads

Pagination Patterns with Cursor-Based Connections

Filtering and Sorting Design for Predictable Client Queries

Error Handling Strategy and Client-Safe Failure Modes

Versioning Without Breaking Clients Using Deprecation and Schema Evolution

Eliminating the N+1 Problem with Batching and DataLoader Patterns

Caching Layers: Response, Field, and Data-Source Caching

Persisted Queries and Operational Controls for Safer Production Traffic

Query Complexity Limits and Depth Controls to Prevent Abuse

Authentication Options: JWT, Sessions, and Context Construction

Authorization Design: Role-Based and Field-Level Permissions

Security Hardening: Introspection Control, Injection Vectors, and Rate Limiting

Observability for GraphQL: Structured Logging, Tracing, and Metrics

Testing Strategy: Unit, Integration, and Contract Tests for Schemas and Resolvers

Deployment and Operations: CI/CD, Configuration, and Environment Management

Project Walkthrough: Building a Production-Ready GraphQL Server End to End

Capstone: Designing a Marketplace or Learning Platform API with Benchmarks and Production Readiness Checklist

Course Description

GraphQL API Design and Performance: Build Flexible Backends with Schemas, Resolvers, and Security is a practical ebook course for backend development in Information Technology, focused on designing GraphQL APIs that stay fast, safe, and adaptable as products grow. You will learn how to move from requirements to a schema-first API design, then translate that schema into reliable resolver architecture connected to real data sources.

Progressively, you will build confidence with the core GraphQL building blocks, including types, queries, mutations, inputs, and modeling techniques such as enums, interfaces, and unions. This approach helps you represent evolving domains without constant rewrites, making your backend easier to extend while keeping client queries predictable. Along the way, you will shape filtering and sorting patterns that support consistent client behavior, implement cursor-based pagination with connections, and apply a clear error handling strategy with client-safe failure modes.

Performance and production readiness are central themes. You will learn how to integrate databases and data modeling for GraphQL workloads, eliminate the N+1 problem using batching and DataLoader patterns, and add caching layers at the response, field, and data-source level. The course also covers operational controls such as persisted queries, query complexity limits, and depth controls, helping you protect your GraphQL server from abusive traffic while keeping legitimate requests fast.

Security is treated as a first-class concern in this backend development course. You will work with authentication options like JWT and sessions, build secure context construction, and design authorization with role-based rules and field-level permissions. You will also harden your API by controlling introspection, reducing injection vectors, and applying rate limiting practices suitable for real-world deployments.

To ensure your GraphQL backend is maintainable, you will learn versioning without breaking clients through deprecation and schema evolution, plus observability techniques such as structured logging, tracing, and metrics. A solid testing strategy ties it together with unit, integration, and contract tests for schemas and resolvers, followed by deployment and operations guidance covering CI/CD, configuration, and environment management.

The ebook culminates in an end-to-end project walkthrough that helps you build a production-ready GraphQL server, then apply your skills in a capstone design for a marketplace or learning platform API with benchmarks and a production readiness checklist. Start the course now and build GraphQL APIs that clients love and operations teams can trust.