CMS architecture

GraphQL

GraphQL is the query language that enables flexible connection with programming APIs that support headless CMS integrations like the one offered through Brightspot. Learn more about GraphQL here and how GraphQL enables Brightspot's highly extensible architecture.
image of GraphQL logo for GraphQL query article

What is GraphQL?

GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling those queries with existing data, providing an alternative to the traditional RESTful style of web services. Whereas RESTful style tends to have looser guidelines for how an API should be structured, GraphQL strictly structures the communication between the client and the server, irrespective of the specific data models used. GraphQL’s self-describing type system enables automation in the case of changes to the content data model. Originally created at Facebook in 2012, a public GraphQL API specification was created in 2015 and has since become an open standard.

How does Brightspot use GraphQL?

Brightspot’s ecosystem consists of many content types with complex but useful relationships. Unlike typical REST APIs, GraphQL helps us enable you to get all the data you need in a single request instead of having to load data from multiple URLs.

Like GraphQL, Brightspot has a self-describing type system, enabling clients to easily discover what data types and fields are accessible from the API. In Brightspot, for example, if a new field is added to a content type, the editorial user interface for that type also updates so that an editor can publish that new field. Our GraphQL implementation takes this functionality a step further by ensuring the GraphQL schema and user interface remain in sync. In other words, if a new field is added to a content type, it will automatically be reflected in the GraphQL schema that we generate.
Headless CMS
This e-book explains the origin of headless CMS and why this architecture is an increasingly appealing option for technical teams. We detail the benefits of headless for technical teams and answer the following:
  • The origins of headless CMS and how GraphQL fits in the equation
  • Key considerations when evaluating headless CMS architecture from a technical standpoint
  • A technical buyer’s checklist for getting started
Get more information about Brightspot's GraphQL plugin, plus resources for leveraging our Content Management and Content Delivery APIs.
GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling those queries with existing data. Here are some common questions about GraphQL—and how Brightspot helps solve them.
GraphQL is a query language that enables the connection of programming APIs that enable headless CMS integrations like those possible through the Brightspot CMS. For digital-media teams, GraphQL supports two of the most important factors in content development: speed and flexibility.
GraphQL is the programming language that enables flexible connection with programming APIs that support headless CMS integrations like the one offered through Brightspot.
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