---
title: "GraphQL API Schema — Definition & Engineering Context"
description: "GraphQL is a query language for APIs that allows client applications to request precisely the data fields they need, reducing over-fetching and consolidating multiple database requests into a single network call."
canonical: https://erpstack.io/glossary/graphql
markdown_url: https://erpstack.io/glossary/graphql.md
publisher: ERPStack
---

# GraphQL API Schema

> **Definition:** GraphQL is a query language for APIs that allows client applications to request precisely the data fields they need, reducing over-fetching and consolidating multiple database requests into a single network call.

## In depth

Unlike REST APIs which return fixed JSON structures, GraphQL gives clients query control. By defining a strict schema of types and fields, frontend applications query specific attributes from multiple relational tables simultaneously. This increases efficiency, especially for mobile clients with slow mobile networks.

## How ERPStack applies this

We integrate GraphQL endpoints when bridging custom ERP backends with mobile app storefronts, ensuring developers can build views without editing API endpoints.

## Related reading

- [API-First Development](https://erpstack.io/glossary/api-first)
- [tRPC Protocol](https://erpstack.io/glossary/trpc)