Apollo Server

What it does

When your agent uses it

• Setting up a new Apollo Server project
• Writing resolvers
• Defining GraphQL schemas
• Implementing authentication

Example prompts

• “/apollo-server”

Requirements

• Node.js
• Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Node.js v20+, TypeScript 4.7+. Works with Express v4/v5, standalone, Fastify, and serverless.
• Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Bash(npm:*), Bash(npx:*), Bash(node:*), Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

1. 1Install
2. 2Define Schema
3. 3Write Resolvers
4. 4Start Server

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 5f02fcf. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

• Tool permissions

  Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

  • Bash(npm:*)
  • Bash(npx:*)
  • Bash(node:*)
  • Read
  • Write
  • Edit
  • Glob
  • Grep

  From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

• Runs code

  Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

  • npm

  From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

• Network

  No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

  From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

• Credentials

  Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

  From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

• Compatibility

  Node.js v20+, TypeScript 4.7+. Works with Express v4/v5, standalone, Fastify, and serverless.

  From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Apollo Server loads about 1.8k tokens when it runs, and up to ~17k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 87 tokens; SKILL.md has 361 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it

~87

When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches

~1.8k

With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them

~17k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from apollographql/skills at commit 5f02fcf, republished under its MIT licence (© apollographql). 361 words, ~1,803 tokens.

name

apollo-server

description

Guide for building GraphQL servers with Apollo Server 5.x. Use this skill when: (1) setting up a new Apollo Server project, (2) writing resolvers or defining GraphQL schemas, (3) implementing authentication or authorization, (4) creating plugins or custom data sources, (5) troubleshooting Apollo Server errors or performance issues.

allowed-tools

Bash(npm:*), Bash(npx:*), Bash(node:*), Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep

compatibility

Node.js v20+, TypeScript 4.7+. Works with Express v4/v5, standalone, Fastify, and serverless.

license

MIT

metadata.author

apollographql

metadata.version

1.0.0

npm install @apollo/server graphql

npm install @apollo/server @as-integrations/express5 express graphql cors

const typeDefs = `#graphql
  type Book {
    title: String
    author: String
  }

  type Query {
    books: [Book]
  }
`;

const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    books: () => [
      { title: "The Great Gatsby", author: "F. Scott Fitzgerald" },
      { title: "1984", author: "George Orwell" },
    ],
  },
};

import { ApolloServer } from "@apollo/server";
import { startStandaloneServer } from "@apollo/server/standalone";

const server = new ApolloServer({ typeDefs, resolvers });

const { url } = await startStandaloneServer(server, {
  listen: { port: 4000 },
});

console.log(`Server ready at ${url}`);

import { ApolloServer } from "@apollo/server";
import { expressMiddleware } from "@as-integrations/express5";
import { ApolloServerPluginDrainHttpServer } from "@apollo/server/plugin/drainHttpServer";
import express from "express";
import http from "http";
import cors from "cors";

const app = express();
const httpServer = http.createServer(app);

const server = new ApolloServer({
  typeDefs,
  resolvers,
  plugins: [ApolloServerPluginDrainHttpServer({ httpServer })],
});

await server.start();

app.use(
  "/graphql",
  cors(),
  express.json(),
  expressMiddleware(server, {
    context: async ({ req }) => ({ token: req.headers.authorization }),
  }),
);

await new Promise<void>((resolve) => httpServer.listen({ port: 4000 }, resolve));
console.log("Server ready at http://localhost:4000/graphql");

type User {
  id: ID!
  name: String!
  email: String
  posts: [Post!]!
}

type Post {
  id: ID!
  title: String!
  content: String
  author: User!
}

input CreatePostInput {
  title: String!
  content: String
}

type Query {
  user(id: ID!): User
  users: [User!]!
}

type Mutation {
  createPost(input: CreatePostInput!): Post!
}

enum Status {
  DRAFT
  PUBLISHED
  ARCHIVED
}

interface Node {
  id: ID!
}

type Article implements Node {
  id: ID!
  title: String!
}

const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    user: async (_, { id }, { dataSources }) => {
      return dataSources.usersAPI.getUser(id);
    },
  },
  User: {
    posts: async (parent, _, { dataSources }) => {
      return dataSources.postsAPI.getPostsByAuthor(parent.id);
    },
  },
  Mutation: {
    createPost: async (_, { input }, { dataSources, user }) => {
      if (!user) throw new GraphQLError("Not authenticated");
      return dataSources.postsAPI.create({ ...input, authorId: user.id });
    },
  },
};

interface MyContext {
  token?: string;
  user?: User;
  dataSources: {
    usersAPI: UsersDataSource;
    postsAPI: PostsDataSource;
  };
}

const server = new ApolloServer<MyContext>({
  typeDefs,
  resolvers,
});

// Standalone
const { url } = await startStandaloneServer(server, {
  context: async ({ req }) => ({
    token: req.headers.authorization || "",
    user: await getUser(req.headers.authorization || ""),
    dataSources: {
      usersAPI: new UsersDataSource(),
      postsAPI: new PostsDataSource(),
    },
  }),
});

// Express middleware
expressMiddleware(server, {
  context: async ({ req, res }) => ({
    token: req.headers.authorization,
    user: await getUser(req.headers.authorization),
    dataSources: {
      usersAPI: new UsersDataSource(),
      postsAPI: new PostsDataSource(),
    },
  }),
});

© apollographql, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 6 other files (references) in skills/apollo-server of apollographql/skills.

• SKILL.md
• references/context-and-auth.md
• references/data-sources.md
• references/error-handling.md
• references/plugins.md
• references/resolvers.md
• references/troubleshooting.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 5f02fcf