What is GraphQL Subscription?
Turkish: GraphQL Subscription
A GraphQL Subscription is an operation type that streams server events to clients in real time while a connection stays open.
What is a GraphQL Subscription?
A GraphQL Subscription lets a client subscribe to specific server-side events and receive updates automatically when data changes. A query reads once, a mutation requests a change, and a subscription carries an event stream over an open connection.
For a support dashboard, order status screen, or live score view, subscriptions can send updates as they happen instead of forcing the client to poll repeatedly.
How Does It Work?
Subscriptions commonly run over WebSocket. The client opens a connection, authenticates, and sends a GraphQL subscription operation. When a matching event is published, the server resolves the payload and pushes it to connected clients.
In production, reconnect behavior, authorization changes, and scaling need careful design. If multiple servers are running, events may need to be shared through Redis, a message broker, or a pub/sub system.
Business Use
GraphQL Subscriptions are used in real-time dashboards, chat, notifications, logistics tracking, collaborative screens, and live operations centers. Because they use the same GraphQL schema, clients can read normal data and listen for events through one contract.
They are not necessary for every screen. For rarely changing data, periodic refresh or cache invalidation may be simpler. When subscriptions are added to a GraphQL platform, connection count, message volume, and authorization rules should be measured early.