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Apollo Connectors

Apollo Connectors

v1.0.0
MIT
Repository Docs
markdown Development
graphqlapollorestfederationsupergraphrover

Summary

Apollo's official skill for wrapping REST APIs into a GraphQL supergraph with @source and @connect directives — no resolvers, with compose, run and test steps enforced.

Features

  • Declarative REST-to-GraphQL with @source and @connect, no resolvers
  • Enforced research-implement-compose-run-test sequence
  • Uses GraphOS MCP tools to fetch the Connectors spec before editing
  • Carries exact documentation paths for requests, responses, mapping and entities
  • Requires rover compose, connector run and connector test to pass
  • Recognises connectors schemas by their marker comment

Install This Skill

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  1. Copy the skill content with the button below.
  2. Paste it into your agent's instruction file or system prompt (for example AGENTS.md, .cursorrules, or a custom instructions field).
  3. Ask the agent to apply the skill whenever the task matches.

Skill Content

Markdown Content

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---
name: apollo-connectors
description: >
  Guide for integrating REST APIs into GraphQL supergraphs using Apollo Connectors
  with @source and @connect directives. Use this skill when the user:
  (1) mentions "connectors", "Apollo Connectors", or "REST Connector",
  (2) wants to integrate a REST API into GraphQL,
  (3) references @source or @connect directives,
  (4) works with files containing "# Note to AI Friends: This is an Apollo Connectors schema".
license: MIT
compatibility: Requires rover CLI installed. Works with Claude Code and similar AI coding assistants.
metadata:
  author: apollographql
  version: "1.0.0"
allowed-tools: Bash(rover:*) Read Write Edit Glob Grep
---

# Apollo Connectors Schema Assistant

## MCP Tools

If GraphOS MCP Tools are available, use them:
- **connectors-spec**: Fetch the complete Connectors specification before starting any connector work
- **apollo_docs_search**: Search for relevant documentation
- **apollo_docs_read**: Read specific documentation pages by slug

**Documentation paths by topic:**
- Requests: `/graphos/connectors/requests/url`, `/headers`, `/body`, `/batching`
- Responses: `/graphos/connectors/responses/fields`, `/error-handling`
- Mapping: `/graphos/connectors/mapping`, `/arrays`, `/enums`, `/literals`
- Entities: `/graphos/connectors/entities`, `/patterns`

## Process

Follow this 5-step process. **DO NOT skip any steps.**

### Step 1: Research

- [ ] Understand the API being called and the structure of responses
- [ ] Ask the user for example API responses if not provided
- [ ] Fetch relevant documentation from MCP tools or reference files
- [ ] DO NOT write any code until research is complete

### Step 2: Implement

- [ ] Create the schema using the template below
- [ ] Follow the grammar, methods, and variables in the reference files
- [ ] Ask clarifying questions if unsure about requirements

### Step 3: Validate (Compose)

- [ ] Run `rover supergraph compose --config ./supergraph.yaml`
- [ ] Fix any composition errors before proceeding

### Step 4: Execute

- [ ] Run `rover connector run --schema <file> -c "<Type.field>" -v "{}"`
- [ ] Verify the connector executes correctly

### Step 5: Test

- [ ] Create or update test files under `/tests/`
- [ ] Run `rover connector test`
- [ ] Ensure full test coverage for each connector

## Schema Template

```graphql
# Note to AI Friends: This is an Apollo Connectors schema. You should use your connectors-spec MCP tool if you have it available before editing this file.

extend schema
  @link(url: "https://specs.apollo.dev/federation/v2.12")
  @link(url: "https://specs.apollo.dev/connect/v0.3", import: ["@source", "@connect"])

@source(name: "api_name", http: { baseURL: "https://api.example.com" })

type Query {
  example(id: ID!): Example
    @connect(
      source: "api_name"
      http: { GET: "/example/{$args.id}" }
      selection: """
      id
      name
      """
    )
}

type Example {
  id: ID!
  name: String
}
```

**Version Requirements:** Always use `federation/v2.12` and `connect/v0.3` unless specified otherwise.

## Reference Files

Before implementing connectors, read the relevant reference files:

- [Grammar](references/grammar.md) - Selection mapping EBNF syntax
- [Methods](references/methods.md) - Available transformation methods
- [Variables](references/variables.md) - Available mapping variables
- [Entities](references/entities.md) - Entity patterns and batching
- [Validation](references/validation.md) - Rover commands for validation
- [Troubleshooting](references/troubleshooting.md) - Common errors and solutions

## Key Rules

### Selection Mapping

- Prefer sub-selections over `->map` for cleaner mappings
- Do NOT use `$` when selecting fields directly from root
- Field aliasing: `newName: originalField` (only when renaming)
- Sub-selection: `fieldName { ... }` (to map nested content)

```
# DO - Direct sub-selection for arrays
$.results {
  firstName: name.first
  lastName: name.last
}

# DO NOT - Unnecessary root $
$ {
  id
  name
}

# DO - Direct field selection
id
name
```

### Entities

- Add `@connect` on a type to make it an entity (no `@key` needed)
- Create entity stubs in parent selections: `user: { id: userId }`
- When you see an ID field (e.g., `productId`), create an entity relationship
- Each entity should have ONE authoritative subgraph with `@connect`

### Literal Values

Use `$()` wrapper for literal values in mappings:

```
$(1)              # number
$(true)           # boolean
$("hello")        # string
$({"a": "b"})     # object

# In body
body: "$({ a: $args.a })"  # CORRECT
body: "{ a: $args.a }"     # WRONG - will not compose
```

### Headers

```graphql
http: {
  GET: "/api"
  headers: [
    { name: "Authorization", value: "Bearer {$env.API_KEY}" },
    { name: "X-Forwarded", from: "x-client" }
  ]
}
```

### Batching

Convert N+1 patterns using `$batch`:

```graphql
type Product @connect(
  source: "api"
  http: {
    POST: "/batch"
    body: "ids: $batch.id"
  }
  selection: "id name"
) {
  id: ID!
  name: String
}
```

## Ground Rules

- NEVER make up syntax or directive values not in this specification
- NEVER use `--elv2-license accept` (for humans only)
- ALWAYS ask for example API responses before writing code
- ALWAYS validate with `rover supergraph compose` after changes
- ALWAYS create entity relationships when you see ID fields
- Prefer `$env` over `$config` for environment variables
- Use `rover dev` for running Apollo Router locally

Usage Instructions

Learn how to use this skill with different AI agents.

Claude Desktop
/plugin marketplace add apollographql/skills
/plugin install apollo-skills@apollo-marketplace

Description

Apollo Connectors let you pull a REST API into a GraphQL supergraph declaratively, with @source and @connect directives in the schema instead of hand-written resolvers. The mapping syntax is unusual enough that a model working from training data tends to produce something plausible that does not compose. This official skill fixes that by making the agent look the spec up and then prove the result works.

A five-step process, with no skipping
  1. Research — understand the API and its response shapes, ask the user for example responses if none were given, and fetch the current documentation. Explicitly: write no code until this is done.
  2. Implement — build the schema from the supplied template, following the documented grammar, mapping methods and variables.
  3. Validaterover supergraph compose --config ./supergraph.yaml, and fix every composition error before continuing.
  4. Executerover connector run --schema <file> -c "<Type.field>" -v "{}" to confirm the connector actually runs.
  5. Test — add or update files under /tests/ and run rover connector test, with coverage for each connector.
Documentation routing

When GraphOS MCP tools are present the skill uses them: connectors-spec to pull the complete Connectors specification before any work begins, plus apollo_docs_search and apollo_docs_read. It carries the documentation paths for each topic — request URL, headers, body and batching; response fields and error handling; mapping including arrays, enums and literals; and entity patterns — so the agent fetches the right page rather than searching blindly.

It also recognises schemas by the marker comment Apollo puts at the top of a connectors file, so an agent that opens one mid-task knows to load the spec before editing.

Requires the rover CLI. MIT licensed, part of Apollo's eleven-skill collection alongside apollo-client, apollo-server, apollo-router, apollo-federation, apollo-mcp-server, apollo-ios and apollo-kotlin.

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