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---
type: reference, dev
stage: none
group: Development
info: "See the Technical Writers assigned to Development Guidelines: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments-to-development-guidelines"
description: "Writing styles, markup, formatting, and other standards for GraphQL API's GitLab Documentation."
---
# GraphQL API
GraphQL APIs are different from [RESTful APIs](restful_api_styleguide.md). Reference
information is generated in our [GraphQL reference](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md).
However, it's helpful to include examples on how to use GraphQL for different
*use cases*, with samples that readers can use directly in the
[GraphiQL explorer](../api_graphql_styleguide.md#graphiql).
This section describes the steps required to add your GraphQL examples to
GitLab documentation.
## Add a dedicated GraphQL page
To create a dedicated GraphQL page, create a new `.md` file in the
`doc/api/graphql/` directory. Give that file a functional name, such as
`import_from_specific_location.md`.
## Start the page with an explanation
Include a page title that describes the GraphQL functionality in a few words,
such as:
```markdown
# Search for [substitute kind of data]
```
Describe the search. One sentence may be all you need. More information may
help readers learn how to use the example for their GitLab deployments.
## Include a procedure using the GraphiQL explorer
The GraphiQL explorer can help readers test queries with working deployments.
Set up the section with the following:
- Use the following title:
```markdown
## Set up the GraphiQL explorer
```
- Include a code block with the query that anyone can include in their
instance of the GraphiQL explorer:
````markdown
```graphql
query {
<insert queries here>
}
```
````
- Tell the user what to do:
```markdown
1. Open the GraphiQL explorer tool in the following URL: `https://gitlab.com/-/graphql-explorer`.
1. Paste the `query` listed above into the left window of your GraphiQL explorer tool.
1. Select **Play** to get the result shown here:
```
- Include a screenshot of the result in the GraphiQL explorer. Follow the naming
convention described in the [Save the image](styleguide/index.md#save-the-image) section of the Documentation style guide.
- Follow up with an example of what you can do with the output. Make sure the
example is something that readers can do on their own deployments.
- Include a link to the [GraphQL API resources](../../api/graphql/reference/index.md).
## Add the GraphQL example to the global navigation
You should include a link for your new document in the global navigation (the list on the
left side of the documentation website). To do so, open a second MR, against the
[GitLab documentation repository](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/).
We store our global navigation in the [`default-nav.yaml`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/-/blob/master/content/_data/default-nav.yaml) file, in the
`content/_data` subdirectory. You can find the GraphQL section under the
following line:
```yaml
- category_title: GraphQL
```
Be aware that CI tests for that second MR will fail with a bad link until the
main MR that adds the new GraphQL page is merged. Therefore, only merge the MR against the
[`gitlab-docs`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs) repository after the content has
been merged and live on `docs.gitlab.com`.
|
