✋ Unconf Discussions @ GraphQLConf 2025

[jorydotcom]

Unconf with Us!

One of our favorite things to do at GraphQLConf is to get together in an semi-unstructured way, & just talk or work on stuff. Hence, we're setting aside ample time on Tuesday, Sept. 9 to host unconf discussions with the community!

What do you want to UnConf about?
A feature? An RFC? A community program or idea? Need help (or want to give help) with something? Post a reply to this discussion thread with the following info by 6:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8

• Brief description of the unconf topic & whether you'd be interested in leading, attending, or both.

Vote with your emojis (👍🏻) if there's an unconf proposal you really want to hear about or discuss!

As topcis and votes come in, we will start working them to the schedule based on interest & availability at https://graphql.org/conf/2025/schedule/ with the schedule being mostly locked in by 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Questions? Stop by the GraphQL Foundation booth in the sponsor showcase!

[Tohaker]

I'd like to open up a discussion about caching within a GraphQL server behind a CDN.

• How do others do it?
• What tools or processes do you use?
• What pitfalls have you encountered?
• How would you do it if you could start from scratch?

[Tobbe]

I want to host a discussion around a fullstack GraphQL framework.

• Is a fullstack GraphQL framework a good idea? Of course it is! 😄 Tell me why it's not if you don't agree
• What should a fullstack GQL framework focus on?
• What are the best practices it should demonstrate? What anti-patterns should it avoid?
• What other thoughts do you have on the topic?

[martinbonnin]

Something that came up a bit unexpected in fullstack GraphQL is you can't share models between client and server because of the querying system. GraphQL is so good as a network boundary, it kind of forces a clear separation there.

Yay for fullstack but I'm curious what fullstack would bring compared to just client + server using the same language.

[Tobbe]

Some notes from the discussion:

Full Stack GraphQL Framework

• Discussed differences in approaches between Houdini and CedarJS
• Need an answer to the question “why should a small team choose a GraphQL framework over other full stack typescript solutions e.g. tRPC”
  • Discussed tradeoffs in editor feedback and type system
  • Using graphql even at smaller scale enables you to adopt battle-tested parts of the graphql ecosystem
  • Need to do a better job of highlighting all the tooling around GraphQL that you get access to
  • Multiple clients/mobile story – possible to use a mobile client for a tRPC API but requires you to lock in to react native and getting the types happy in a monorepo or otherwise is quite difficult
• How do we highlight the different ways a Full Stack GraphQL Framework removes the friction people typically associate with GraphQL?
• Preloading gql queries on link hover is something a FS framework is in a unique position to provide ootb.
• Frontend components – discussed approaches for server-rendered components and how best to ensure LLMs generate frontend code within the confines of your design system
  • https://houdinigraphql.com/api/react#fragments
  • https://isograph.dev/ got a mention

[sarahxsanders]

I'd like to discuss strategies for creating self-serve GraphQL adoption for those who use your API. This can be internal developers or end users.

Discussion questions include:

• What self-serve resources have actually moved the needle on adoption?
• What approaches failed in practice?
• How do you approach the developer who just wants to make a quick API call and not learn GraphQL concepts?
• How do you measure whether your self-service approach is working?

Comfortable with leading :)

[mjmahone]

How could we improve GraphQL composability?

What do we need to prioritize? Fragment Arguments? Generics? Module systems?

How can we get some “MVP” advancements of modularity through the ecosystem?

[martinbonnin]

API lifecyle: Experimental/Deprecation/Removal

I'm curious what are everyone's strategies there:

• do not break API forever
• soft update
• hard update
• versioning/schema variants
• https://github.com/xuorig/chromatophore
• other strategies?

[martinbonnin]

Conf 2026 is just around the corner, closing this one.