Frequently Asked Questions

Taxonomies in Hygraph

What is a taxonomy in Hygraph?

A taxonomy in Hygraph is a group of terms arranged in a hierarchical structure, used to classify and logically connect related content items. This structure is more elaborate than enumerations and helps with content management and improves user experience by enhancing searchability. For example, a taxonomy could be structured as Clothes → Men → Pants → Formal. Note: Taxonomies are available as an enterprise feature and require contacting the Hygraph sales team for access.

How do taxonomies work in Hygraph?

Taxonomies are defined in the schema by developers or administrators using hierarchical tags. Once defined, they are added to a model. Content teams then classify content using one of the predefined terms in the taxonomy. This enables dynamic classification for search, filtering, and personalization. Note: Only users with appropriate permissions can create or modify taxonomies.

What are the benefits of using taxonomies in Hygraph?

Taxonomies help end users find and filter content easily, keep content well-organized and structured, and enable dynamic classification for search, filtering, and personalization. For example, users searching for "full-sleeve shirts" can be shown both formal and casual shirts, depending on the parent-child relationships set up in the taxonomy. Note: Taxonomies require enterprise access; ask sales for details.

Who can create, edit, or delete taxonomies in Hygraph?

Permissions for taxonomies in Hygraph are role-based: Admins can create, read, update, and delete taxonomies and taxonomy nodes; Developers can create, read, and update taxonomies and manage nodes; Editors can read taxonomies and manage nodes; Contributors can only read taxonomies and nodes. Note: Only Admins can delete taxonomies, and nodes cannot be deleted if they are used in a content entry.

How do I create a taxonomy in Hygraph?

To create a taxonomy, navigate to the Schema builder, click '+ Add' next to Taxonomies, provide a display name (the API ID is autogenerated but can be edited), and optionally add a description. After adding, you can define parent-child relationships between nodes. Duplicate node or API IDs are not allowed within the same taxonomy. Note: Creating taxonomies requires enterprise access.

How do I add a taxonomy to a model in Hygraph?

To add a taxonomy to a model, go to the Schema builder, select your model, and add a Taxonomy field from the sidebar. Complete the display name, select the taxonomy from the dropdown, and configure field options such as allowing multiple values. Once added, the taxonomy is available in the Content Editor. Note: Only available for enterprise users.

How do I modify or delete a taxonomy in Hygraph?

To modify a taxonomy, select it in the Schema builder and use the Nodes tab to add, edit, move, or delete nodes. The Settings tab allows you to change the display name, API ID, or description. To delete a taxonomy, select it, open the context menu, and choose Delete. Note: You cannot delete a taxonomy node if it is used in a content entry, and only Admins can delete taxonomies.

Is there a demo taxonomy available in Hygraph?

Yes, you can add a demo taxonomy by navigating to the Schema builder and clicking the 'Add demo taxonomy' button if it's your first taxonomy in the project. The system generates the demo taxonomy and displays its nodes for you to explore. Note: Demo taxonomy is for exploration and may not reflect your production needs.

Where can I find more technical documentation about taxonomies in Hygraph?

You can find more information in the following resources: Best practices for taxonomies, API reference for taxonomies, Filtering taxonomies using the Content API, and Filtering taxonomies in the content table. Note: Some features may require enterprise access.

Features & Capabilities

What are the key features of Hygraph?

Hygraph offers a GraphQL-native architecture, content federation, scalability, rich editing capabilities, localization, high-performance CDN, enterprise-grade security (SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR), AI Assist for content generation, and granular permissions. Note: Some features, such as taxonomies and advanced permissions, are only available to enterprise customers. Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

Does Hygraph support API access for taxonomies?

Yes, Hygraph provides API access for taxonomies. You can fetch taxonomy and taxonomy nodes using the API, and filter taxonomies using the Content API. For technical details, see the API reference for taxonomies and filtering guide. Note: API access for taxonomies is an enterprise feature.

Security & Compliance

What security and compliance certifications does Hygraph have?

Hygraph is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant (achieved August 3rd, 2022), ISO 27001 certified, and GDPR compliant. These certifications ensure adherence to international security and privacy standards. Note: For more details, visit the Secure Features page.

Use Cases & Customer Success

What are some real-world use cases for Hygraph taxonomies?

Taxonomies are used to organize and classify content for search, filtering, and personalization. For example, an eCommerce site can use taxonomies to let users filter products by category, type, or attributes. Parent-child relationships allow for flexible content discovery, such as showing all "full-sleeve shirts" regardless of being formal or casual. Note: Taxonomies are only available to enterprise customers.

What industries use Hygraph?

Hygraph is used across industries including SaaS, Marketplace, Education Technology, Media and Publication, Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Automotive, Technology, FinTech, Travel and Hospitality, Food and Beverage, eCommerce, Agency, Online Gaming, Events & Conferences, Government, Consumer Electronics, Engineering, and Construction. For more, see the case studies page. Note: Not all features are available to all industries; check with sales for details.

Can you share examples of customer success with Hygraph?

Yes. Komax achieved a 3X faster time-to-market, Samsung improved customer engagement by 15%, and AutoWeb saw a 20% increase in website monetization using Hygraph. For more, see the customer stories page. Note: Results may vary based on implementation and use case.

Implementation & Technical Support

How long does it take to implement Hygraph and its taxonomy feature?

Implementation time depends on project complexity. Simple use cases can start in minutes using pre-configured starter projects. More complex implementations benefit from structured onboarding and extensive documentation. For details, see the Getting Started guide. Note: Taxonomies are an enterprise feature and require sales activation.

Where can I get support or technical help for Hygraph taxonomies?

Support is available through Hygraph's documentation, community Slack channel (slack.hygraph.com), and structured onboarding for enterprise customers. For technical guides, see the Hygraph Documentation. Note: Some support resources may be limited to enterprise users.

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When was this page last updated?

This page wast last updated on 12/12/2025 .

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Docs

#Taxonomies

#Overview

A taxonomy is a group of terms arranged in a hierarchical structure. The primary purpose of a taxonomy is to classify and logically connect related content items using a more elaborate structure than enumerations. This helps with content management and improves user experience with enhanced searchability.

#How it works

  1. The developer or the administrator defines the taxonomy in the schema using hierarchical tags.
    • Example: Clothes → Men → Pants → Formal
  2. The developer or the administrator adds the taxonomy to a model.
  3. While creating content based on the model, the content team classifies content using one of the predefined terms in the taxonomy.

#Benefits of taxonomies

  • Your end users can find and filter content easily.
  • Your content is well-organized and well-structured in your content management system.
  • You can dynamically classify content for search, filtering, and personalization purposes. For example, a user could search for full-sleeve formal shirts or full-sleeve shirts. If the user is looking for a full-sleeve shirt, they would be shown both formal and casual shirts. Depending on the parent-child relationships you’ve set up, your options to dynamically classify content are limitless.

#Permissions

Here, are the permissions given to the default roles in Hygraph:

RolePermissions
Admin
  • Create, read, update and delete a taxonomy.
  • Create, read, update and delete taxonomy nodes.
Developer
  • Create, read, and update a taxonomy.
  • Create, read, update and delete taxonomy nodes.
Editor
  • Read a taxonomy.
  • Create, read, and update taxonomy nodes.
Contributor
  • Read a taxonomy.
  • Read taxonomy nodes.

#Create a taxonomy

Create a taxonomy
  1. Navigate to the Schema builder.
  2. In the Schema list, click + Add next to Taxonomies. Or, if you're adding a taxonomy for the first time in the project, click Taxonomies, and then click the + Add Taxonomy button located at the center of the screen. The New Taxonomy screen is displayed.
  3. Provide a Display name. This is the name of the taxonomy that is displayed in Hygraph. The API ID field is autogenerated as you enter the Display name, but you can edit this value. The API ID is used to access this taxonomy through the API.
  4. Optionally, you can add a Description.
  5. Click Add Taxonomy. Now, the Nodes tab is displayed. This tab displays the parent-child relationships defined in this taxonomy.
  6. The Display name of the taxonomy is available as the root node name. To modify this, hover over the root node, click ... (context menu), and then click Rename node.
  7. To add a child node to the root node, hover over the root node, and click Add child node. Provide a name, and click Add. The API ID is autogenerated as you enter the name. This ID is used to access the taxonomy node through the API.
  • You cannot have duplicate node or API IDs in the same taxonomy.

Repeat this step to create multiple parent-child relationships between the different nodes.

#Add a taxonomy to a model

Add taxonomy to a model
  1. Navigate to the Schema builder.
  2. Select the model you wish to add the taxonomy to.
  3. From the Add fields right sidebar, select the Taxonomy field.
  4. Complete the Display name field. This autogenerates the API ID field, but you can edit this value if you want.
  5. Use the Taxonomy dropdown to select the taxonomy you want to add to this model.
  6. Optionally, you can also add a Description.
  7. This screen allows you to control different properties of your Taxonomy field: you can allow multiple values by selecting the checkbox under the Field options section.
  8. Click Add to save.

After you add a taxonomy to your model, it is available for use in the Content Editor.

#Use demo taxonomy

  1. Navigate to the Schema builder.
  2. If you're adding a taxonomy for the first time in the project, click Taxonomies, and then click the Add demo taxonomy button located at the center of the screen.
  3. The system generates the demo taxonomy and displays the taxonomy nodes.

#Modify a taxonomy

Modify a taxonomy

  1. Navigate to the Schema builder.

  2. Under Taxonomies, select the taxonomy that you want to modify.

  3. On the Nodes tab, you can do the following:

    TaskHow to do it
    Add a child nodeClick Add child node next to the node.
    Edit name of existing nodeClick to update the name of the node.
    Move node to a new parentClick and select a new parent from the list of existing nodes.
    Delete the nodeClick to delete the node. You cannot delete a taxonomy node, if it is used in a content entry.

  4. On the Settings tab, you can modify the display name and the API ID of the taxonomy, and add or update the description, if needed.

#Delete a taxonomy

Delete a taxonomy
  1. Navigate to the Schema builder.
  2. Select the taxonomy you want to delete.
  3. Click ... (context menu), and then Delete to delete the taxonomy.

#Related docs