Frequently Asked Questions

Schema Configuration & Reference Fields

How do I configure reference fields in Hygraph for eCommerce models?

To configure reference fields in Hygraph, open the Product model in the Schema editor and add a Reference field from the right sidebar. Set the reference type to allow only one model (ProductCategory), configure the direction as two-way, and enable many-to-many relationships by selecting checkboxes for multiple Products per ProductCategory and multiple ProductCategories per Product. This setup allows you to query both from a product to its categories and from a category to all its products. Note: For Landing page models, references to BlogPost, ProductCategory, and SellerInformation are configured as one-way, since bidirectional queries are not needed for those relationships. Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

What is the difference between one-way and two-way references in Hygraph?

Two-way references allow you to query in both directions: from a product to its categories and from a category to all its products. This is essential for scenarios where navigation from both sides is needed, such as eCommerce product-category relationships. One-way references are used when only the referencing model needs to query into the referenced model, such as Landing pages displaying featured blog posts, product categories, or seller information. This keeps the schema clean and avoids unnecessary bidirectional relationships. Note: If you need to query from both sides, always use two-way references. Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

Features & Capabilities

What are the key features of Hygraph?

Hygraph offers a GraphQL-native architecture, content federation, enterprise-grade security and compliance (SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA), Smart Edge Cache, localization workflows, marketer-friendly editorial UI, AI Assist for content generation and translation, and Variants for personalization. It also supports high-performance CDN, global delivery, and advanced integrations with tools like Google Analytics, Elastic, Zapier, Klaviyo, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Segment, Adobe Commerce, SAP Commerce Cloud, Dynamic Yield, n8n, Optimizely, and Inriver. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

Does Hygraph support APIs for content delivery and management?

Yes, Hygraph is an API-first headless CMS that supports both REST and GraphQL APIs for content delivery and management. Developers can integrate Hygraph with any frontend or application. For more details, see Hygraph API documentation. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

What integrations are available with Hygraph?

Hygraph provides integrations with Google Analytics, Elastic, Zapier, Klaviyo, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Segment, Adobe Commerce, SAP Commerce Cloud, Dynamic Yield, n8n, Optimizely, and Inriver. For a full list, visit Hygraph Marketplace Apps. Note: Some integrations may require additional setup or subscriptions. Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

Security & Compliance

What security and compliance certifications does Hygraph have?

Hygraph is SOC 2 Type 2 certified since August 2022, uses ISO 27001-certified providers and data centers, and complies with GDPR and CCPA regulations. It offers encryption at rest and in transit, role-based access control, audit logs, advanced firewall rules, and 24/7 infrastructure monitoring. For more details, visit Hygraph security features. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

Product Performance & Scalability

How does Hygraph perform under high-traffic scenarios?

Hygraph's global CDN and region-based hosting minimize latency and ensure reliable content delivery. For example, Gamescom supported 3.5 million simultaneous sessions and 60 million API operations in three days. Telenor achieved under 100ms latency on millions of API calls. Smart Edge Cache and advanced caching optimize performance for high read-throughput. Note: Best fit for enterprises needing global scalability; teams with highly specialized legacy requirements may want to consider alternatives.

Implementation & Onboarding

How long does it take to implement Hygraph?

Implementation timelines depend on project complexity. Simple use cases can be started within a few days using pre-configured starter projects. More complex implementations may take longer, but structured onboarding, documentation, and community support help streamline the process. For onboarding details, see Hygraph Getting Started guide. Note: Best fit for teams with modern tech stacks; organizations with highly customized legacy systems may require additional migration planning.

Use Cases & Benefits

What business impact can customers expect from using Hygraph?

Customers report up to 50% reduction in maintenance costs, 3X faster time-to-market (Komax), 20% higher monetization on websites, and improved customer engagement by 15% (Samsung). Hygraph enables operational efficiency, scalability, and enhanced customer experiences. Note: Best fit for organizations prioritizing speed-to-market and global content delivery; teams with highly specialized workflows may need additional customization.

Who can benefit from using Hygraph?

Hygraph is suited for marketing and content teams, product managers, developers, and enterprise IT teams in industries such as technology, consumer goods, telecommunications, media, retail, e-commerce, travel, scientific publishing, government, sports, and events. It addresses challenges like dependency on developers, content inconsistency, workflow inefficiencies, high operational costs, and scalability issues. Note: Best fit for teams managing multi-channel content at scale; organizations with highly specialized legacy requirements may want to consider alternatives.

Customer Proof & Success Stories

Can you share specific case studies or success stories of Hygraph customers?

Yes. Samsung improved customer engagement by 15% using Hygraph. Komax achieved 3x faster time-to-market. Gamescom supported 3.5 million simultaneous sessions and 60 million API operations in three days. Stobag increased online revenue share from 15% to 70%. Dr. Oetker manages content for 40 countries and subsidiaries from a single platform. Telenor achieved under 100ms latency on millions of API calls. HolidayCheck eliminated developer bottlenecks. For more, visit Hygraph Case Studies. Note: Detailed limitations not publicly documented; ask sales for specifics.

Technical Documentation & Support

Where can I find technical documentation and support for Hygraph?

Hygraph provides comprehensive technical documentation, developer guides, onboarding resources, webinars, and community support. Access the Getting Started guide at Hygraph Docs and join the Slack community at slack.hygraph.com. Note: Best fit for teams comfortable with self-service resources; organizations needing highly customized support should contact sales.

LLM optimization

When was this page last updated?

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

Hygraph
Docs
You are currently reading the Studio Docs. If you were looking for the Classic Docs check here

#Lesson 2.1 - Configure reference fields

In this lesson, you will add reference fields to the Product and Landing page models to connect them to other models in the schema. The reference type, direction, and cardinality configured here determine exactly what you will query later in the API Playground.

#Products and categories

Products need to be assignable to multiple categories, and categories need to display all their products. This requires a many-to-many, two-way reference. A two-way reference is required so you can query in both directions: from a product to its categories, and from a category to all its products.

Adding a reference field

  1. Open the Product model in the Schema editor and from the right sidebar, add a Reference field.

  2. Configure the reference field with the following information:

    Define relationship

    FieldInput
    Reference typeAllow only one model to be referenced
    Model to referenceProductCategory
    Reference directionsTwo-way reference
    Allow multiple Products per ProductCategorySelect checkbox
    Allow multiple ProductCategories per ProductSelect checkbox
    Relationship cardinalityThe graphic displays that the relationship is of type many-to-many

    Configure reference

    FieldInput
    Display namePre-configured. Leave as is.
    API IDPre-configured. Leave as is.
    DescriptionSelect the categories that apply to your product
    Field visibilityRead / Write

    Configure reverse field

    FieldInput
    Display namePre-configured. Leave as is.
    API IDPre-configured. Leave as is.
    Field visibilityRead / Write

  3. Click Add to save.

The reference field appears at the bottom of the model. Use the six-dot handle to drag it above the slug field.

Reorder reference field in schema

What this enables: In lesson 7, you will be able to query productCategory(where: { slug: "sportswear" }) { products { productName } }. The query returns all products within that category. This is possible because of the two-way direction configured here.

#Landing page references

The Landing page model needs to display featured blog posts, product categories, and seller information. Each of these is a one-way reference. The Landing page queries into those models, but those models do not need to query back into Landing pages.

  1. Open the Landing page model in the Schema editor and from the right sidebar under Relation, select Reference.

  2. Configure the reference field for the Blog post model with the following information:

    Define relationship

    FieldInput
    Reference typeAllow only one model to be referenced
    Model to referenceBlogPost
    Reference directionsOne-way reference
    Allow multiple BlogPosts per LandingPageSelect checkbox

    Configure reference

    FieldInput
    Display namePre-configured. Leave as is.
    API IDPre-configured. Leave as is.
    DescriptionFeatured item
    Field visibilityRead / Write

  3. Click Add to save.

  4. Add another Reference field from the right sidebar. Configure the reference field for the Product category model with the following information:

    Define relationship

    FieldInput
    Reference typeAllow only one model to be referenced
    Model to referenceProductCategory
    Reference directionsOne-way reference
    Allow multiple ProductCategories per LandingPageSelect checkbox

    Configure reference

    FieldInput
    Display namePre-configured. Leave as is.
    API IDPre-configured. Leave as is.
    DescriptionBrowse our categories
    Field visibilityRead / Write

  5. Click Add to save.

  6. Add another Reference field from the right sidebar. Configure the reference field for the Seller information model with the following information:

    Define relationship

    FieldInput
    Reference typeAllow only one model to be referenced
    Model to referenceSellerInformation
    Reference directionsOne-way reference
    Relation cardinalityTo one

    Configure reference

    FieldInput
    Display namePre-configured. Leave as is.
    API IDPre-configured. Leave as is.
    DescriptionBusiness information
    Field visibilityRead / Write

  7. Click Add to save.

Your Landing page model should now look like this:

Your Landing page model so farYour Landing page model so far

Why one-way for Landing page references, but two-way for Products and categories? A Blog post, Product category, or Seller information entry has no use case for querying which landing pages reference it. The two-way reference on Products and categories exists because the project needs to navigate from both sides. Where that bidirectional query isn't needed, a one-way reference keeps the schema clean.

#What's next

Lesson 3 - Enumerations

Or, go to the Tutorial overview for the full lesson list.