Single Schema API
A Single Schema API is an architectural pattern where a unified GraphQL schema serves as the single source of truth for data access across an entire application or organization, consolidating multiple data sources and APIs into one cohesive interface. It enables clients to query diverse backend systems (e.g., databases, microservices, third-party APIs) through a single endpoint, reducing complexity and improving developer experience. This approach is often implemented using GraphQL to provide flexibility in data fetching and strong typing.
Developers should use a Single Schema API when building applications that need to aggregate data from multiple disparate sources, such as in microservices architectures or legacy system integrations, to simplify client-side development and reduce over-fetching of data. It is particularly valuable in large-scale projects where teams need a consistent, self-documenting API to improve collaboration and maintainability, as it centralizes data access logic and enables efficient querying with minimal network requests.