# API Design, Strategy & Governance **URL:** https://community.apollographql.com/c/api-design/17.md [Latest](https://community.apollographql.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://community.apollographql.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://community.apollographql.com/tags.md) --- ## [About the API Design, Strategy & Governance category](https://community.apollographql.com/t/about-the-api-design-strategy-governance-category/8140)
**Author:** [@Justin\_Gonzalez](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Justin_Gonzalez)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 23, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/about-the-api-design-strategy-governance-category/8140 "2025-01-23T23:07:23Z")
High-level discussions on API design, strategy, and governance. If you’re shaping API platform architecture, ecosystems or championing best practices, you’re in the right place. Why use this category? Use this space to: … --- ## [GraphQL Federation: What's the right way to use \_\_typename for fragment on Interface?](https://community.apollographql.com/t/graphql-federation-whats-the-right-way-to-use-typename-for-fragment-on-interface/10004)
**Author:** [@yuhanz](https://community.apollographql.com/u/yuhanz)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 17, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/graphql-federation-whats-the-right-way-to-use-typename-for-fragment-on-interface/10004 "2026-09-17T19:18:48Z")
We are upgrading our GraphQL Federation to the latest “@apollo/gateway”: “2.14.4” and find out that it handles fragment on interface differently than the older version. In the older version, the query plan will interpre… --- ## [Securing Apollo Federation Subgraphs: Context and Best Practices](https://community.apollographql.com/t/securing-apollo-federation-subgraphs-context-and-best-practices/9646)
**Author:** [@DavidWalter](https://community.apollographql.com/u/DavidWalter)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/securing-apollo-federation-subgraphs-context-and-best-practices/9646 "2026-01-14T20:27:21Z")
A reminder for teams running Apollo Federation: your subgraphs should only be accessible through the router. This architectural boundary is what enables centralized auth, demand control, and operation safelisting. Witho… --- ## [Subgraph as a proxy VS colocating with the service](https://community.apollographql.com/t/subgraph-as-a-proxy-vs-colocating-with-the-service/9377)
**Author:** [@waynezhang](https://community.apollographql.com/u/waynezhang)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2025, 5:13am UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/subgraph-as-a-proxy-vs-colocating-with-the-service/9377 "2025-12-31T05:13:49Z")
Hey folks, curious about the subgraph architecture in your company. Do you use the subgraph as a standalone proxy service, or is it colocated with the actual backend service so that the resolver calls the underlying func… --- ## [Best design pattern to use multiple schemas across clients](https://community.apollographql.com/t/best-design-pattern-to-use-multiple-schemas-across-clients/9365)
**Author:** [@Adrian\_Gutierrez](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Adrian_Gutierrez)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/best-design-pattern-to-use-multiple-schemas-across-clients/9365 "2025-08-08T02:06:53Z")
I’m using Apollo GraphQL and have a Go service with gqlgen where schemas and types are split into multiple files (e.g., appointments.graphql, users.graphql) for better organization and readability. However, Apollo requir… --- ## [What practices have folks used for logically grouping federated entities](https://community.apollographql.com/t/what-practices-have-folks-used-for-logically-grouping-federated-entities/9151)
**Author:** [@Mike-OLaughlen\_spglo](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Mike-OLaughlen_spglo)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [June 6, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/what-practices-have-folks-used-for-logically-grouping-federated-entities/9151 "2025-06-06T14:48:54Z")
My team at S&P Global is reviewing ways that we can logically group companies based on a number of criteria. Our supergraph defines a company as a federated entity (e.g. Instn) and the team is looking to provide a commo… --- ## [Safe Schema update of gateway (polling), Hot Schema Reloading in Apollo Gateway Without Process Restart](https://community.apollographql.com/t/safe-schema-update-of-gateway-polling-hot-schema-reloading-in-apollo-gateway-without-process-restart/9117)
**Author:** [@Arth\_Gupta](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Arth_Gupta)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2025, 6:49am UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/safe-schema-update-of-gateway-polling-hot-schema-reloading-in-apollo-gateway-without-process-restart/9117 "2025-05-30T06:49:09Z")
In our production setup, we use Apollo Gateway (with NestJS) to federate multiple GraphQL subgraphs. Our biggest challenge is safely updating the federated schema in a running Gateway instance without restarting the enti… --- ## [@override limitations on Apollo Federation 2.7](https://community.apollographql.com/t/override-limitations-on-apollo-federation-2-7/9048)
**Author:** [@nidnogg](https://community.apollographql.com/u/nidnogg)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2025, 12:36am UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/override-limitations-on-apollo-federation-2-7/9048 "2025-05-23T00:36:49Z")
hi all! I’m currently working on a Apollo federated supergraph with many subgraphs. I need to build a subgraph that @overrides a bunch of a legacy subgraph queries and mutations. I’m looking for some additional control… --- ## [Apollo Federation update documentation](https://community.apollographql.com/t/apollo-federation-update-documentation/9051)
**Author:** [@nidnogg](https://community.apollographql.com/u/nidnogg)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/apollo-federation-update-documentation/9051 "2025-05-15T16:00:15Z")
hey folks, I’ve been trying to look up info on this without much success. could anyone point me to relevant documentation on upgrading Apollo Federation version? I’ve noticed I’ll need a feature that is covered from Apo… --- ## [Building extremely fast, in enterprise standards, with AI](https://community.apollographql.com/t/building-extremely-fast-in-enterprise-standards-with-ai/8968)
**Author:** [@kenny.hammerlund](https://community.apollographql.com/u/kenny.hammerlund)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/building-extremely-fast-in-enterprise-standards-with-ai/8968 "2025-04-24T16:41:28Z")
Many companies have problems growing too fast, the old mantra is that organic growth is best. IMO this is because you have time to instill your indirect governance in the people joining. AI enables people to consistentl… --- ## [Why does Apollo recommend polling over subscriptions to stay up to date with the backend?](https://community.apollographql.com/t/why-does-apollo-recommend-polling-over-subscriptions-to-stay-up-to-date-with-the-backend/8898)
**Author:** [@Dusty\_Benac](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Dusty_Benac)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 16, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/why-does-apollo-recommend-polling-over-subscriptions-to-stay-up-to-date-with-the-backend/8898 "2025-04-16T23:33:05Z")
According to the documentation: In the majority of cases, your client should not use subscriptions to stay up to date with your backend. Instead, you should poll intermittently with queries What are the reasons for usi… --- ## [Keeping Backend APIs Datamodels and SDL Graph Data Model in sync](https://community.apollographql.com/t/keeping-backend-apis-datamodels-and-sdl-graph-data-model-in-sync/8728)
**Author:** [@souvik](https://community.apollographql.com/u/souvik)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [April 8, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/keeping-backend-apis-datamodels-and-sdl-graph-data-model-in-sync/8728 "2025-04-08T16:39:57Z")
Hi Team, We have a two tier architecture with Supergraph served by Subgraphs integrating into REST APIs. We are not planning to use connectors for the time being. We want to keep the backend swagger’s data model to the … --- ## [How do you feel about API security?](https://community.apollographql.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-api-security/8688)
**Author:** [@Aleksandar\_Susnjar](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Aleksandar_Susnjar)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 6, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-api-security/8688 "2025-03-06T17:16:45Z")
Just trying to gauge the level of need and awareness of what it takes to expose a secure API… Before reading anything I may think about it: Do you “feel” that the REST ecosystem is inherently more secure than GraphQL …… --- ## [What's the best practice to migrate fields to a different subgraph](https://community.apollographql.com/t/whats-the-best-practice-to-migrate-fields-to-a-different-subgraph/8668)
**Author:** [@Jesse](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Jesse)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 4, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/whats-the-best-practice-to-migrate-fields-to-a-different-subgraph/8668 "2025-03-04T21:51:34Z")
hi team, I’m just coming across an issue now when I want to migrate field from my subgraph to a different one. I understand override directive is the suggested approach. However my case is a bit different. The field … --- ## [Your graph is big now, if you started over what would you do different?](https://community.apollographql.com/t/your-graph-is-big-now-if-you-started-over-what-would-you-do-different/8608)
**Author:** [@kenny.hammerlund](https://community.apollographql.com/u/kenny.hammerlund)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2025, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/your-graph-is-big-now-if-you-started-over-what-would-you-do-different/8608 "2025-02-25T20:36:11Z")
For me, the thing I would focus more on from the beginning is defining the federated entities and ensuring the “pure” nature of those entities. --- ## [API Orchestration Apollo Customer Study](https://community.apollographql.com/t/api-orchestration-apollo-customer-study/8614)
**Author:** [@Laine](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Laine)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [February 21, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/api-orchestration-apollo-customer-study/8614 "2025-02-21T21:39:54Z")
API Orchestration Apollo Customer Study :memo: Apollo has partnered with the analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) to conduct a market research study to understand how organizations manage API complexity within t… --- ## [Adopting GraphQL Federation at State Farm - Our First Baby Steps](https://community.apollographql.com/t/adopting-graphql-federation-at-state-farm-our-first-baby-steps/8610)
**Author:** [@austinmehmetee2g](https://community.apollographql.com/u/austinmehmetee2g)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 21, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/adopting-graphql-federation-at-state-farm-our-first-baby-steps/8610 "2025-02-21T18:26:53Z")
Howdy everyone, just wanted to shoot the community a link to a blog post State Farm released about our first steps into Federated GraphQL. Would love for everyone to check it out and provide feedback or ask questions if … --- ## [Tools for mapping "API Lineage"?](https://community.apollographql.com/t/tools-for-mapping-api-lineage/8518)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Wondrusch](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Jonathan_Wondrusch)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 14, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/tools-for-mapping-api-lineage/8518 "2025-02-14T00:32:37Z")
Is anyone using tools they are happy with for tracking “API Lineage”? In the offline data space, Data Lineage is a process for tracking how data flows through various warehouses and ETL processes to wind up in a target. … --- ## [OG Champ Thread: How to best handle request-based localization in a supergraph?](https://community.apollographql.com/t/og-champ-thread-how-to-best-handle-request-based-localization-in-a-supergraph/8306)
**Author:** [@Dan\_Boerner](https://community.apollographql.com/u/Dan_Boerner)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 5, 2025, 8:31am UTC](https://community.apollographql.com/t/og-champ-thread-how-to-best-handle-request-based-localization-in-a-supergraph/8306 "2025-02-05T08:31:06Z")
\[Editor note: Sharing the original thread Tyler started about localization from the Champions Slack workspace\] @tylergoelz This may not be the right place, but starting somewhere. Does anybody have any patterns or les…