What is graphql-playground?

GraphQL Playground was a browser-based development tool for working with GraphQL APIs. GraphQL is a way for applications to request data from a server, where you describe exactly what data you want rather than hitting fixed endpoints. When developers are building or testing a GraphQL API, they need a way to send queries, see the results, and understand what the API can do. GraphQL Playground provided that environment: a web interface where you could type queries, view the schema documentation, and see responses side by side. Compared to the simpler GraphiQL tool it built upon, GraphQL Playground added several features: multi-column documentation browsing with keyboard support, query history, the ability to set custom HTTP headers per request, support for tabs so you could work on multiple queries at once, and real-time subscriptions, which are a way of receiving continuous updates from a server rather than making a one-time request. There was also a sharing feature called GraphQL Bin that let you send a link to someone so they could open your exact query setup in their own browser. The tool could be embedded into existing web servers through middleware packages for Express, Koa, Hapi, and AWS Lambda, or run as a standalone desktop application. A past security vulnerability involving cross-site scripting was discovered and fixed across these packages in versions released after 2020, the README includes detailed guidance on which package versions are safe. This repository is now archived. As of April 2026, future GraphQL IDE development has moved entirely to the GraphiQL project. The README notes this clearly at the top: new work will not happen here. If you are looking for an actively maintained GraphQL development interface, the project points to GraphiQL as the ongoing home for that effort. The project is written in TypeScript and was originally developed under the Prisma organization before moving to the graphql organization.