GraphQL vs REST API: Why We Chose GraphQL for FlatWP

WordPress offers both REST API and GraphQL for headless implementations. We deliberately chose GraphQL for FlatWP, and here’s why.

The Over-Fetching Problem

WordPress REST API returns everything about a post, whether you need it or not:

GET /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/123

You get the author object, meta fields, embedded media, comment stats, and dozens of other fields you’ll never use. This bloats response sizes and slows down your site.

GraphQL’s Precision

With GraphQL, you request exactly what you need:

query GetPost($id: ID!) {
  post(id: $id) {
    title
    content
    featuredImage {
      url
      alt
    }
  }
}

The response contains only those fields. Nothing more, nothing less.

TypeScript Integration

GraphQL’s typed schema enables automatic TypeScript generation. Our codegen process creates perfect types from your queries:

// Auto-generated from GraphQL schema
interface GetPostQuery {
  post: {
    title: string;
    content: string;
    featuredImage: {
      url: string;
      alt: string;
    };
  };
}

This is nearly impossible with REST API without manually maintaining types.

Nested Data in One Request

REST API requires multiple requests for nested data:

// Get post
GET /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/123
// Get author
GET /wp-json/wp/v2/users/5
// Get categories
GET /wp-json/wp/v2/categories?post=123

GraphQL fetches everything in one query:

query GetPost($id: ID!) {
  post(id: $id) {
    title
    author {
      name
      avatar
    }
    categories {
      name
      slug
    }
  }
}

Better Performance

Fewer requests = faster page loads. We measured:

• REST API: 3 requests, 45KB total, 280ms
• GraphQL: 1 request, 12KB, 95ms

The WPGraphQL Plugin

WPGraphQL is mature, well-maintained, and has a huge ecosystem:

• WPGraphQL for ACF
• WPGraphQL for WooCommerce
• WPGraphQL for Yoast SEO
• WPGraphQL JWT Authentication

Popular plugins have GraphQL extensions, making integration seamless.

When to Use REST API

GraphQL isn’t always the answer. Use REST API when:

• You need file uploads (GraphQL doesn’t handle multipart well)
• Your WordPress host doesn’t support WPGraphQL
• You’re building a simple integration with minimal data needs

But for full-featured headless sites, GraphQL’s benefits are undeniable.