Apollo MCP Server — MCP server for Claude Code: GraphQL as tools
Turns GraphQL operations into tools an AI agent can call by name. Useful when a model needs to reach your GraphQL API for real, not just read a description of it.
claude mcp add apollo-mcp-server -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0What Apollo MCP Server does
The server sits between an MCP client and your GraphQL graph. Each operation you list becomes a tool the agent can see and invoke, so calls go through your existing API instead of guesswork.
Four pieces have to line up: a graph, definitions for the operations to expose, a config file for the server, and a connected MCP client. Leave out the operation definitions and the tool list stays empty. The quick way to start is the container image: docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0.
Rust on your machine opens a second route. cargo install --locked apollo-mcp-server pulls the crate with the dependency versions pinned at release time; cargo build from the repo root puts a binary in target/debug instead.
What it helps with
- Let an agent call GraphQL operations directly
- Turn a file of queries into MCP tools
- Wire a GraphQL API into an MCP-compatible client
- Build the server from source when containers are out
Example prompts for the agent
- Connect Apollo MCP Server to my graph and list the tools it exposes
- Add the operation in
operations/getUser.graphqlto the server config - Check whether my MCP client can see the tools from the graph
How to install Apollo MCP Server
Platform CLI
claude mcp add apollo-mcp-server -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0Platform CLI
codex mcp add apollo-mcp-server -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"apollo-mcp-server": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"apollo-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0"
]
}
}
}Platform CLI
gemini mcp add apollo-mcp-server docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Apollo MCP Server
How do I install Apollo MCP Server in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add apollo-mcp-server -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/apollographql/apollo-mcp-server:v2.0.0. Docker has to be running for the container to start.
What does Apollo MCP Server do?
It exposes GraphQL operations as MCP tools, giving an AI model a way to reach APIs running on Apollo and call them by name.
What has to be set up before it runs?
A graph, operation definitions for the tools, a config file, and an MCP client connection. With no operations defined, there is nothing for the agent to call.
