# neo4j-modeling-skill

Designs, reviews and refactors Neo4j data models: nodes, relationships, properties, constraints. Useful once a graph schema starts to sprawl.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1100 installs · ★ 116
- Author: neo4j-contrib
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills/tree/HEAD/neo4j-modeling-skill/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-21
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/neo4j-modeling-skill

## What it does

The skill walks through a graph model in order. First it asks for the queries the model has to answer, then sorts entities into nodes, connections into relationship types, and attributes into properties. Decision tables cover node vs relationship vs property, and property vs label. There is also an anti-pattern pass: generic labels like `:Entity`, supernodes with high fan-out, missing constraints.

A separate section handles intermediate nodes. When a relationship carries more than two properties, or becomes the subject of its own query, the skill suggests promoting it to a node: `(Person)-[:ACTED_IN {role: "Neo"}]->(Movie)` turns into `(Person)-[:PLAYED]->(Role)-[:IN]->(Movie)`, and roles become searchable on their own. A migration table maps relational constructs to graph ones — table row to node, foreign key to relationship, junction table to intermediate node.

On a live database the skill insists you inspect first: `CALL db.schema.visualization()`, `SHOW CONSTRAINTS`, `SHOW INDEXES`, and `CALL apoc.meta.schema()` if APOC is installed. Two limits worth knowing before you start. Property type constraints (`REQUIRE n.prop IS :: STRING`) are Enterprise only, so on Community you validate types in the application. The `ALTER CURRENT GRAPH TYPE SET` syntax is not available on Community either. Cypher authoring, Spring Data mapping, GraphQL types and data import live in separate skills — this one does not cover them.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-modeling-skill -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/neo4j-modeling-skill/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/neo4j-modeling-skill/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-modeling-skill -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/neo4j-modeling-skill/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-modeling-skill -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/neo4j-modeling-skill/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills neo4j-modeling-skill
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/neo4j-modeling-skill/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-modeling-skill -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --path neo4j-modeling-skill
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/neo4j-modeling-skill/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-modeling-skill -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills/tree/HEAD/neo4j-modeling-skill/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- decide whether an attribute should be a label or a property
- spot supernodes and high-fanout relationships in an existing model
- move a relational schema with foreign keys into a graph
- promote a relationship with several properties into an intermediate node
- pick constraints and indexes for key properties

## Example prompts
- Inspect the current schema and propose a product catalog model: nodes, relationships, properties
- Review my model for anti-patterns — generic labels and supernodes
- My ACTED_IN relationship has a role field and I need to query roles on their own. Rework it as an intermediate node

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 60b68894196e7356.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 60b68894196e7356
````text
---
name: neo4j-modeling-skill
description: Design, review, and refactor Neo4j graph data models. Use when choosing node
  labels vs relationship types vs properties, migrating relational/document schemas to
  graph, detecting anti-patterns (generic labels, supernodes, missing constraints),
  designing intermediate nodes for n-ary relationships, enforcing schema with constraints
  and indexes, or assessing an existing model against graph modeling best practices.
  Does NOT handle Cypher query authoring — use neo4j-cypher-skill.
  Does NOT handle Spring Data Neo4j entity mapping — use neo4j-spring-data-skill.
  Does NOT handle GraphQL type definitions — use neo4j-graphql-skill.
  Does NOT handle data import — use neo4j-import-skill.
version: 1.0.7
allowed-tools: WebFetch Bash
---

## When to Use

- Designing graph model from scratch (domain → nodes, rels, props)
- Reviewing existing model for anti-patterns
- Deciding node vs property vs relationship vs label
- Migrating relational or document schema to graph
- Designing intermediate nodes for n-ary or complex relationships
- Detecting and mitigating supernode / high-fanout problems
- Choosing and creating constraints + indexes for a model

## When NOT to Use

- **Writing or optimizing Cypher** → `neo4j-cypher-skill`
- **Spring Data Neo4j (@Node, @Relationship)** → `neo4j-spring-data-skill`
- **GraphQL type definitions** → `neo4j-graphql-skill`
- **Importing data (LOAD CSV, APOC import)** → `neo4j-import-skill`

---

## Inspect Before Designing

On existing database, run first — never propose changes without current state:

```cypher
CALL db.schema.visualization() YIELD nodes, relationships RETURN nodes, relationships;
SHOW CONSTRAINTS YIELD name, type, labelsOrTypes, properties RETURN name, type, labelsOrTypes, properties;
SHOW INDEXES YIELD name, type, labelsOrTypes, state WHERE state = 'ONLINE' RETURN name, type, labelsOrTypes;
```

If APOC available:
```cypher
CALL apoc.meta.schema() YIELD value RETURN value;
```

MCP tool map:

| Operation | Tool |
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 60b68894196e7356

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