What is Dgraph Documentation (docs.dgraph.io)?

docs.dgraph.io is the official documentation site for Dgraph, an open-source, distributed graph database built for real-time workloads and terabyte-scale data. The site is where you go to learn how to run Dgraph as a property graph database or generate a GraphQL API and graph backend from a GraphQL schema. It serves two audiences with one codebase: teams that want direct database operations and administration, and developers who want schema-driven APIs for faster application development.

What Dgraph is, according to the documentation

The site describes Dgraph as "the only open, complete graph database used at terabyte-scale to power real-time use cases." The stated properties are:

• Open-source — the database itself is open.
• Scalable and distributed — implemented as a distributed system.
• Highly available — designed to keep serving under failure.
• Fast — queries are processed in parallel, which the docs frame as delivering the fastest results even for complex workloads.
• Flexible — designed for data flexibility alongside real-time performance.

These are the vendor's own claims from the documentation homepage, not independent benchmarks. Treat them as the design goals Dgraph is built around rather than verified performance numbers.

The two paths the documentation offers

The homepage explicitly asks you to "choose your path," and the split matters because it determines which half of the docs you'll spend time in.

Path 1: Dgraph DB

Use Dgraph as a property graph database for direct database operations and administration. This path covers getting started, day-to-day use, and operating the database. Choose it if you want to:

• Model and query a graph directly rather than through a generated API layer.
• Manage and administer the database yourself.
• Work at the level of the database rather than an application schema.

Path 2: GraphQL API

Use the GraphQL API to generate a GraphQL API and a graph backend from your GraphQL schema. This path is aimed at rapid application development with schema-driven APIs. Choose it if you want to:

• Start from a GraphQL schema you already have or plan to write.
• Get both the API and the backing graph store generated from that schema.
• Move quickly on application development without hand-building the backend.

How to decide which path fits

If you're unsure, the deciding question is whether your starting point is the database or the schema. Starting from the database points to Dgraph DB; starting from a GraphQL schema points to the GraphQL API.

What the site is for

The documentation exists to help you get started, operate, and build with Dgraph. Concretely, that means it's the reference for:

• Getting started — initial setup and first steps.
• Using the database in normal operation.
• Operating it as a running system.
• Building applications, either directly against the database or through the generated GraphQL API.

Practical notes

• The documentation is in English.
• The homepage does not state pricing, licensing tiers, or login requirements. Don't assume the hosted or managed offerings are free just because the database is described as open-source — check the relevant product pages for that.
• Because Dgraph is described as a distributed system, expect operational topics (running and administering it) to be a meaningful part of the Dgraph DB path, not an afterthought.

If you're evaluating Dgraph, the fastest way to use this site is to pick your path first, then follow that path's getting-started material before branching into administration or API details.