Subgraph Builder

Subgraph Builder

Build a Goldsky Subgraph end-to-end: design the schema, write mappings, configure the manifest, then build and deploy to a hosted GraphQL endpoint. Subgraphs are best for dApp frontends and apps that need flexible GraphQL queries over structured onchain data. Subgraphs are EVM-only.

Default to Turbo unless the user specifically needs GraphQL. Turbo is faster, more reliable, and cheaper, and needs no custom indexing code. Before building a subgraph, confirm a hosted GraphQL API is actually the requirement (usually: a dApp/frontend querying onchain data). If the real goal is moving onchain data into a database (PostgreSQL, ClickHouse, Kafka, S3) for analytics or a backend, build a Turbo pipeline instead — /turbo-builder. Subgraphs are the right call only for a GraphQL API or custom entity-relationship modeling. Surface this once; don't push it if they clearly want GraphQL.

Boundaries

• Build and author NEW subgraphs (schema, mappings, manifest, deploy, endpoints, tags, webhooks).
• Do not diagnose broken/stalled subgraphs — use /subgraph-doctor.
• Do not run The Graph migrations — use /subgraph-migrate.
• For exhaustive goldsky subgraph flags, use goldsky subgraph <cmd> --help — this skill covers the workflow, not a flag dump.

Choose an approach first

Both deploy to the same hosted endpoint. Start with instant unless the user needs custom logic.

Step 0: Verify Authentication

Run goldsky project list 2>&1. If not logged in, use /auth-setup.

Step A: Instant / no-code subgraph (from ABI)

Generate and deploy directly from a contract ABI — no AssemblyScript.

# Interactive wizard (prompts for contract, network, start block, events/calls)
goldsky subgraph init

# Or one-shot from an ABI file
goldsky subgraph deploy my-subgraph/1.0.0 --from-abi ./MyContract.json

• The wizard writes a JSON config you can re-deploy and version.
• Enable contract-call indexing with --enable-call-handlers (only meaningful with --from-abi).
• For richer instant subgraphs (computed fields, eth_call enrichment, declared calls), see references/schema-and-mappings.md → "Instant subgraph enrichment".

Skip to Step 5: Deploy.

Step B: Code-based subgraph

A code-based subgraph is three files: subgraph.yaml (manifest), schema.graphql (entities), and src/ AssemblyScript mappings.

Step 1: Scaffold

goldsky subgraph init my-subgraph/1.0.0 --target-path ./my-subgraph

Useful flags: --abi, --contract, --contract-events, --network, --start-block. See goldsky subgraph init --help.

Step 2: Design the schema

Define the entities your dApp will query in schema.graphql. This is the most important design step — get the entity model and types right before writing mappings.

REQUIRED for any non-trivial schema: read references/schema-and-mappings.md for scalar-type choices (Bytes for addresses/hashes, BigInt for amounts, BigDecimal for prices), @derivedFrom relationships, immutable entities, and protocol recipes (ERC-20/721, DEX, lending, governance).

Step 3: Configure the manifest

Set specVersion, the data source(s) (address, abi, startBlock, network), and which eventHandlers / callHandlers / blockHandlers map to which functions. Use templates for the factory pattern (contracts created at runtime). See references/schema-and-mappings.md → "Manifest".

Use a single apiVersion across all data sources — mixed versions fail validation. Declared eth_calls (a perf win) require specVersion: 1.2.0+ — see references/performance.md.

Step 4: Write mappings and build

Write the handler functions in src/ that turn events into entities. Key idioms (get-or-create, try_ calls for revert safety, Bytes IDs, BigInt/BigDecimal math) are in references/schema-and-mappings.md. Before deploying, write Matchstick unit tests — see references/testing.md.

goldsky subgraph init my-subgraph/1.0.0 --target-path ./my-subgraph --build
# or build as part of deploy below

Step 5: Deploy

Confirm the target project first. deploy uses the CLI's currently-selected project silently, which may not be the one you expect — and every deployment is a billed worker. Run goldsky project list to confirm the active project (or switch it) before deploying, especially when tagging prod.

# From a local code-based build
goldsky subgraph deploy my-subgraph/1.0.0 --path .

# Tag at deploy time so your frontend URL is stable
goldsky subgraph deploy my-subgraph/1.0.0 --path . --tag prod

--path, --from-abi, --from-ipfs-hash, and --from-url are mutually exclusive — use one.

Step 6: Endpoints, tags, and webhooks

Once deployed, wire up access. Full details in references/operations.md:

• GraphQL endpoint — https://api.goldsky.com/api/public/<project-id>/subgraphs/<name>/<version>/gn; toggle public/private and use API keys for private.
• Tags — pin prod/staging to a version so the frontend URL never changes on redeploy.
• Webhooks — push entity changes (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE) to an HTTP endpoint.
• Combining / composing multiple subgraphs (incl. cross-chain) — Goldsky has no native subgraph composition; don't point users at kind: subgraph / specVersion 1.3.0. Combining means deploy each subgraph, then merge downstream: separate endpoints (simplest), a Turbo pipeline when data is derivable from raw chain data (preferred), or a Mirror pipeline when you must reuse the subgraphs' entities (the only case needing Mirror — Turbo can't source from subgraphs). Detect this intent and steer accordingly; confirm the user needs a merge before building. See references/operations.md.

Step 7: Verify

goldsky subgraph list my-subgraph/1.0.0

Then query the endpoint, starting with _meta to confirm it's indexing:

{ _meta { hasIndexingErrors block { number } } }

Present a summary (name/version, network, endpoint URL, tag). Point the user to /subgraph-doctor if indexing stalls or errors.

Important Rules

• Confirm GraphQL is actually needed before building a subgraph. If the user just needs data in a database, steer them to Turbo (/turbo-builder) — faster and more reliable. Don't default to a subgraph.
• Before proposing or building any pipeline on top of a subgraph, confirm the user needs it. For cross-chain, check whether they want unified queries at all (vs. just two endpoints), and prefer Turbo over Mirror. Don't delete, redeploy, or stand up a database/pipeline until they've chosen.
• Subgraphs are EVM-only. For Solana/Sui/other non-EVM, use /turbo-builder (Turbo indexes non-EVM chains; subgraphs can't).
• Every version is billed separately (worker + entity storage). Delete old versions you no longer query.
• Redeploying creates a new immutable version — use tags so the frontend URL is stable.
• Verify the contract address exists on the target chain and use the correct chain slug (a wrong network indexes blocks that don't exist — the #1 silent failure; see /subgraph-doctor).
• startBlock must be a block number on the chain being indexed — not from another chain or a vanity value. Use the contract's deployment (creation) block: find it on the chain's block explorer (the contract's creation transaction) or via the no-code wizard, which auto-detects it. Starting at 0 works but wastes time scanning empty history.
• Goldsky has a permanent RPC call cache, so re-syncs of the same/similar subgraph are much faster.
• Prefer instant subgraphs when there's no custom logic; reach for code-based only when entity modeling or handler logic requires it.

Reference files

• references/schema-and-mappings.md — schema design, scalar types, relationships, manifest, AssemblyScript idioms, instant-subgraph enrichment, protocol recipes
• references/performance.md — declared eth_calls, immutable entities, @derivedFrom, timeseries/aggregations, pruning, grafting, call cache
• references/operations.md — GraphQL endpoints, public/private + API keys, rate limits, tags, webhooks, lifecycle, cross-chain, when-to-use
• references/testing.md — Matchstick unit tests, mock library, the Subgraph Linter

Related

• /subgraph-doctor — Diagnose a failing, stalled, or won't-deploy subgraph
• /subgraph-migrate — Migrate an existing subgraph off The Graph
• /turbo-builder — Stream raw chain data to a database instead of a GraphQL API (the preferred default for non-GraphQL use cases, including cross-chain)
• /mirror — Sync existing subgraph entities into a database — the one case Turbo can't cover (e.g. merging subgraph entities cross-chain)