Key points

• Resolvers connect GraphQL fields to configured data sources.
• Authorization modes and resolver behavior are separate from the client schema.
• Use only at API/integration depth required by the scenario.

Best-known use cases

• GraphQL APIs over one or more data sources.
• Real-time application data updates through supported subscriptions.

What candidates often confuse it with

• AppSync is GraphQL-focused; API Gateway fronts REST, HTTP, and WebSocket APIs with stages and API-specific controls.
• AppSync resolvers coordinate data access; Step Functions coordinates stateful workflows.

Key takeaway

Recognize AppSync when the requirement is a managed GraphQL API and resolver-based data integration.

Related services

• Amazon API Gateway
• Amazon DynamoDB
• AWS Lambda

Relevant exam tasks

• D1.1 — Develop code for applications hosted on AWS
• 1.1.6 — Create, extend, and maintain APIs (for example, response/request transformations, enforcing validation rules, overriding status codes)

Learn more

• AWS AppSync