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Router Configuration Overview
Overview and reference for router configuration
Running an Apollo Router instance involves two key steps:
Configuring runtime features declaratively in YAML
Getting the schema of the federated supergraph that your router is running
Configuring features in YAML
Configuring the router's features happens primarily via a YAML configuration file. Named router.yaml by default, the router's YAML configuration file lets you configure all of a router's runtime features declaratively.
Getting supergraph schema
As the runtime for a federated graph, a router needs to know the schema of the graph it's running. We call the schema for a federated graph a supergraph schema.
You need to configure the router at startup to know where to get its supergraph schema. The router supports several methods for loading a supergraph schema, each suited for different deployment scenarios.
OCI registry (graph artifacts)
Learn about OCI registry support →
✅ Immutable, versioned schema references
✅ Deterministic deployments (same digest = same schema)
✅ Ideal for blue/green deployments
✅ Reliable rollbacks to any previous version
✅ Works with any infrastructure (Kubernetes, Docker, bare metal)
❌ Requires manual schema version management
❌ Network dependency for registry (can use local registry for independence)
Apollo GraphOS Operator
Learn about Apollo's support for Kubernetes operators →
✅ Kubernetes-native schema management
✅ Easily manages complex deployment workflows
✅ Automatic schema updates with configurable strategies
✅ Built-in blue/green deployment support
✅ Integration with Kubernetes monitoring and logging
❌ Requires Kubernetes infrastructure
Local file
Choose local schema files for local development, testing, or production deployments where you manage schema files directly (often combined with CI/CD pipelines).
Learn about local supergraph files →
✅ Flexible for any infrastructure
✅ Full control over schema version
✅ Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines
✅ Support for hot reloading in local development
❌ Complexity of manual schema file management
❌ Performance impact from hot reloading
GraphOS Uplink (managed federation)
Choose managed federation when application teams don't have access to infrastructure.
Learn about GraphOS Uplink and managed federation →
✅ Automatic schema updates
❌ Performance impact from hot reloading
❌ Network dependency for GraphOS Uplink
❌ Less control over deployment timing