GraphQL is a specification and query language that defines how to query, mutate, and subscribe to data within a graph, empowering client developers to build features faster by allowing them to fetch data, make changes or create data, and receive real-time updates by specifying the exact fields they need. Unlike traditional REST APIs, GraphQL can coexist harmoniously with REST and is often used to enhance existing REST APIs, providing flexibility and improved developer experience. Implementing GraphQL over APIs offers a unified view of usage and performance, accelerating application development, expanding capabilities, improving user experience, and simplifying data access for client developers. By leveraging GraphQL in platform engineering efforts, organizations can modernize their APIs and provide delightful user experiences, while the adoption of the Apollo Router further elevates the capabilities of GraphQL-based ecosystems with features like language agnosticism, scalability, observability, real-time support, efficient query execution, security, and advanced features such as the `@defer` directive.