Neo4j Fundamentals

Neo4j Fundamentals is a beginner course that introduces graph databases and the principles that make Neo4j work. In around 60 minutes you will learn graph theory, the elements of a graph database, how to tell when Neo4j is the right tool, and the basics of CypheriFull definition for Cypher (opens in a new tab)Neo4j's implementation of GQL, the ISO standard query language for graph databases. It is declarative: you describe the pattern to find, and the database decides how to find it. for reading and writing data.

Graphs describe the connected data that sits behind recommendations, fraud detection, network management, and knowledge graphs. Instead of splitting that data across rows and join tables, a graph stores the relationshipsiFull definition for relationship (opens in a new tab)A named, directed connection between two nodes. Every relationship has a type, a start node and an end node. directly, so questions about how things connect become fast and natural to ask. This course gives you the vocabulary and the hands-on practice to start working with graphs, and it sets the foundation for everything else you will learn on GraphAcademy.

Who this course is for

This course is for anyone new to graph databases. Developers, data engineers, data analysts, architects, and technical managers all take this as their starting point, but you do not need any of those titles to follow along. You need no prior experience with Neo4j, no background in graph theory, and no coding experience. Every concept is introduced from first principles, with plenty of examples drawn from data you already understand, such as people, places, and the connections between them.

If you have worked with relational databases before, you will find useful points of comparison throughout, but they are not required to make sense of the material. If you have never queried a database at all, that is fine too. The goal is to leave you comfortable reasoning about data as a graph and confident enough to write your first queries against a live Neo4j database.

What you'll build and do

This is a practical course, not a lecture. You will explore a real Neo4j database in the browser, run queries, and see the results as both tables and visual graphs so you can watch the structure of your data take shape.

Along the way you will write your first Cypher statements. Cypher is Neo4j's query language, and it is designed so that the query looks like the patterniFull definition for pattern (opens in a new tab)A graph structure written in Cypher, such as a node joined to another node by a relationship. you are searching for. You will use it to read data by matching patterns of nodesiFull definition for node (opens in a new tab)A vertex in a graph. In a property graph it can carry labels and properties. and relationships, and to create new data by adding nodes, relationships, and propertiesiFull definition for property (opens in a new tab)A named value stored on a node or a relationship.. You will also build a small graph data modeliFull definition for data model (opens in a new tab)The labels, relationship types and properties chosen to represent a domain. of your own, deciding what should be a node, what should be a relationship, and what belongs as a property. By the end you will have queried data, changed data, and modelled data, which is the core loop you repeat in every graph project.

Module by module

The course is organised into three modules. The first two build your understanding of graphs and Cypher, and the third gets Neo4j running so you can keep practising after the course ends.

Graph Thinking

The first module builds the mental model that everything else rests on. You will start with What is Neo4j? to understand what a native graph database is and how it differs from the databases you may already know. Thinking in Graphs introduces the core elements: nodes, labelsiFull definition for label (opens in a new tab)A tag on a node that groups it with other nodes of the same kind. A node can carry more than one., relationships, and properties, and shows how they fit together to describe real data. Graphs Are Everywhere looks at where graphs show up in the world, from social networks and supply chains to recommendation engines, so you can recognise the kind of problem Neo4j solves well. The module closes with Build your own graph data model, where you take a real scenario and decide how to represent it as a graph, applying the elements you just learned.

Querying Graphs

The second module moves from thinking about graphs to working with them in Cypher. Reading Graphs shows you how to retrieve data, and Pattern MatchingiFull definition for pattern matching (opens in a new tab)Finding every part of the graph that fits a given pattern. teaches the idea at the heart of Cypher: you describe the shape of the data you want, and Neo4j finds every place that pattern occurs. Creating Graphs then covers the other half of the picture, adding and updating nodes, relationships, and properties so you can change the data, not only read it. The module finishes with Querying your data model, where you run queries against the model you built earlier and see how your design choices affect the questions you can ask.

Exploring Neo4j

The final module makes sure you can keep going on your own. Get Neo4j walks through the ways to run a database, so you have an instance to work with beyond the course. Neo4j Tools introduces the tools you will use day to day, including the environment for writing and running Cypher and viewing your results as a graph. With Neo4j running and the tools in hand, you are ready to take on more advanced courses immediately.

Where to go next

Once you have completed Neo4j Fundamentals, the natural next step is Cypher Fundamentals, which takes the Cypher basics you learned here and covers reading and writing data in far more depth. From there, Graph Data Modeling Fundamentals teaches you how to design a graph model that answers your questions efficiently, building directly on the small model you created in this course. When you are ready to work with your own data, Importing Data Fundamentals shows you how to load data into Neo4j from external sources such as CSV files.

Neo4j Fundamentals is also the first step toward the Neo4j Certified Professional certification. Working through this course and the fundamentals courses that follow prepares you for the exam and gives you a credential that demonstrates your Neo4j skills.