Cypher Fundamentals
Learn Cypher, the query language for Neo4j. Read and write graph data, match patterns of nodes and relationships, and build queries in under an hour.
In this 1-hour course, you will learn
This course teaches you the essentials of Full 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., Neo4j's query language, so you can read and write graph data with confidence. In around 60 minutes you will move from your first MATCH clause to updating a live graph, working hands-on against a Movies dataset the whole way through.
Cypher is a declarative query language built for graphs. You describe the Full 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 want as ASCII-art Full definition for node (opens in a new tab)A vertex in a graph. In a property graph it can carry labels and properties. and Full 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., and Neo4j finds the data that fits. If you can sketch a graph on a whiteboard, you can already read a Cypher query. This course gives you the vocabulary and the practice to write your own.
Cypher Patterns
Understand how Cypher uses ASCII-art syntax to represent nodes, relationships, and properties, and apply pattern matching to query any graph structure.
Reading Data from a Graph
Write MATCH and RETURN clauses to retrieve nodes and relationships, filter results with WHERE, and shape output using aliases and aggregation functions.
Writing Data to a Graph
Use CREATE, MERGE, SET, and DELETE to add, update, and remove nodes and relationships in a Neo4j database, applying each clause to realistic movie-graph scenarios.
2 modules, 1 hour.
Who this course is for
This course is for developers, data engineers, and analysts who need to work with data stored in Neo4j. If your job involves pulling records out of a database, connecting related information, or keeping data up to date, Full 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. is the tool you will reach for, and this is where you learn it. You do not need any prior programming experience, only the graph basics covered in Neo4j Fundamentals. Everything is taught from first principles, and every concept is paired with a query you run yourself. If you have written SQL before, ideas like filtering and returning columns will feel familiar and help you move faster, but they are not a requirement.
What you'll do
This is a practical course, not a lecture. You work against a Movies graph, a small dataset of films, the people who acted in and directed them, and the Full 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. that connect them. It is large enough to be interesting and small enough to reason about.
Throughout the course you run real Full 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. in an embedded sandbox connected to a live Neo4j database. You read data with
MATCH, follow relationships between people and films, and filter results with theWHEREclause, then switch to writing: creating Full 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, updating Full definition for property (opens in a new tab)A named value stored on a node or a relationship., removing data, and usingMERGEto write queries that are safe to run more than once without producing duplicates. At key points you complete challenges where the platform checks your query's result against the graph. You cannot pass by reading alone, which means by the end you have proven to yourself that you can write working Cypher, not just recognise it.Where to go next
Intermediate Cypher Queries builds directly on this course, covering more advanced Full definition for pattern matching (opens in a new tab)Finding every part of the graph that fits a given pattern. and queries that solve harder problems. Cypher Aggregations teaches you to summarise and group data for the kind of rolled-up results that reports and dashboards depend on, and Graph Data Modeling Fundamentals steps back from querying to show you how to design a graph in the first place. Full 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. is also a core part of the Neo4j Certified Professional certification, so the skills you build here count toward a recognised, industry-standard credential.
Posts from the GraphAcademy blog.
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