This lesson is optional.
In this lesson, you will set up your own Neo4j environment. You will then install Graph Data Science to work alongside the course sandbox.
You do not require your own Neo4j instance to complete this course. However, you will benefit from having access to one for freedom, flexibility and exploration.
By the end of this lesson, you will have:
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Chosen between Neo4j Aura (cloud) or Neo4j Desktop (local) for your learning environment
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Set up a Neo4j instance with GDS enabled
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Verified that GDS is working correctly
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Understood how to restore database dumps for hands-on practice
Why set up your own environment?
Throughout this course, you will have access to a browser-based sandbox environment with pre-loaded data for following along with the lessons.
However, setting up your own environment allows you to:
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Experiment freely - Try variations of queries without affecting the course sandbox
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Work offline - Continue learning without an internet connection (Desktop only)
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Build your portfolio - Create projects with your own datasets
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Prepare for real-world use - Learn the setup process you’ll need at work
Choosing your environment
You have two options for learning GDS:
Neo4j Aura (cloud)
Neo4j Aura is Neo4j’s fully managed cloud service.
You can run the GDS plugin on a free Aura Instance right out of the box — no payment or card details needed.
Signing up to an Aura free trial will give you full functionality for 14 days, however, you do not need a free trial for this course.
Choose Aura if you:
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Want to access your database from anywhere
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Prefer not to install software locally
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Have limited local storage or computing resources
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Want automatic backups and updates
Later, when you translate your learning from this course to Aura Graph Analytics, the transition will be simpler in the cloud.
Neo4j Desktop (local)
Neo4j Desktop is a local development environment for Neo4j.
Choose Desktop if you:
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Want to work offline
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Prefer local control of your data
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Need unlimited storage for experimentation
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Want faster query performance for large datasets
Option 1: Setting up Neo4j Aura
Follow these steps to sign up to Aura and import the same dataset from this course:
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Navigate to AuraDB
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Click Start free to create an account
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Follow the signup flow and select a free instance.
You can destroy and spin up as many free instances as you like. Once you’re finished with this course, you can easily import your own data instead of the demo dataset.
To get started with the movie recommendations dataset:
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Download this .dump file.
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Click Backup & Restore
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Upload the .dump file
Option 2: Setting up Neo4j Desktop
Follow these steps to install Desktop and set up GDS:
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Navigate to Neo4j Desktop
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Download and install Neo4j Desktop for your operating system
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Launch Neo4j Desktop and create a new instance
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Click the three dots next to your instance, and open the plugins window
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Install the Graph Data Science Library plugin
To get started with the movie recommendations dataset:
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Download this .dump file.
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From your DBMS menu, select Create new DBMS from Dump
Once the dump has been loaded, you will have a local version of the recommendations dataset available for querying and experimentation.
Verifying your setup
After completing either setup option, verify that GDS is installed correctly.
Run these queries to confirm your setup is complete:
Check GDS version
RETURN gds.version() AS gdsVersion // (1)-
Call the GDS version function and return the version number
Expected result: A version number (e.g., "2.22.0")
List available algorithms
CALL gds.list() YIELD name // (1)
RETURN name // (2)
ORDER BY name // (3)-
Call gds.list() and get the name of each algorithm
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Return the algorithm names
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Sort alphabetically by name
Expected result: A list of algorithm names like gds.pageRank, gds.louvain, etc.
If both of these queries execute successfully, your environment is ready.
Working with course materials
Throughout this course, you’ll work with:
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Browser sandbox: Pre-configured environment with example tasks for following along
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Your own instance: For experimentation and practice
You can switch between the sandbox and your own instance at any time. The sandbox ensures you can always complete the course, while your own instance provides freedom to explore.
Check your understanding
Which environment has GDS preinstalled?
You want to start using GDS immediately without installing plugins. Which option is ready to use out of the box?
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✓ Neo4j Aura Free Tier
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❏ Neo4j Desktop
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❏ Both require manual GDS installation
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❏ Neither includes GDS by default
Hint
Think about which platform the lesson describes as having GDS available "right out of the box."
Solution
Neo4j Aura Free Tier includes GDS preinstalled and ready to use. With Desktop, you need to manually install the GDS plugin from the plugins menu before you can use it.
Summary
In this lesson, you learned:
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How to choose between Neo4j Aura (cloud) and Neo4j Desktop (local) for your learning environment
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How to set up a Neo4j instance with GDS enabled
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How to verify your installation with test queries
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How to restore database dumps for hands-on practice
You now have a working environment to follow along with the course and experiment on your own.
In the next module, you’ll learn the fundamentals of the GDS workflow: how to project graphs, run algorithms, and write results back to your database.