Introduction to Graph Databases Workshop
Hands-on Neo4j workshop for beginners: learn graph database concepts, then read, write, filter, and aggregate connected data with Cypher queries.
In this 2-hour workshop, you will learn
The Introduction to Graph Databases Workshop is a hands-on Neo4j workshop that takes you from graph theory to writing your own 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. queries against a live database. It is the companion course to an instructor-led GraphAcademy session, and it works equally well at your own pace - every exercise runs in your browser against a Neo4j instance provisioned for you.
You will spend around two hours learning how a graph database stores connected data, how to read and write that data with Cypher, and how to aggregate results to answer real questions. By the end you will have queried and extended a movie recommendations graph and set up a Neo4j Go to glossary for Aura instance (opens in a new tab)A single Neo4j database running in Aura. of your own.
Basic Graph Theory
Understand nodes, relationships, and properties as the building blocks of a graph, and learn why connected data is modelled more naturally as a graph than as tables.
The Structure of a Neo4j Graph Database
Explore how Neo4j stores nodes, relationships, labels, and properties, and understand how this structure enables efficient traversal of highly connected data.
How to Navigate a Neo4j Database
Learn to use the Neo4j Browser and Aura console to inspect your database, run queries, and visualise results against a real recommendations dataset.
How to Write Cypher Queries
Write Cypher MATCH, WHERE, and RETURN clauses to read and filter connected data, and use CREATE and MERGE to add new nodes and relationships to the graph.
How to Aggregate Data Using Cypher
Apply Cypher aggregation functions such as count, sum, and avg to summarise patterns across the graph and surface meaningful insights from connected data.
What you need to take part.
A GraphAcademy account
The workshop is delivered here on GraphAcademy, so you need to be signed in to work through the lessons and keep your progress. Creating an account is free.
3 modules, 2 hours.
Who this workshop is for
This workshop is for anyone attending a Neo4j introductory session, and for anyone who wants the same experience without one. Developers, data engineers, analysts, and architects all use it as a first practical step into graph databases. You do not need any experience with Neo4j, 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., or graph theory - everything is introduced from first principles and backed by an exercise you complete yourself. There are no prerequisites: you need only a web browser and a GraphAcademy account, and the database you query is created for you automatically when you enrol.
What you'll do
This is a practical workshop, not a lecture. Working with a real movie recommendations dataset of movies, people, genres, and user ratings, you will start by reading data: matching Full definition for node (opens in a new tab)A vertex in a graph. In a property graph it can carry labels and properties. by Full 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., following 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 returning Full definition for property (opens in a new tab)A named value stored on a node or a relationship.. From there you will write Full definition for pattern matching (opens in a new tab)Finding every part of the graph that fits a given pattern. queries - the heart 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. - create your own nodes and relationships, then move on to the techniques you use every day: filtering with
WHERE, ordering and limiting results, aggregating withcount()andcollect(), chaining query parts together withWITH, working with variable-length paths, and passing parameters into queries.Because the database is yours, you can experiment freely - run a query, inspect what comes back, adjust it, and run it again. That query-inspect-refine loop is exactly how you will work with Neo4j after the workshop, whether in Neo4j Browser, an application, or a data pipeline. The workshop closes by getting you set up with your own Neo4j Go to glossary for Aura instance (opens in a new tab)A single Neo4j database running in Aura., so you leave with a running database and the skills to use it.
Where to go next
After the workshop, Neo4j Fundamentals consolidates the graph concepts you practised here, and Cypher Fundamentals takes the query language deeper. When you are ready to design your own graph, Graph Data Modeling Fundamentals shows you how to decide what should be a Full definition for node (opens in a new tab)A vertex in a graph. In a property graph it can carry labels and properties., a 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., or a Full definition for property (opens in a new tab)A named value stored on a node or a relationship., and Importing Data Fundamentals covers loading your own data. You can find upcoming instructor-led sessions and the other companion courses on the workshops page.