# GraphQL Schema Checks for Safer Releases

> Run GraphQL schema checks against published client operations. See which versions a proposed change could break before you merge or deploy.

Canonical source: https://chillicream.com/platform/release-safety

Nitro tests a proposed schema against the operations your clients publish to the target environment. See which operations and client versions a change could break, then fix it before users feel it.

[Start Nitro for Free](https://nitro.chillicream.com/) [Read client registry docs](https://chillicream.com/docs/nitro/apis/client-registry)

schema.graphql

@@ type Order @@

4141 type Order {

4242 id: ID!

43+ totalAmount: Money!

43\- total: Float!

RRegistryBREAKINGline 43

Removing `Order.total` breaks queries that still select it. Queries and mutations from 3 client versions published to this stage are affected. Deprecate it, then remove it after those versions are retired or unpublished from the stage.

4444 status: OrderStatus!

45+ placedAt: DateTime @deprecated(reason: "use createdAt")

4546 }

registry check failed1 breaking · 1 dangerous · 1 safe

## Block breaking schema changes at the pull request.

Nitro returns a failed check when a proposed schema would break an operation published by a client. Configure that check as required in your repository, and the pull request cannot merge until the schema passes.

#482 · Add Money type

 FAILRegistry check1 breaking · 2 safe

Schema validation: breaking changeOrder.total removed

Schema validation: additiveMoney, totalAmount added

Client compatibility: partner appvalidating...

Required CI policy blocks merge until checks pass.Re-run check

## See which clients a change would break.

Validation runs against the operations your client versions have published to that environment. Each client gets its own result: a change can be safe for web and still break mobile, and you see that before you merge.

client registry·impact of #482

| client                | operations passing | status         |
| --------------------- | ------------------ | -------------- |
| webproduction         | 5/5                | OK             |
| mobileproduction      | 3/5                | at risk        |
| partnersandbox        | none published     | outside result |
| internal-adminstaging | 6/6                | OK             |

## Every environment is its own gate.

Development, staging, and production can each hold a different set of published operations. Validate against the environment you plan to update, because a change that passes staging may still affect client versions published to production.

Development

Passed

Staging

Failed

Production

Future

## Run the checks in the CI you already have.

The validate, upload, and publish steps ship as ready-made GitHub Actions and Azure Pipelines tasks, both wrapping the Nitro CLI.

[GitHub Actions.github/workflows/ci.yml\- uses: ChilliCream/nitro-schema-validate@v16 with: api-id: ${{ vars.NITRO\_API\_ID }} api-key: ${{ secrets.NITRO\_API\_KEY }} schema-file: ./schema.graphql stage: production comment-mode: review✓ check passedGitHub Marketplace](https://github.com/marketplace?query=nitro) [Azure Pipelinesazure-pipelines.yml\- task: NitroSchemaValidate@16 inputs: authenticationType: serviceConnection nitroServiceConnection: nitro-prod apiId: $(NITRO\_API\_ID) schemaFile: ./schema.graphql stage: production✓ task succeededVisual Studio Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ChilliCream.nitro-azure-pipelines-tasks) [Any other CIshell$ nitro schema validate \\ \--api-id $NITRO\_API\_ID \\ \--schema-file schema.graphql \\ \--stage production validating against production… ✓ no breaking changes✓ exit 0CLI reference](https://chillicream.com/docs/nitro/cli/schema)

## Keep the full history of your schema.

Every uploaded or published schema leaves a browsable version in the registry, so your team can see what changed, how Nitro classified it, and which published clients the change could affect. See when a field changed without digging through merge commits.

schema history

1. v12add Cart.discountSAFE
2. v13deprecate Order.placedAtDANGEROUS
3. v14remove Order.total (blocked)BREAKING
4. v14add Order.totalAmountSAFE
5. v15remove Order.total (no published client selects it)BREAKING

## Know what breaks before your users do.

Publish the operations each client uses, validate proposed schemas against the environment you plan to update, and merge with the answer in hand.

[Start Nitro for Free](https://nitro.chillicream.com/) [Read Client Registry Docs](https://chillicream.com/docs/nitro/apis/client-registry)