---
title: "Run Apollo Server Close to Your Users"
description: "Run Apollo Server Close to Your Users presents an edge deployment pattern for GraphQL APIs. The post argues that, much like serving JavaScript and markup from a CDN, placing API servers and an application cache near users can improve application speed. Its approach combines Fly.io’s platform for running API servers close to users with a global Redis cache service, then uses Apollo Server’s cache capabilities and first-class Redis support. A demo GraphQL API built from the Open Library REST API accompanies the guide, with both a guide and source code available. The author frames the design through a newly adopted GraphQL perspective, emphasizing static typing and describing the resulting setup as CDN-like infrastructure for an API."
---

# Run Apollo Server Close to Your Users

[Fly.io](https://yomu.fyi/company/fly-io) · Jul 1, 2020

**Type:** Tutorial

## Summary

Run Apollo Server Close to Your Users presents an edge deployment pattern for GraphQL APIs. The post argues that, much like serving JavaScript and markup from a CDN, placing API servers and an application cache near users can improve application speed. Its approach combines Fly.io’s platform for running API servers close to users with a global Redis cache service, then uses Apollo Server’s cache capabilities and first-class Redis support. A demo GraphQL API built from the Open Library REST API accompanies the guide, with both a guide and source code available. The author frames the design through a newly adopted GraphQL perspective, emphasizing static typing and describing the resulting setup as CDN-like infrastructure for an API.

## Context

The post applies the idea of pushing application content close to users to GraphQL APIs, arguing that nearby API servers and an application cache can provide a speed boost.

## Approach / What changed

It pairs Fly.io’s platform for running API servers close to users with a global Redis cache service and Apollo Server’s cache capabilities and first-class Redis support. A demo API based on the Open Library REST API illustrates the setup.

## Takeaways

- The proposed architecture treats an edge GraphQL API similarly to CDN-delivered application content by locating both servers and cache near users.
- Apollo Server is presented as a fit for the setup because it has cache capabilities and first-class Redis support.
- The demonstration uses a GraphQL API based on the Open Library REST API, with a guide and source code provided.

**Tags:** [Fly.io](https://yomu.fyi/topic/fly-io), [GraphQL](https://yomu.fyi/topic/graphql), [Redis](https://yomu.fyi/topic/redis)

- Source: [Fly.io](https://fly.io/blog/run-apollo-graphql-close-to-your-users)
- Source URL: https://fly.io/blog/run-apollo-graphql-close-to-your-users
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-09-03T01:24:47.877Z

[Read original post](https://fly.io/blog/run-apollo-graphql-close-to-your-users)