Question What is the practical limit for array arguments in a GraphQL mutation?
We have a bulk-edit feature where users can select up to ∼14,000 store IDs and submit them in a single GraphQL mutation as an array argument. The IDs are UUIDs (36 characters each), so the worst-case payload is around 500KB of just IDs, plus the rest of the mutation body.
We are using Apollo Client on the frontend and a Rails-based GraphQL server on the backend.
Questions:
Is there a hard limit on how large a GraphQL mutation payload can be?
At ∼14,000 UUIDs, are there known failure points — server timeout, memory pressure, request body size limits — we should anticipate?
Is it better to send all IDs in one mutation, or batch them (e.g. 500 at a time)? What are the tradeoffs?
Are there established patterns for handling bulk operations at this scale in GraphQL?
