Bolt api

GraphQL Query Too Deep - Nested Query Recursion Attack

GraphQL queries with deep nesting cause timeouts or excessive server load. User can request deeply nested data causing exponential database queries.

Server becomes unresponsive to legitimate queries.

Error Messages You Might See

Query exceeds maximum depth Query too complex - execution timeout Maximum query cost exceeded Recursion depth exceeded
Query exceeds maximum depthQuery too complex - execution timeoutMaximum query cost exceededRecursion depth exceeded

Common Causes

  1. No query depth limit - unlimited nesting allowed
  2. No complexity calculation
  3. Circular references in schema allowing infinite recursion
  4. No timeout on query execution
  5. Database N+1 problem triggered by deep nesting

How to Fix It

Add depth limit: graphql-depth-limit middleware, max depth 7

Add complexity limit: estimate cost per field, reject if over budget

Break circular references: use aliases or limit nesting depth

Set query timeout: 10-30 seconds max execution time

Use data loader to prevent N+1 queries

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's a reasonable query depth limit?

7-10 is good balance. Most legitimate queries are 3-5 levels deep

How do I implement depth limit?

Use graphql-depth-limit package: depthLimit(10) as middleware

What's query complexity?

Estimate cost: simple field = 1, list = 10. Reject queries exceeding total budget (e.g., 1000)

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