---
title: Koa
description: Setting up Apollo Server with Koa
---

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This is the Koa integration of Apollo Server. Apollo Server is a community-maintained open-source Apollo Server that works with all Node.js HTTP server frameworks: Express, Connect, Hapi, Koa and Restify. [Read the docs](https://www.apollographql.com/docs/apollo-server/).

```sh
npm install apollo-server-koa
```

## Usage

```js
import koa from 'koa'; // koa@2
import koaRouter from 'koa-router';
import koaBody from 'koa-bodyparser';
import { graphqlKoa } from 'apollo-server-koa';

const app = new koa();
const router = new koaRouter();
const PORT = 3000;

// koaBody is needed just for POST.
app.use(koaBody());

router.post('/graphql', graphqlKoa({ schema: myGraphQLSchema }));
router.get('/graphql', graphqlKoa({ schema: myGraphQLSchema }));

app.use(router.routes());
app.use(router.allowedMethods());
app.listen(PORT);
```

### GraphiQL

You can also use `apollo-server-koa` for hosting the [GraphiQL](https://github.com/graphql/graphiql) in-browser IDE. Note the difference between `graphqlKoa` and `graphiqlKoa`.

```js
import { graphiqlKoa } from 'apollo-server-koa';

// Setup the /graphiql route to show the GraphiQL UI
router.get('/graphiql', graphiqlKoa({
    endpointURL: '/graphql' // a POST endpoint that GraphiQL will make the actual requests to
}));
```

In case your GraphQL endpoint is protected via authentication, or if you need to pass other custom headers in the request that GraphiQL makes, you can use the [`passHeader`](https://github.com/apollographql/apollo-server/blob/v1.0.2/packages/apollo-server-module-graphiql/src/renderGraphiQL.ts#L17) option – a string that will be added to the request header object.

For example:
```js
import { graphiqlKoa } from 'apollo-server-koa';

router.get('/graphiql', graphiqlKoa({
    endpointURL: '/graphql',
    passHeader: `'Authorization': 'Bearer lorem ipsum'`
}));
```

## Principles

Apollo Server is built with the following principles in mind:

* **By the community, for the community**: Apollo Server's development is driven by the needs of developers
* **Simplicity**: by keeping things simple, Apollo Server is easier to use, easier to contribute to, and more secure
* **Performance**: Apollo Server is well-tested and production-ready - no modifications needed


Anyone is welcome to contribute to Apollo Server, just read [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/apollographql/apollo-server/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md), take a look at the [roadmap](https://github.com/apollographql/apollo-server/blob/master/ROADMAP.md) and make your first PR!