GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot · Lesson

Implementing Real-time Updates

Develop subscription resolvers in Spring Boot to publish events and send live data to clients.

Implementing Real-time Updates is a free GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Subscription Resolvers Explained

Subscriptions deliver real-time updates. Unlike queries that return data once, subscription resolvers return a stream of data that continuously pushes updates to clients.

We'll learn how to implement these streams in a Spring Boot GraphQL application.

Embracing Reactor Flux

Spring GraphQL leverages Project Reactor's Flux to handle subscriptions. A Flux represents an asynchronous, non-blocking stream of 0 to N items.

It's ideal for continuous data delivery.
You can emit multiple values over time.

Schema for Real-time Updates

First, we define our subscription in the GraphQL Schema Definition Language (SDL). This example shows a subscription for new messages:

type Subscription {
  messageAdded(channelId: ID!): Message
}

type Message {
  id: ID!
  text: String!
  channelId: ID!
  timestamp: String!
}

Creating a Subscription Resolver

In Spring Boot, a subscription resolver is a method annotated with @SubscriptionMapping. It must return a Flux of the desired type.

We'll use a Sinks.Many to manage and publish events into this stream.

import org.springframework.graphql.data.method.annotation.SubscriptionMapping;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
import reactor.core.publisher.Sinks;

@Controller
public class MessageSubscriptionController {

    private final Sinks.Many<Message> messageSink = 
        Sinks.many().multicast().onBackpressureBuffer();

    @SubscriptionMapping
    public Flux<Message> messageAdded() {
        return messageSink.asFlux();
    }
}

Publishing Events with Sinks.Many

The Sinks.Many instance acts as our event publisher. When an event occurs (e.g., a new message is created), we use its tryEmitNext() method to send data into the stream.

This data then flows through the Flux to all connected GraphQL subscribers.

public class MessageService {

    private final Sinks.Many<Message> messageSink;

    public MessageService(Sinks.Many<Message> messageSink) {
        this.messageSink = messageSink;
    }

    public Message createMessage(String text, String channelId) {
        // ... save message to DB ...
        Message newMessage = new Message("1", text, channelId, "now");
        messageSink.tryEmitNext(newMessage); // Publish the new message
        return newMessage;
    }
}

Full Runnable Example Setup

Let's build a complete, runnable Spring Boot application. We'll define a Message record and a MessagePublisher component to manage our Sinks.Many.

record Message(String id, String text, String channelId, String timestamp) {}

import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
import reactor.core.publisher.Sinks;

@Component
public class MessagePublisher {
    private final Sinks.Many<Message> messageSink = 
        Sinks.many().multicast().onBackpressureBuffer();

    public Flux<Message> getMessageStream() {
        return messageSink.asFlux();
    }

    public void publishMessage(Message message) {
        messageSink.tryEmitNext(message);
    }
}

Main Application & Resolver

Now, we connect our MessagePublisher to the @SubscriptionMapping resolver. The Main class simulates sending a message after a delay.

Run this example to see the server-side publishing in action!

import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
import org.springframework.graphql.data.method.annotation.SubscriptionMapping;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.boot.CommandLineRunner;
import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
import java.time.Duration;

@SpringBootApplication
public class Main implements CommandLineRunner {

    @Autowired
    private MessagePublisher messagePublisher;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(Main.class, args);
    }

    @Override
    public void run(String... args) throws Exception {
        // Simulate sending a message after 2 seconds
        Mono.delay(Duration.ofSeconds(2))
            .subscribe(l -> {
                Message msg = new Message("2", "Hello from Spring!", "general", "now");
                messagePublisher.publishMessage(msg);
                System.out.println("Published: " + msg);
            });
    }
}

@Controller
class MessageSubscriptionController {
    private final MessagePublisher messagePublisher;

    public MessageSubscriptionController(MessagePublisher messagePublisher) {
        this.messagePublisher = messagePublisher;
    }

    @SubscriptionMapping
    public Flux<Message> messageAdded() {
        return messagePublisher.getMessageStream();
    }
}

record Message(String id, String text, String channelId, String timestamp) {}

Filtering Subscription Events

Clients often need updates specific to certain criteria. We can filter the Flux based on arguments passed to the subscription.

Here, clients only receive messages for a specified channelId.

import org.springframework.graphql.data.method.annotation.Argument;
// ... other imports ...

@Controller
class MessageSubscriptionController {
    private final MessagePublisher messagePublisher;

    public MessageSubscriptionController(MessagePublisher messagePublisher) {
        this.messagePublisher = messagePublisher;
    }

    @SubscriptionMapping
    public Flux<Message> messageAdded(@Argument String channelId) {
        return messagePublisher.getMessageStream()
            .filter(msg -> msg.channelId().equals(channelId));
    }
}

Decoupling Event Publishing

For better architecture, it's a good practice to decouple event publishing from your core business logic.

This keeps your services clean and focused.
It allows multiple independent subscribers to react to the same event without tight coupling.
Consider using Spring's ApplicationEventPublisher or a dedicated event bus for this.

Subscription Resolver Check

You've learned how to implement subscription resolvers in Spring Boot. Let's test your understanding!

Recap: Real-time Updates

You've successfully learned how to implement real-time updates using GraphQL subscriptions in Spring Boot!

Subscription resolvers return a Flux.
Sinks.Many is used to publish events into the Flux.
You can filter streams based on subscription arguments.
Decoupling publishing logic improves maintainability.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Implementing Real-time Updates” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Implementing Real-time Updates” is free to read here on the web, and the GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Implementing Real-time Updates”?

Develop subscription resolvers in Spring Boot to publish events and send live data to clients. You practise GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot?

No prior experience is required. GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Implementing Real-time Updates” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot lesson?

Yes. Every GraphQL APIs with Spring Boot lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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