Apollo Sandbox Security & Privacy

FraiseQL uses Apollo Sandbox as the default GraphQL IDE in documentation and the fraiseql run command. This page explains our choice and addresses security/privacy concerns.

Quick Answer

What is Apollo Sandbox?

Apollo Sandbox is an embeddable GraphQL IDE developed by Apollo GraphQL. It’s a browser-based tool that lets you:

Execute queries against your GraphQL API
Explore your schema documentation
View query results in real-time
Save query collections
Trace operation timing

Think of it as “VS Code for GraphQL” - a lightweight editor that runs in your browser.

Security Profile: Apollo Sandbox vs GraphiQL

Both tools are embeddable GraphQL IDEs with identical security characteristics:

Same data exposure:

Your schema (via introspection query)
Queries you write
Results your endpoint returns

Same communication:

Only talks to the GraphQL endpoint you specify
Doesn’t route queries through Apollo servers
Doesn’t send data to third parties

Same privacy defaults:

Query history stored locally in your browser
No telemetry by default
No cookies sent to external services

Why Choose Apollo Sandbox?

We chose Apollo Sandbox for UX benefits, not security:

Feature	GraphiQL	Apollo Sandbox
Query Collections	No	Yes — Save queries by topic
Operation Tracing	No	Yes — See query timing
Multiple Tabs	No	Yes — Compare queries side-by-side
Mobile Responsive	Partial	Excellent
Headers Panel	No	Yes
Query History	Basic	Rich with timestamps

We wanted your learning experience to be as smooth as possible. Apollo Sandbox accomplishes this without compromising security or privacy.

Data Flow: How Apollo Sandbox Works

When you use Apollo Sandbox in FraiseQL docs:

Your Browser
    ↓
Apollo Sandbox UI (from Apollo CDN)
    ↓
Your GraphQL Endpoint (fraiseql.dev/graphql, or your server)
    ↓
Results back to your browser

Key point: Your queries execute against the endpoint you configure. They never go through Apollo’s servers.

What Stays Local

Query history
Collections
Variables
Headers
Browser cache

All of this is stored in your browser’s local storage.

Privacy: Telemetry and Cookies

Default Behavior (No Telemetry)

FraiseQL embeds Apollo Sandbox with telemetry disabled:

<EmbeddedSandbox
  endpoint="https://demo.fraiseql.dev/graphql"
  includeCookies={false}
  telemetry={false}
/>

By default:

No telemetry sent to Apollo
No cookies set
No usage tracking
No external analytics

If You Enable Telemetry

If your team wants Apollo to track metrics (operation success rates, error types, etc.):

<EmbeddedSandbox
  endpoint="..."
  telemetry={true}
/>

With telemetry enabled, Apollo receives:

Operation name (e.g., “GetUsers”)
Success/failure status
Error types (not error details)

For Compliance & Security Teams

Compliance Questions

Q: Does Apollo Sandbox send my data to external servers? A: No. Sandbox only communicates with the GraphQL endpoint you configure. Query history and collections stay in your browser.

Q: Is Apollo Sandbox open source? A: Yes. Apollo Sandbox on GitHub - Apache 2.0 license. You can audit the code.

Q: Can we use GraphiQL instead for compliance? A: Yes. FraiseQL supports both:

# In fraiseql.toml
[server]
playground_tool = "graphiql"

Q: Does FraiseQL collect telemetry? A: FraiseQL itself doesn’t collect telemetry. Apollo Sandbox has optional telemetry (disabled by default in our docs).

For Security Audits

If your team audits dependencies:

Apollo Sandbox:

Repository: https://github.com/apollographql/apollo-sandbox
License: Apache 2.0
Maintainer: Apollo GraphQL (reputable GraphQL foundation member)
Issues: Publicly tracked on GitHub
Security: No known vulnerabilities (as of Feb 2026)

Integration in FraiseQL Docs:

Loaded from Apollo’s official CDN
No custom modifications
Configuration is visible in source code
Can be disabled or replaced with GraphiQL

Transparent Choices

We want you to understand why we made this decision:

The Trade-off

More UX Features vs Same Security Profile

We chose better developer experience because:

Security is identical - No additional risk
Privacy defaults are strict - No tracking unless opted in
Full transparency - This document explains everything
User choice - You can use GraphiQL if you prefer
Better learning - Collections and tracing help understand FraiseQL

Using Apollo Sandbox Safely

If You Need GraphiQL

Switch to GraphiQL in your server config:

[server]
playground_tool = "graphiql"

Comparison With Other Tools

vs GraphQL Studio (Apollo’s cloud service)

Studio: Requires Apollo account, sends queries to Apollo
Sandbox: No account needed, queries stay local
FraiseQL uses: Sandbox (local, private)

vs GraphQL Online/Postman

Both: Third-party services, may log queries
Sandbox: Local browser tool, nothing logged
FraiseQL uses: Sandbox (more private)

vs Custom GraphQL Viewer

Custom: Might have telemetry or tracking
Sandbox: Transparent, open source, widely used
FraiseQL uses: Sandbox (trustworthy)

Summary

Question	Answer
Is Apollo Sandbox secure?	Yes, equally secure to GraphiQL
Is it private?	Yes, telemetry is off by default
Does it track me?	No, unless explicitly enabled
Can I use GraphiQL?	Yes, easy to configure
Is it open source?	Yes, Apache 2.0 licensed
Should I trust it?	Yes, widely used in GraphQL ecosystem

We chose Apollo Sandbox for better developer experience, not at the cost of security or privacy. Everything is transparent and configurable.

Questions?

If you have security or privacy concerns:

See our source code - FraiseQL on GitHub
Report security issues - security@fraiseql.dev
Check Apollo’s docs - Apollo Security Policy
Read the code - src/routes/playground.rs shows our implementation