---
title: "20: Creating graph edges | SurrealDB University"
description: "Follow along with interactive SurrealDB lessons featuring hands-on exercises, code examples, and step-by-step instructions."
url: https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-20
---

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Course chapters

[Welcome to the Tour of SurrealDB!](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour) [1: Connecting to a database](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-01) [2: Creating records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-02) [3: Using the ONLY keyword](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-03) [4: Non-ASCII record IDs](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-04) [5: Parentheses, indexing, and accessing fields](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-05) [6: Deleting records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-06) [7: Field order in objects](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-07) [8: Tips when selecting records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-08) [9: Casting and aliases](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-09) [10: Affixes](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-10) [11: Updating records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-11) [12: Linking records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-12) [13: Viewing the database as a whole](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-13) [14: Schemafull and schemaless](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-14) [15: Viewing the schema](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-15) [16: Literal types and assertions](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-16) [17: INSERT and using JSON](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-17) [18: FOR loops](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-18) [19: Basic graph relations](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-19) [20: Creating graph edges](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-20) [21: Querying graph relations](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-21) [22: Graph relations at greater depth](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-22) [23: Adding and improving data](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-23) [24: Defining events](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-24) [25: Defining indexes](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-25) [26: Improving the schema](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-26) [27: Visualising graph paths](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-27) [28: Recursive queries: setup](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-28) [29: Recursive queries](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-29) [30: More on recursive queries](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-30) [31: AI vector search](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-31) [Done the tour!](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-32)

# 20: Creating graph edges

To create a graph relation, we can use the [`RELATE`](https://surrealdb.com/docs/reference/query-language/statements/relate) statement. The syntax for this statement is `RELATE record->graph_table_name->record`, leading to quite readable syntax since graph tables are usually a verb or similar word ("place employs person", "person likes book", and so on).

Here is what some typical `RELATE` statements look like.

```
-- Create writer->wrote->blog pathRELATE writer:one->wrote->blog:one;-- Create reader->likes->magazine pathRELATE reader:one->likes->magazine:one    SET stars_out_of_ten = 7.5; -- and give it a field too if we want
```

![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query

Response

```surql
-------- Query --------

[
  {
    id: wrote:7l04nq3umzufbemaldlz,
    in: writer:one,
    out: blog:one
  }
]

-------- Query --------

[
  {
    id: likes:jd17lotl4nnyf06jl2ng,
    in: reader:one,
    out: magazine:one,
    stars_out_of_ten: 7.5f
  }
]
```

Using this syntax, we can now create the employees inside a `FOR` loop and link them to the library at the same time.

Inside the query below is an array of objects that contain the employee data. Inside each loop, we can create a single `person` record using the `ONLY` keyword and assign the output to a parameter called `$created`. This parameter can then be used in the statement `RELATE $created->works_at->place:surreal_library`.

```
FOR $person IN [  {    age: 30,    name: 'Sara Bellum'  },  {    age: 25,    name: 'Lydia Wyndham'  },  {     age: 45,    name: 'Samm Schwartz'  }] {    LET $created = CREATE ONLY person SET        age = $person.age,        name = $person.name;    RELATE $created->works_at->place:surreal_library;};
```

![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query

Now that the relations have been created, we can look at the `works_at` table to see what is inside. Querying in this way is no different from any other table.

```
SELECT * FROM works_at;
```

![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query

Each `works_at` record has its own random ID, has a `person` at the `in` field (the initiator of the relation), and a `place` at the `out` field (the target of the relation).

Response

```surql
[
  {
    id: works_at:3o8n3jmqx1uok41rjxq7,
    in: person:g94fc1nqsraaatplddyh,
    out: place:surreal_library
  },
  {
    id: works_at:f3ghd88elmvs1jwfhpoc,
    in: person:qpk3htqruhvd469pox0r,
    out: place:surreal_library
  },
  {
    id: works_at:j2yf2jdnmponak0v3q0q,
    in: person:6kittp2n5lwpjzgu29jt,
    out: place:surreal_library
  }
]
```

You can always query graph edges in this way if you want. For example, this query shows all the details for all the people at the `in` part of `works_at`, which in this case shows our `person` records.

```
SELECT in.* FROM works_at;
```

![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query

Response

```surql
[
  {
    in: {
      age: 45,
      id: person:f0z8cabmok8m9xn00lfu,
      name: 'Samm Schwartz'
    }
  },
  {
    in: {
      age: 30,
      id: person:zfdzeawmuqh2mm498edj,
      name: 'Sara Bellum'
    }
  },
  {
    in: {
      age: 25,
      id: person:ocp2l14l4nbgo60mnhgt,
      name: 'Lydia Wyndham'
    }
  }
]
```

However, the `->` and `<-` arrows used to create relations are also used to quickly move from one path to the next, and it is this syntax that is usually used when querying them. We'll give this syntax a try on the next page.

Previous

19: Basic graph relations

[Previous](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-19)

Next lesson

21: Querying graph relations

[Next lesson](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-21)

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