---
title: "27: Visualising graph paths | 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-27
---

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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)

# 27: Visualising graph paths

SurrealDB Studio has another neat visual trick: the ability to view graph paths.

Let's see what a visual graph path looks like in the query below that shows what places each person is a customer of.

After running the queries below, click on the button to the left of "Run query" and select the "Graph" view. You'll see the output "Waiting for records to visualise", because SurrealDB Studio at this point is showing the output of the first query: a `DEFINE INDEX` statement. But if you click on "Query 1" and select "Query 2" instead (the graph query), you'll suddenly see a set of 12 `person` records each pointing to a single `place`.

```
DEFINE INDEX unique_address ON TABLE place FIELDS address UNIQUE;SELECT id, ->customer_of->place FROM person;
```

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

When using graph visualisation, you'll actually see all of the links between `person` and `place`, not just `customer_of` and `works_at`. Instead, on the right-hand side of the embedded window is a place called "Edges" where you can select and deselect which edges to show.

![A screenshot of SurrealDB Studio's graph view showing twelve person records linked to a single place record](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/visual1.DUb-lYae.avif)

When you hover your mouse arrow over the records, you'll see the record IDs.

![A screenshot of SurrealDB Studio's graph view highlighting a single person record and its connection to a place record](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/visual2.Byzgv-Ll.avif)

You'll notice that the `person` record just shows a random ID, so we don't know which `person` this is. We can change the output by clicking on the tab in the corner called "Configure labels", then "Add label mapping". Click on `person`, and enter the property name `name`, and do the same for `place`. Now you'll see the names of `person` records when you hover over them instead of just an ID.

![A screenshot of SurrealDB Studio's graph view showing a single person record connected to a place record, this time displaying the person's name instead of its random ID](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/visual3.CxjrVBP1.avif)

There are also a lot of `person` records that are not part of this particular graph result. You can see them by clicking on the "Stray records" button at the bottom right.

![A screenshot of SurrealDB Studio's graph view showing the above queries along with all the unconnected stray records in the query](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/visual4.PVCzDkC6.avif)

Previous

26: Improving the schema

[Previous](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-26)

Next lesson

28: Recursive queries: setup

[Next lesson](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-28)

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