Back4app is the backend behind CRM apps. For GraphQL you get a typed schema and queries and mutations for contacts, deals, and activities—no server to write or host.

GraphQL Template

CRM App Backend Template
GraphQL — Schema, API & AI Guide

Q: Why use Back4app for a CRM GraphQL API?

Back4app exposes a GraphQL endpoint for your CRM schema: query contacts, deals (with stage filter), and activities in one request; mutations for createDeal, updateDeal, createActivity.

Q: How do I query deals by stage in GraphQL?

Use the deals query with a where argument, e.g. deals(where: { stage: "qualified" }) { edges { node { objectId title amount stage } } }.

Q: How do I update a deal stage via GraphQL?

Use the updateDeal mutation with the deal id and fields: { stage: "won" }. The resolver updates the Deal on Back4app.

A production-ready GraphQL CRM backend schema and Starter Kit on Back4app: Contact, Company, Deal, Activity, pipeline stages, ER diagram, data dictionary, JSON schema, API playground, and a one-click AI Agent prompt to deploy in minutes.

Build with AI Agent

Key Takeaways

On this page you get a production-ready CRM schema, a one-click AI prompt, and step-by-step GraphQL code — so you can ship a CRM app without building the backend.

Deploy in minutes — Paste the AI Agent prompt and get a running app with contacts, companies, deals, and pipeline.
Secure by default — ACLs and role-based access so users see only their assigned deals and data.
GraphQL-native SDK — Typed objects, async/await, offline pinning, and Live Queries for pipeline updates.
REST + GraphQL — Both APIs auto-generated; filter deals by stage, list activities by relatedTo.
Five classes — _User (built-in), Company, Contact, Deal (pipeline), Activity (tasks/events).

What Is the GraphQL CRM App Backend Template?

Back4app is a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) ideal for CRM apps: managed database, real-time sync, role-based access, and SDKs for 13+ technologies. The CRM App Backend Template is a pre-built, production-ready backend schema on Back4app. It gives you five classes (_User, Company, Contact, Deal, Activity), pipeline stages, REST and GraphQL APIs, and a one-click AI Agent prompt — so you can connect a GraphQL frontend and ship a working CRM app in minutes instead of days. Pick your technology below for step-by-step SDK integration.

Best for:

Sales teamsCRM buildersRapid prototypingField repsMVP launchesTeams choosing a BaaS for CRM

Overview

Back4app exposes your CRM schema over GraphQL: query contacts, deals (with where: { stage }), and activities; mutate with createDeal, updateDeal, createContact, createActivity. One endpoint, typed schema, and session-based auth.

The same five classes — _User, Company, Contact, Deal, Activity — back both REST and GraphQL. Use your favorite GraphQL client (Apollo, urql) to request only the fields you need and keep the pipeline and contact lists in sync.

Core CRM Features

GraphQL CRM API with Contact, Company, Deal, and Activity types. Queries and mutations for pipeline management, ACLs, and activity tracking — no REST glue.

Contact management

Store and manage contacts with name, email, phone, company, and notes. Ideal for GraphQL apps.

Company management

Track companies with name, website, industry, and address. Links to contacts and deals.

Deal pipeline

Sales pipeline with stages, amount, expected close date, and assignment. Built for GraphQL backends.

Activity tracking

Log calls, emails, meetings, and notes linked to contacts and deals. Works with GraphQL SDK.

User & permissions

Built-in user model and pointers for ownership and assignment. ACLs out of the box for GraphQL.

Why Build Your CRM GraphQL API with Back4app?

Back4app provides a GraphQL endpoint so you can query and mutate Contact, Company, Deal, and Activity with a single endpoint.

•Single endpoint: POST to the GraphQL endpoint with queries and mutations; request only the fields you need.
•Typed schema: Contact, Company, Deal, and Activity types are generated from your Back4app schema; use them in your client for type-safe requests.
•Pipeline & activities: Query deals by stage and activities by relatedTo; mutations to update deal stage and create activities.

Ideal for teams using GraphQL clients (Apollo, urql) for CRM or dashboards.

Core Benefits

A production-ready CRM backend so you can ship faster and focus on your app.

Ship Faster, No Backend Code

REST & GraphQL APIs and a ready-to-use schema — connect your app and go.

Secure by Default

ACLs and class-level permissions; restrict by assignedTo and createdBy.

Real-Time Pipeline

Live Queries over WebSockets for instant deal and activity updates.

Built-In Auth

User sign-up, login, and session handling out of the box.

Works Offline

Local pinning keeps contacts and deals available offline and syncs when you reconnect.

Deploy in Minutes

Use the AI Agent to create and deploy your CRM app from this template.

Ready to try it?

Let the Back4app AI Agent create your CRM app backend, connect the GraphQL frontend, and deploy — all from a single prompt.

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Technical Stack

Everything powering this CRM app template at a glance.

Frontend

GraphQL

Backend

Back4app

Database

MongoDB

Auth

Auth & Access Control

APIs

REST & GraphQL

Deployment

AI Agent / Dashboard

ER Diagram

Entity-Relationship diagram for the GraphQL CRM app data model.

ER Diagram

View diagram source

Mermaid

erDiagram
    _User {
        String objectId PK
        String username
        String email
        String password
        Date createdAt
        Date updatedAt
    }

    Company {
        String objectId PK
        String name
        String website
        String industry
        String address
        String notes
        Pointer createdBy FK
        Date createdAt
        Date updatedAt
    }

    Contact {
        String objectId PK
        String name
        String email
        String phone
        Pointer company FK
        String notes
        Pointer createdBy FK
        Date createdAt
        Date updatedAt
    }

    Deal {
        String objectId PK
        String title
        Number amount
        String stage
        Pointer contact FK
        Pointer company FK
        Date expectedCloseDate
        String notes
        Pointer assignedTo FK
        Date createdAt
        Date updatedAt
    }

    Activity {
        String objectId PK
        String type
        String subject
        String description
        Date dueDate
        Date completedAt
        Pointer relatedTo FK
        Pointer createdBy FK
        Date createdAt
        Date updatedAt
    }

    Company ||--o{ Contact : "has"
    Company ||--o{ Deal : "has"
    Contact ||--o{ Deal : "has"
    _User ||--o{ Deal : "assignedTo"
    _User ||--o{ Activity : "createdBy"
    Contact ||--o{ Activity : "relatedTo"
    Deal ||--o{ Activity : "relatedTo"
    _User ||--o{ Company : "createdBy"
    _User ||--o{ Contact : "createdBy"

Integration Flow

Auth-to-CRUD sequence: how your GraphQL app talks to Back4app — login, then query contacts and deals, update pipeline.

ER Diagram

View diagram source

Mermaid

sequenceDiagram
  participant User
  participant Client as GraphQL Client
  participant Back4app as Back4app Cloud

  User->>Client: Login
  Client->>Back4app: mutation { logIn(username, password) }
  Back4app-->>Client: Session token
  Client-->>User: Logged in

  User->>Client: Load contacts and deals
  Client->>Back4app: query { deals { edges { node { objectId title stage } } } }
  Back4app-->>Client: Deal list
  Client-->>User: Show pipeline

  User->>Client: Create deal or contact
  Client->>Back4app: mutation { createDeal(input: { ... }) }
  Back4app-->>Client: Deal (objectId)
  Client-->>User: Updated list

Data Dictionary

Complete field reference for every class in the schema.

Field	Type	Description	Required
objectId	String	Auto-generated unique identifier	auto
name	String	Full name of the contact
email	String	Email address	—
phone	String	Phone number	—
company	Pointer<Company>	Company this contact belongs to	—
notes	String	Free-form notes	—
createdBy	Pointer<_User>	User who created this contact	—
createdAt	Date	Auto-generated creation timestamp	auto
updatedAt	Date	Auto-generated last-update timestamp	auto

9 fields in Contact

Security & Permissions

How ownership, ACLs, and class-level permissions protect data in this CRM schema.

Row-Level ACLs

Use ACLs and pointers (assignedTo, createdBy) so users only see and edit their assigned deals and related data.

Class-Level Permissions

CLPs restrict which roles or users can create, read, update, or delete objects at the class level.

Pointer-Based Ownership

Deal.assignedTo and Activity.createdBy link to _User; Cloud Code can enforce visibility and edits by role.

Schema (JSON)

Raw JSON schema definition — copy and use in your Back4app app or import via the API.

JSON

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{
  "classes": [
    {
      "className": "Contact",
      "fields": {
        "objectId": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "name": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": true
        },
        "email": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "phone": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "company": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "targetClass": "Company",
          "required": false
        },
        "notes": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "createdBy": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "targetClass": "_User",
          "required": false
        },
        "createdAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "updatedAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "className": "Company",
      "fields": {
        "objectId": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "name": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": true
        },
        "website": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "industry": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "address": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "notes": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "createdBy": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "targetClass": "_User",
          "required": false
        },
        "createdAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "updatedAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "className": "Deal",
      "fields": {
        "objectId": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "title": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": true
        },
        "amount": {
          "type": "Number",
          "required": false
        },
        "stage": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "contact": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "targetClass": "Contact",
          "required": false
        },
        "company": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "targetClass": "Company",
          "required": false
        },
        "expectedCloseDate": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "notes": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "assignedTo": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "targetClass": "_User",
          "required": false
        },
        "createdAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "updatedAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "className": "Activity",
      "fields": {
        "objectId": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "type": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "subject": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "description": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "dueDate": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "completedAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "relatedTo": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "required": false
        },
        "createdBy": {
          "type": "Pointer",
          "targetClass": "_User",
          "required": false
        },
        "createdAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "updatedAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "className": "_User",
      "fields": {
        "objectId": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": false
        },
        "username": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": true
        },
        "email": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": true
        },
        "password": {
          "type": "String",
          "required": true
        },
        "createdAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        },
        "updatedAt": {
          "type": "Date",
          "required": false
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Build with AI Agent

Use the Back4app AI Agent to build a real CRM app from this template: it will create the frontend, the backend (this schema, auth, and APIs), and deploy it — no manual setup. The prompt below describes this CRM stack so the Agent can generate a production-ready app in one go.

Back4app AI Agent

Ready to build

Create a CRM app on Back4app with this exact schema and behavior.

Schema:
1. _User (use Back4app built-in): username (String, required), email (String, required), password (String, required); objectId, createdAt, updatedAt (system).
2. Company: name (String, required), website (String), industry (String), address (String), notes (String), createdBy (Pointer to _User); objectId, createdAt, updatedAt (system).
3. Contact: name (String, required), email (String), phone (String), company (Pointer to Company), notes (String), createdBy (Pointer to _User); objectId, createdAt, updatedAt (system).
4. Deal: title (String, required), amount (Number), stage (String; e.g. lead, qualified, proposal, negotiation, won, lost), contact (Pointer to Contact), company (Pointer to Company), expectedCloseDate (Date), notes (String), assignedTo (Pointer to _User); objectId, createdAt, updatedAt (system).
5. Activity: type (String; e.g. call, email, meeting, note), subject (String), description (String), dueDate (Date), completedAt (Date), relatedTo (Pointer to Contact or Deal), createdBy (Pointer to _User); objectId, createdAt, updatedAt (system).

Security:
- Set ACLs so only authenticated users can access data; use role-based or owner-based rules where appropriate (e.g. assignedTo, createdBy).
- Use Class-Level Permissions so only authenticated users can create/read/update/delete these classes.

Auth:
- Sign-up (username, email, password) and login; support logout/session.

Behavior:
- Full CRUD for Company, Contact, Deal, and Activity.
- List deals with filter by stage and order by expectedCloseDate or updatedAt (pipeline view).
- List activities by relatedTo (Contact or Deal).
- Optional: real-time Live Queries for Deal and Activity for dashboard/pipeline updates.
- Optional: offline pinning for mobile (Contacts, Deals, Activities).

Deliver:
- Create the Back4app app with the schema above, ACLs, and any Cloud Code needed.
- Generate the frontend and connect it to this backend; deploy so the app is runnable end-to-end.

Press the button below to open the Agent with this template's prompt pre-filled.

Deploy in minutes50 free prompts / monthNo credit card required

API Playground

Try the REST and GraphQL endpoints for the CRM schema. Responses from the example data above — no Back4app account needed.

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Uses the same CRM schema (Contact, Company, Deal, Activity) as this template.

Step-by-Step GraphQL Integration

Connect to your Back4app backend from a GraphQL app using the Back4app GraphQL SDK.

Query contacts and deals

Send a GraphQL query to fetch contacts or deals (with session token in headers).

GraphQL

query GetDeals {
  deals {
    edges {
      node {
        objectId
        title
        done
        dueDate
        priority
        createdAt
      }
    }
  }
}

Create a deal

Use the createDeal mutation with variables for title, stage, amount, and related contact/company.

GraphQL

mutation CreateDeal($title: String!, $stage: String, $amount: Float) {
  createDeal(input: {
    fields: {
      title: $title
      stage: $stage
      amount: $amount
    }
  }) {
    deal {
      objectId
      title
      stage
      amount
      createdAt
    }
  }
}

mutation CreateContact($name: String!, $email: String, $phone: String) {
  createContact(input: {
    fields: { name: $name email: $email phone: $phone }
  }) {
    contact { objectId name createdAt }
  }
}

Update and delete

UpdateDeal and DeleteDeal mutations with objectId.

GraphQL

mutation UpdateDeal($objectId: ID!, $stage: String) {
  updateDeal(input: {
    objectId: $objectId
    fields: { stage: $stage }
  }) {
    deal { objectId stage }
  }
}

mutation DeleteDeal($objectId: ID!) {
  deleteDeal(input: { objectId: $objectId }) { success }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the CRM app backend template.

What is Back4app?

Why use Back4app for a CRM GraphQL API?

How do I query deals by stage in GraphQL?

How do I update a deal stage via GraphQL?

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CRM App Backend TemplateGraphQL — Schema, API & AI Guide

Key Takeaways

What Is the GraphQL CRM App Backend Template?

Overview

Core CRM Features

Contact management

Company management

Deal pipeline

Activity tracking

User & permissions

Why Build Your CRM GraphQL API with Back4app?

Core Benefits

Ship Faster, No Backend Code

Secure by Default

Real-Time Pipeline

Built-In Auth

Works Offline

Deploy in Minutes

Ready to try it?

Technical Stack

ER Diagram

Integration Flow

Data Dictionary

Security & Permissions

Row-Level ACLs

Class-Level Permissions

Pointer-Based Ownership

Schema (JSON)

Build with AI Agent

API Playground

Step-by-Step GraphQL Integration

Query contacts and deals

Create a deal

Update and delete

Frequently Asked Questions

Trusted by developers worldwide

Ready to Build Your CRM App?

CRM App Backend Template
GraphQL — Schema, API & AI Guide