Quick start with the Graph C# SDK

6 min

Use the Graph C# SDK to query content from Optimizely Graph with a strongly typed, LINQ-style API in .NET applications. This guide shows how to install the SDK, configure authentication, and run your first query.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, confirm that you have the following:

.NET 10.0 or later.

An Optimizely Graph instance with an AppKey and Secret from the Graph portal.

Content synchronized to Optimizely Graph.

If content is not synchronized yet, run the Graph Full Synchronization scheduled job in CMS.

Install the package

Install the core query package:

dotnet add package Optimizely.Graph.Cms.Query

Configure your credentials

Add your Graph endpoint and credentials to appsettings.json:

{
  "Optimizely": {
    "Graph": {
      "Endpoint": "https://cg.optimizely.com",
      "AppKey": "YOUR_APP_KEY",
      "Secret": "YOUR_SECRET_KEY"
    }
  }
}

❗️ Important Do not commit Secret to source control. Store credentials in environment variables or a secure secrets manager in production.

Write your first query

Inject IGraphContentClient into your controller and call QueryContent<T>() to retrieve content. The following example queries BlogPostPage items by author:

public class MyController : Controller
{
    private readonly IGraphContentClient _graphClient;

    public MyController(IGraphContentClient graphClient)
    {
        _graphClient = graphClient;
    }

    public async Task<IActionResult> Index()
    {
        var result = await _graphClient
            .QueryContent<BlogPostPage>()
            .Where(x => x.Author == "John Developer")
            .Limit(10)
            .GetAsContentAsync();

        return View(result);
    }
}

GetAsContentAsync() returns an IGetAsContentResult<T>, which implements IEnumerable<T>. Iterate over the returned content items directly.

Common issues on first run

The following table lists common problems and their solutions when running the SDK for the first time.

Issue	Resolution
401 Unauthorized	Check AppKey and Secret in appsettings.json.
Empty results	Verify content is published and the Graph Full Synchronization job has run.
IGraphContentClient not resolved	Confirm that the package is installed and dependency injection (DI) is configured.

Next steps

Now that you have a working query, explore the rest of the SDK:

Authentication requests in C# SDK – Single Key versus Basic authentication

Filter Optimizely Graph results with the C# SDK – filter by string, numeric, boolean, and date fields

Search content in Optimizely Graph with the C# SDK – full-text search with field boosting

Paginate Optimizely Graph results with the C# SDK – Skip and Limit for large result sets

Aggregate Optimizely Graph results with the C# SDK – facets for category-based filtering

Search tracking – track which results users click