Neo4j Cypher Guide

If you're building text2cypher tools or having LLMs generate Neo4j queries, this guide keeps you out of trouble with deprecated syntax. It covers the critical stuff like why id() is gone (use elementId() instead), how to handle null values when sorting (always filter them), and when to reach for modern patterns like Quantified Path Patterns for complex traversals. The checklist format makes it easy to validate generated queries before they hit production. Most valuable if you're migrating from older Neo4j versions or need to teach an LLM the difference between legacy pattern expressions and modern COLLECT subqueries. The sorting gotchas alone will save you debugging time.

skills.sh installs: 155
GitHub stars: 1.6K
last updated: Jun 3, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add tomasonjo/blogs --skill neo4j-cypher-guide --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Neo4j Modern Cypher Query Guide

This skill helps generate Neo4j Cypher read queries using modern syntax patterns and avoiding deprecated features. It focuses on efficient query patterns for graph traversal and data retrieval.

Quick Compatibility Check

When generating Cypher queries, immediately avoid these REMOVED features:

❌ id() function → Use elementId()
❌ Implicit grouping keys → Use explicit WITH clauses
❌ Pattern expressions for lists → Use pattern comprehension or COLLECT subqueries
❌ Repeated relationship variables → Use unique variable names
❌ Automatic list to boolean coercion → Use explicit checks

Core Principles for Query Generation

Use modern syntax patterns - QPP for complex traversals, CALL subqueries for complex reads
Optimize during traversal - Filter early within patterns, not after expansion
Always filter nulls when sorting - Add IS NOT NULL checks for sorted properties
Explicit is better than implicit - Always use explicit grouping and type checking