Select Cypher version

Starting in 2025, the Neo4j server transitioned to a calendar-based versioning system. This means Neo4j will no longer use its previous semantic versioning and release pattern (e.g., 5.25, 5.26). Instead, releases from 2025 onwards will follow a YYYY.MM format, beginning with version 2025.01 released in January 2025, followed by 2025.02 released in February 2025, and so on.

Cypher 25 is introduced alongside Neo4j 2025.06. It is created as a clone of Cypher 5, but with additional new and updated features, as well as some removed features. For more information about the new, updated, and removed features included in Cypher 25, see the Additions, deprecations, removals, and compatibility page.

Cypher 25 is in an evolving state, and more features will be added to it with future releases of Neo4j. In the releases following Neo4j 2026.06, features will only be added to Cypher 25; no features will be removed until the next Cypher release. Any new Cypher features introduced in Neo4j 2025.06 or later will be exclusively added to Cypher 25.

Users running Neo4j version 2025.06 or later can choose to run their queries using the previous version of Cypher: Cypher 5. If so, Neo4j will use Cypher 5 as it existed at the time of the Neo4j 2025.06 release (the release in which Cypher 5 was frozen). No new features will be added to Cypher 5 (only performance enhancements and eventual bug fixes may be included in server releases following Neo4j 2025.06). Cypher 5 users must, therefore, migrate to Cypher 25 in order to access new features. For information about Cypher 5, see the Cypher 5 Manual.

Databases created on, or migrated to, Neo4j 2025.06 or later will continue to have Cypher 5 as their default language (unless db.query.default_language is set to CYPHER_25). This is true for system, standard, and composite Neo4j databases. However, it is possible to set a different default language on both new and existing system, standard, and composite databases.

To select a default Cypher version when creating a database, add DEFAULT LANGUAGE <language version> to the CREATE DATABASE statement.

To alter the default Cypher version on an existing database, add SET DEFAULT LANGUAGE <language version> to the ALTER DATABASE command.

Selecting CYPHER 25 ensures that all queries run on that database will be executed using the language as it exists in the version of Neo4j that the database is currently running, provided it is on Neo4j 2025.06 or later (unless a query is prepended with CYPHER 5, which overrides this default).

Selecting CYPHER 5 as the default database language ensures that all queries run on that database uses the language as it existed at the time of the Neo4j 2025.06 release (unless a query is prepended with CYPHER 25, which overrides this default). Any changes introduced after the 2025.06 release will not affect the semantics of the query.

Changing the Cypher version of new databases in a DBMS can also be done with the setting db.query.default_language (default value: CYPHER_5). This setting determines the default language for new databases where it has not been specified as part of a CREATE or ALTER database command. For example, config_db.query.default_language=CYPHER_25 will set Cypher 25 as the default language for a DBMS. For more information about using configuration settings, see the Operations Manual → Configuration.

The table below outlines which Cypher version is assigned to databases in different upgrade or installation scenarios:

For more information about upgrading and migrating Neo4j databases, see the Upgrade and migration guide.

It is recommended to modify queries that depend on features deprecated in Cypher 5 and removed in Cypher 25 to align with the changes introduced in Cypher 25.

For example, Cypher 25 disallowed using a NODE or RELATIONSHIP instead of a MAP on the RHS of a SET clause, and instead requires the properties() function to get the map of properties from nodes or relationships before referencing them in a SET clause. The following example demonstrates how a query that works in Cypher 5 can be rewritten to work in Cypher 25.

Another option is to prepend individual queries with a specific language version.

To select the Cypher version of a query, prepend it with CYPHER <language version>. This selection will override the default language for the database the query is executed against, and allows you to either work with Cypher 25 features in a database that has Cypher 5 as the default language, or to continue running your Cypher 5 queries on a database that has Cypher 25 as the default language.

Queries run with Cypher 5 will eventually need to be updated to Cypher 25 as support for Cypher 5 will be discontinued in the future (anticipated no earlier than two additional server LTS cycles). It is, therefore, recommended to set the default language to Cypher 25 and migrate the necessary queries to its supported syntax rather than prepending individual queries with a Cypher version.

Selecting CYPHER 25 ensures that the query will be executed using the language as it exists in the version of Neo4j that the database is currently running, provided it is on Neo4j 2025.06 or later.

Selecting CYPHER 5 ensures that the query will be executed using the language as it existed at the time of the Neo4j 2025.06 release. Any changes introduced after the 2025.06 release will not affect the query.