Graph Edge
An edge is a typed, directed connection between two graph nodes. Edges are the key differentiator between Lito Graph and flat document search — they encode relationships agents can traverse.
Overview
Edges are resolved automatically from frontmatter fields during the build pipeline. When a reference can’t be resolved, it creates an unresolved: edge with a warning instead of failing the build.
Edge Categories
Structural Edges
Derived from file system hierarchy:
| Type | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
PARENT_OF | Directory index → child pages | Folder structure |
CHILD_OF | Child page → directory index | Folder structure |
NEXT_SECTION | Sequential navigation | Sidebar order |
Semantic Edges
Derived from concept relationships:
| Type | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
RELATED_TO | Bidirectional concept link | related_entities field |
DEPENDS_ON | Hard dependency | Explicit annotation |
CONTAINS | Parent-child containment | Workflow → StepNodes |
DEPRECATED_BY | Superseded by newer version | Explicit annotation |
Capability Edges
Derived from API metadata:
| Type | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
ACTS_ON | API operates on an entity | resource field |
REQUIRES | Prerequisite for operation | preconditions field |
EMITS | Produces events/effects | side_effects field |
USES_API | Step calls an API | Backtick refs in workflow steps |
Procedural Edges
Derived from workflow structure:
| Type | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
NEXT_STEP_OF | Sequential step chain | Step ordering |
ON_FAILURE_TRIGGER | Error recovery workflow | Recovery section |
ESCALATES_TO | Human escalation path | Recovery section |
Edge Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
source | string | Source node ID |
target | string | Target node ID (or unresolved:Name for broken refs) |
type | EdgeType | One of the 14 edge types above |
label | string? | Human-readable label for the relationship |