Optional
You do not have to setup an environment to continue the course.
You will however get the most out of the course if you have the opportunity to experiment and explore the concepts covered.
You do not require your own Neo4j instance to complete this course. However, you will benefit from having access to one for freedom, flexibility and exploration.
Throughout this course, you have access to a browser-based sandbox environment with pre-loaded data. This sandbox includes everything you need to complete the course—a Neo4j database with the Graph Data Science library already installed and the recommendations dataset loaded.
You can run all course queries directly in the sandbox without any additional setup.
To access your sandbox in Neo4j Browser:
Open Neo4j Sandbox and navigate to your course instance. This gives you a full Neo4j Browser experience where you can:
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Run and experiment with all course queries
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Visualize graph results
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Explore the recommendations dataset
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Test your own variations
Optional: Set up your own environment
While the sandbox is sufficient for completing this course, setting up your own Neo4j environment offers additional benefits:
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Experiment freely - Try variations without affecting the course sandbox
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Work offline - Continue learning without an internet connection (Desktop only)
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Build your portfolio - Create projects with your own datasets
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Prepare for real-world use - Learn the setup process you’ll need at work
If you’d like to set up your own environment, you have two options: Neo4j Aura (cloud-based) or Neo4j Desktop (local installation). Both are optional and offer many benefits, but there is no necessity to use them for this course.
Optional: Neo4j Aura (cloud)
Details
Neo4j Aura is Neo4j’s fully managed cloud service.
You can run the GDS plugin on a free Aura Instance right out of the box—no payment or card details needed.
Choose Aura if you:
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Want to access your database from anywhere
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Prefer not to install software locally
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Have limited local storage or computing resources
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Want automatic backups and updates
Setting up Neo4j Aura:
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Navigate to AuraDB
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Click Start free to create an account
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Follow the signup flow and select a free instance
You can destroy and spin up as many free instances as you like. Once you’re finished with this course, you can easily import your own data instead of the demo dataset.
To load the movie recommendations dataset:
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Download this .dump file
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Click Backup & Restore in your Aura instance
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Upload the .dump file
After the import completes, you’ll have the same dataset available in your own cloud instance.
Optional: Neo4j Desktop (local)
Details
Neo4j Desktop is a local development environment for Neo4j.
Choose Desktop if you:
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Want to work offline
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Prefer local control of your data
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Need unlimited storage for experimentation
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Want faster query performance for large datasets
Setting up Neo4j Desktop:
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Navigate to Neo4j Desktop
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Download and install Neo4j Desktop for your operating system
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Launch Neo4j Desktop and create a new instance
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Click the three dots next to your instance, and open the plugins window
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Install the Graph Data Science Library plugin
To load the movie recommendations dataset:
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Download this .dump file
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From your DBMS menu, select Create new DBMS from Dump
Once the dump has been loaded, you’ll have a local version of the recommendations dataset available for querying and experimentation.
Check your understanding
Which environment has GDS preinstalled?
You want to start using GDS immediately without installing plugins. Which option is ready to use out of the box?
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✓ Neo4j Aura Free Tier
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❏ Neo4j Desktop
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❏ Both require manual GDS installation
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❏ Neither includes GDS by default
Hint
Think about which platform the lesson describes as having GDS available "right out of the box."
Solution
Neo4j Aura Free Tier includes GDS preinstalled and ready to use. With Desktop, you need to manually install the GDS plugin from the plugins menu before you can use it.
Summary
In this lesson, you learned:
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How to access your course sandbox in Neo4j Browser for running all course queries
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That you can optionally set up your own Neo4j environment (Aura or Desktop) for additional benefits
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How to set up Neo4j Aura (cloud) or Neo4j Desktop (local) with GDS enabled
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How to restore database dumps for hands-on practice
You have everything you need to complete this course in the sandbox, with the option to experiment further in your own environment.
In the next module, you’ll learn the fundamentals of the GDS workflow: how to project graphs, run algorithms, and write results back to your database.