diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/gql.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/gql.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca6b9c7f55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/gql.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+export const gql = (s: TemplateStringsArray, ...args: any[]) =>
+  s.map((ss, i) => `${ss}${args[i] || ''}`).join('');
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/index.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/index.ts
index a3f57ed9df..4b9518c6bc 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/index.ts
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ export * from './logging';
 export * from './middleware';
 export * from './service';
 export * from './hot';
+export * from './gql';
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-graphql/src/schema.js b/plugins/catalog-graphql/src/schema.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..473aad97f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-graphql/src/schema.js
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+const EntityMetadataFields = /* GraphQL */ `
+  name: String!
+  annotations: JSONObject!
+  annotation(name: String!): JSON
+  labels: JSONObject!
+  label(name: String!): JSON
+  uid: String!
+  etag: String!
+  generation: Int!
+`;
+
+const EntityMetadata = /* GraphQL */ `
+  scalar JSON
+  scalar JSONObject
+  
+  interface EntityMetadata {
+    ${EntityMetadataFields}
+  }
+
+  type DefaultEntityMetadata implements EntityMetadata {
+    ${EntityMetadataFields}
+  }
+
+  type ComponentMetadata implements EntityMetadata {
+    ${EntityMetadataFields}
+    # mock field to prove extensions working
+    relationships: String
+  }
+
+  type TemplateMetadata implements EntityMetadata {
+    ${EntityMetadataFields}
+    # mock field to prove extensions working
+    updatedBy: String
+  }
+
+  type TemplateEntitySpec {
+    type: String!
+    path: String
+    schema: JSONObject!
+    templater: String!
+  }
+
+  type ComponentEntitySpec {
+    type: String!
+    lifecycle: String!
+    owner: String!
+  }
+
+  type DefaultEntitySpec {
+    raw: JSONObject
+  }
+
+  union EntitySpec = DefaultEntitySpec | TemplateEntitySpec | ComponentEntitySpec
+  
+  type CatalogEntity {
+    apiVersion: String!
+    kind: String!
+    metadata: EntityMetadata
+    spec: EntitySpec!
+  }
+
+  type CatalogQuery {
+    list: [CatalogEntity!]!
+  }
+
+  type Query {
+    catalog: CatalogQuery!
+  }
+`;
+
+module.exports = EntityMetadata;
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 7dfa9e500f..b4c5a4fe49 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -4460,7 +4460,7 @@
     "@types/qs" "*"
     "@types/range-parser" "*"
 
-"@types/express@*", "@types/express@^4.17.6", "@types/express@^4.17.7":
+"@types/express@*", "@types/express@4.17.7", "@types/express@^4.17.6", "@types/express@^4.17.7":
   version "4.17.7"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/express/-/express-4.17.7.tgz#42045be6475636d9801369cd4418ef65cdb0dd59"
   integrity sha512-dCOT5lcmV/uC2J9k0rPafATeeyz+99xTt54ReX11/LObZgfzJqZNcW27zGhYyX+9iSEGXGt5qLPwRSvBZcLvtQ==
@@ -5843,6 +5843,34 @@ apollo-server-core@^2.16.0:
     subscriptions-transport-ws "^0.9.11"
     ws "^6.0.0"
 
+apollo-server-core@^2.16.1:
+  version "2.16.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/apollo-server-core/-/apollo-server-core-2.16.1.tgz#5b5b8245ab9c0cb6c2367ec19ab855dea6ccea3a"
+  integrity sha512-nuwn5ZBbmzPwDetb3FgiFFJlNK7ZBFg8kis/raymrjd3eBGdNcOyMTJDl6J9673X9Xqp+dXQmFYDW/G3G8S1YA==
+  dependencies:
+    "@apollographql/apollo-tools" "^0.4.3"
+    "@apollographql/graphql-playground-html" "1.6.26"
+    "@types/graphql-upload" "^8.0.0"
+    "@types/ws" "^7.0.0"
+    apollo-cache-control "^0.11.1"
+    apollo-datasource "^0.7.2"
+    apollo-engine-reporting "^2.3.0"
+    apollo-server-caching "^0.5.2"
+    apollo-server-env "^2.4.5"
+    apollo-server-errors "^2.4.2"
+    apollo-server-plugin-base "^0.9.1"
+    apollo-server-types "^0.5.1"
+    apollo-tracing "^0.11.1"
+    fast-json-stable-stringify "^2.0.0"
+    graphql-extensions "^0.12.4"
+    graphql-tag "^2.9.2"
+    graphql-tools "^4.0.0"
+    graphql-upload "^8.0.2"
+    loglevel "^1.6.7"
+    sha.js "^2.4.11"
+    subscriptions-transport-ws "^0.9.11"
+    ws "^6.0.0"
+
 apollo-server-env@^2.4.5:
   version "2.4.5"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/apollo-server-env/-/apollo-server-env-2.4.5.tgz#73730b4f0439094a2272a9d0caa4079d4b661d5f"
@@ -5878,6 +5906,28 @@ apollo-server-express@^2.16.0:
     subscriptions-transport-ws "^0.9.16"
     type-is "^1.6.16"
 
+apollo-server-express@^2.16.1:
+  version "2.16.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/apollo-server-express/-/apollo-server-express-2.16.1.tgz#7438bca590ef8577d24d20ba0b6d582c120c0146"
+  integrity sha512-Oq5YNcaMYnRk6jDmA9LWf8oSd2KHDVe7jQ4wtooAvG9FVUD+FaFBgSkytXHMvtifQh2wdF07Ri8uDLMz6IQjTw==
+  dependencies:
+    "@apollographql/graphql-playground-html" "1.6.26"
+    "@types/accepts" "^1.3.5"
+    "@types/body-parser" "1.19.0"
+    "@types/cors" "^2.8.4"
+    "@types/express" "4.17.7"
+    accepts "^1.3.5"
+    apollo-server-core "^2.16.1"
+    apollo-server-types "^0.5.1"
+    body-parser "^1.18.3"
+    cors "^2.8.4"
+    express "^4.17.1"
+    graphql-subscriptions "^1.0.0"
+    graphql-tools "^4.0.0"
+    parseurl "^1.3.2"
+    subscriptions-transport-ws "^0.9.16"
+    type-is "^1.6.16"
+
 apollo-server-plugin-base@^0.9.1:
   version "0.9.1"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/apollo-server-plugin-base/-/apollo-server-plugin-base-0.9.1.tgz#a62ae9ab4e89790fd4cc5d123bb616da34e8e5fb"
@@ -5905,6 +5955,17 @@ apollo-server@^2.16.0:
     graphql-subscriptions "^1.0.0"
     graphql-tools "^4.0.0"
 
+apollo-server@^2.16.1:
+  version "2.16.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/apollo-server/-/apollo-server-2.16.1.tgz#edc319606eb29f73132239bdc005dd88ac40a142"
+  integrity sha512-oy9NVRzGwlpQ+W1DwLKRH+KASmodSYpvYIRY5DMAZtGqNmT2zOCpbIZVjBt23SuPB5NhIhhE4ROzoObRv3zy5w==
+  dependencies:
+    apollo-server-core "^2.16.1"
+    apollo-server-express "^2.16.1"
+    express "^4.0.0"
+    graphql-subscriptions "^1.0.0"
+    graphql-tools "^4.0.0"
+
 apollo-tracing@^0.11.1:
   version "0.11.1"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/apollo-tracing/-/apollo-tracing-0.11.1.tgz#3e3a4ce4b21e57dcc57b10bbd539db243b752606"
@@ -11340,7 +11401,7 @@ graphql-subscriptions@^1.0.0:
   dependencies:
     iterall "^1.2.1"
 
-graphql-tag@2.11.0:
+graphql-tag@2.11.0, graphql-tag@^2.11.0:
   version "2.11.0"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/graphql-tag/-/graphql-tag-2.11.0.tgz#1deb53a01c46a7eb401d6cb59dec86fa1cccbffd"
   integrity sha512-VmsD5pJqWJnQZMUeRwrDhfgoyqcfwEkvtpANqcoUG8/tOLkwNgU9mzub/Mc78OJMhHjx7gfAMTxzdG43VGg3bA==