# Bulk add vertices and edges in batches
<a name="best-practices-gremlin-java-batch-add"></a>

Every query to the Neptune DB runs in the scope of a single transaction, unless you use a session. This means that if you need to insert a lot of data using gremlin queries, batching them together in a batch size of 50-100 improves performance by reducing the number of transactions created for the load.

As an example, adding 5 vertices to the database would look like this:

```
// Create a GraphTraversalSource for the remote connection
final GraphTraversalSource g = traversal().withRemote(DriverRemoteConnection.using(cluster));
// Add 5 vertices in a single query
g.addV("Person").property(T.id, "P1")
 .addV("Person").property(T.id, "P2")
 .addV("Person").property(T.id, "P3")
 .addV("Person").property(T.id, "P4")
 .addV("Person").property(T.id, "P5").iterate();
```

Similarly, you can batch-add edges using `addE`. Use `V()` to reference existing vertices as the source and target of each edge:

```
// Add edges in a single batched query
g.V("P1").addE("knows").to(V("P2"))
 .V("P2").addE("knows").to(V("P3"))
 .V("P3").addE("knows").to(V("P4"))
 .V("P4").addE("knows").to(V("P5")).iterate();
```

You can also combine vertex and edge creation in a single batch. Use `as()` to label newly created vertices so you can reference them when adding edges in the same traversal:

```
// Add vertices and edges together in a single query
g.addV("Person").property(T.id, "P1").as("p1")
 .addV("Person").property(T.id, "P2").as("p2")
 .addV("Person").property(T.id, "P3").as("p3")
 .addE("knows").from("p1").to("p2")
 .addE("knows").from("p2").to("p3").iterate();
```