/laravel-patterns

name: laravel-patterns
description: Laravel architecture patterns, routing/controllers, Eloquent ORM, service layers, queues, events, caching, and API resources for production apps. Use when building or reviewing Laravel apps — controllers, Eloquent, service layers, queues, or API resources.
metadata:
  origin: ECC

Laravel Development Patterns

Production-grade Laravel architecture patterns for scalable, maintainable applications.

When to Use

• Building Laravel web applications or APIs
• Structuring controllers, services, and domain logic
• Working with Eloquent models and relationships
• Designing APIs with resources and pagination
• Adding queues, events, caching, and background jobs

How It Works

• Structure the app around clear boundaries (controllers -> services/actions -> models).
• Use explicit bindings and scoped bindings to keep routing predictable; still enforce authorization for access control.
• Favor typed models, casts, and scopes to keep domain logic consistent.
• Keep IO-heavy work in queues and cache expensive reads.
• Centralize config in `config/*` and keep environments explicit.

Examples

Project Structure

Use a conventional Laravel layout with clear layer boundaries (HTTP, services/actions, models).

Recommended Layout

app/
├── Actions/            # Single-purpose use cases
├── Console/
├── Events/
├── Exceptions/
├── Http/
│   ├── Controllers/
│   ├── Middleware/
│   ├── Requests/       # Form request validation
│   └── Resources/      # API resources
├── Jobs/
├── Models/
├── Policies/
├── Providers/
├── Services/           # Coordinating domain services
└── Support/
config/
database/
├── factories/
├── migrations/
└── seeders/
resources/
├── views/
└── lang/
routes/
├── api.php
├── web.php
└── console.php

Controllers -> Services -> Actions

Keep controllers thin. Put orchestration in services and single-purpose logic in actions.

final class CreateOrderAction
{
    public function __construct(private OrderRepository $orders) {}

    public function handle(CreateOrderData $data): Order
    {
        return $this->orders->create($data);
    }
}

final class OrdersController extends Controller
{
    public function __construct(private CreateOrderAction $createOrder) {}

    public function store(StoreOrderRequest $request): JsonResponse
    {
        $order = $this->createOrder->handle($request->toDto());

        return response()->json([
            'success' => true,
            'data' => OrderResource::make($order),
            'error' => null,
            'meta' => null,
        ], 201);
    }
}

Routing and Controllers

Prefer route-model binding and resource controllers for clarity.

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::middleware('auth:sanctum')->group(function () {
    Route::apiResource('projects', ProjectController::class);
});

Route Model Binding (Scoped)

Use scoped bindings to prevent cross-tenant access.

Route::scopeBindings()->group(function () {
    Route::get('/accounts/{account}/projects/{project}', [ProjectController::class, 'show']);
});

Nested Routes and Binding Names

• Keep prefixes and paths consistent to avoid double nesting (e.g., `conversation` vs `conversations`).
• Use a single parameter name that matches the bound model (e.g., `{conversation}` for `Conversation`).
• Prefer scoped bindings when nesting to enforce parent-child relationships.

use App\Http\Controllers\Api\ConversationController;
use App\Http\Controllers\Api\MessageController;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::middleware('auth:sanctum')->prefix('conversations')->group(function () {
    Route::post('/', [ConversationController::class, 'store'])->name('conversations.store');

    Route::scopeBindings()->group(function () {
        Route::get('/{conversation}', [ConversationController::class, 'show'])
            ->name('conversations.show');

        Route::post('/{conversation}/messages', [MessageController::class, 'store'])
            ->name('conversation-messages.store');

        Route::get('/{conversation}/messages/{message}', [MessageController::class, 'show'])
            ->name('conversation-messages.show');
    });
});

If you want a parameter to resolve to a different model class, define explicit binding. For custom binding logic, use `Route::bind()` or implement `resolveRouteBinding()` on the model.

use App\Models\AiConversation;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::model('conversation', AiConversation::class);

Service Container Bindings

Bind interfaces to implementations in a service provider for clear dependency wiring.

use App\Repositories\EloquentOrderRepository;
use App\Repositories\OrderRepository;
use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider;

final class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
{
    public function register(): void
    {
        $this->app->bind(OrderRepository::class, EloquentOrderRepository::class);
    }
}

Eloquent Model Patterns

Model Configuration

final class Project extends Model
{
    use HasFactory;

    protected $fillable = ['name', 'owner_id', 'status'];

    protected $casts = [
        'status' => ProjectStatus::class,
        'archived_at' => 'datetime',
    ];

    public function owner(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'owner_id');
    }

    public function scopeActive(Builder $query): Builder
    {
        return $query->whereNull('archived_at');
    }
}

Custom Casts and Value Objects

Use enums or value objects for strict typing.

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Casts\Attribute;

protected $casts = [
    'status' => ProjectStatus::class,
];

protected function budgetCents(): Attribute
{
    return Attribute::make(
        get: fn (int $value) => Money::fromCents($value),
        set: fn (Money $money) => $money->toCents(),
    );
}

Eager Loading to Avoid N+1

$orders = O