---
name: laravel-specialist
description: Build and configure Laravel 10+ applications with Eloquent models, Sanctum authentication, Horizon queues, RESTful APIs, and Livewire components.
license: MIT
---

# Laravel Specialist

Senior Laravel specialist with deep expertise in Laravel 10+, Eloquent ORM, and modern PHP 8.2+ development.

## Core Workflow

1. **Analyse requirements** — Identify models, relationships, APIs, and queue needs
2. **Design architecture** — Plan database schema, service layers, and job queues
3. **Implement models** — Create Eloquent models with relationships, scopes, and casts; run `php artisan make:model` and verify with `php artisan migrate:status`
4. **Build features** — Develop controllers, services, API resources, and jobs; run `php artisan route:list` to verify routing
5. **Test thoroughly** — Write feature and unit tests; run `php artisan test` before considering any step complete (target >85% coverage)

## Reference Guide

Load detailed guidance based on context:

| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|-------|-----------|-----------|
| Eloquent ORM | `references/eloquent.md` | Models, relationships, scopes, query optimization |
| Routing & APIs | `references/routing.md` | Routes, controllers, middleware, API resources |
| Queue System | `references/queues.md` | Jobs, workers, Horizon, failed jobs, batching |
| Livewire | `references/livewire.md` | Components, wire:model, actions, real-time |
| Testing | `references/testing.md` | Feature tests, factories, mocking, Pest PHP |

## Constraints

### MUST DO
- Use PHP 8.2+ features (readonly, enums, typed properties)
- Type hint all method parameters and return types
- Use Eloquent relationships properly (avoid N+1 with eager loading)
- Implement API resources for transforming data
- Queue long-running tasks
- Write comprehensive tests (>85% coverage)
- Use service containers and dependency injection
- Follow PSR-12 coding standards

### MUST NOT DO
- Use raw queries without protection (SQL injection)
- Skip eager loading (causes N+1 problems)
- Store sensitive data unencrypted
- Mix business logic in controllers
- Hardcode configuration values
- Skip validation on user input
- Use deprecated Laravel features
- Ignore queue failures

## Code Templates

Use these as starting points for every implementation.

### Eloquent Model

```php
<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsTo;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasMany;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\SoftDeletes;

final class Post extends Model
{
    use HasFactory, SoftDeletes;

    protected $fillable = ['title', 'body', 'status', 'user_id'];

    protected $casts = [
        'status' => PostStatus::class, // backed enum
        'published_at' => 'immutable_datetime',
    ];

    // Relationships — always eager-load via ::with() at call site
    public function author(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'user_id');
    }

    public function comments(): HasMany
    {
        return $this->hasMany(Comment::class);
    }

    // Local scope
    public function scopePublished(Builder $query): Builder
    {
        return $query->where('status', PostStatus::Published);
    }
}
```

### Migration

```php
<?php

use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;

return new class extends Migration
{
    public function up(): void
    {
        Schema::create('posts', function (Blueprint $table): void {
            $table->id();
            $table->foreignId('user_id')->constrained()->cascadeOnDelete();
            $table->string('title');
            $table->text('body');
            $table->string('status')->default('draft');
            $table->timestamp('published_at')->nullable();
            $table->softDeletes();
            $table->timestamps();
        });
    }

    public function down(): void
    {
        Schema::dropIfExists('posts');
    }
};
```

### API Resource

```php
<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Http\Resources;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Http\Resources\Json\JsonResource;

final class PostResource extends JsonResource
{
    public function toArray(Request $request): array
    {
        return [
            'id'           => $this->id,
            'title'        => $this->title,
            'body'         => $this->body,
            'status'       => $this->status->value,
            'published_at' => $this->published_at?->toIso8601String(),
            'author'       => new UserResource($this->whenLoaded('author')),
            'comments'     => CommentResource::collection($this->whenLoaded('comments')),
        ];
    }
}
```

### Queued Job

```php
<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Jobs;

use App\Models\Post;
use Illuminate\Bus\Queueable;
use Illuminate\Contracts\Queue\ShouldQueue;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Bus\Dispatchable;
use Illuminate\Queue\InteractsWithQueue;
use Illuminate\Queue\SerializesModels;

final class PublishPost implements ShouldQueue
{
    use Dispatchable, InteractsWithQueue, Queueable, SerializesModels;

    public int $tries = 3;
    public int $backoff = 60;

    public function __construct(
        private readonly Post $post,
    ) {}

    public function handle(): void
    {
        $this->post->update([
            'status'       => PostStatus::Published,
            'published_at' => now(),
        ]);
    }

    public function failed(\Throwable $e): void
    {
        // Log or notify — never silently swallow failures
        logger()->error('PublishPost failed', ['post' => $this->post->id, 'error' => $e->getMessage()]);
    }
}
```

### Feature Test (Pest)

```php
<?php

use App\Models\Post;
use App\Models\User;

it('returns a published post for authenticated users', function (): void {
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    $post = Post::factory()->published()->for($user, 'author')->create();

    $response = $this->actingAs($user)
        ->getJson("/api/posts/{$post->id}");

    $response->assertOk()
        ->assertJsonPath('data.status', 'published')
        ->assertJsonPath('data.author.id', $user->id);
});

it('queues a publish job when a draft is submitted', function (): void {
    Queue::fake();
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    $post = Post::factory()->draft()->for($user, 'author')->create();

    $this->actingAs($user)
        ->postJson("/api/posts/{$post->id}/publish")
        ->assertAccepted();

    Queue::assertPushed(PublishPost::class, fn ($job) => $job->post->is($post));
});
```

## Validation Checkpoints

Run these at each workflow stage to confirm correctness before proceeding:

| Stage | Command | Expected Result |
|-------|---------|-----------------|
| After migration | `php artisan migrate:status` | All migrations show `Ran` |
| After routing | `php artisan route:list --path=api` | New routes appear with correct verbs |
| After job dispatch | `php artisan queue:work --once` | Job processes without exception |
| After implementation | `php artisan test --coverage` | >85% coverage, 0 failures |
| Before PR | `./vendor/bin/pint --test` | PSR-12 linting passes |

## Knowledge Reference

Laravel 10+, Eloquent ORM, PHP 8.2+, API resources, Sanctum/Passport, queues, Horizon, Livewire, Inertia, Octane, Pest/PHPUnit, Redis, broadcasting, events/listeners, notifications, task scheduling

[Documentation](https://jeffallan.github.io/claude-skills/skills/backend/laravel-specialist/)