tomevault-io Laravel API Development
Agent Workflow (MANDATORY)
Before ANY implementation, use TeamCreate to spawn 3 agents:
- fuse-ai-pilot:explore-codebase - Analyze existing API patterns
- fuse-ai-pilot:research-expert - Verify Laravel API docs via Context7
- mcp__context7__query-docs - Check API Resources and Sanctum patterns
After implementation, run fuse-ai-pilot:sniper for validation.
Overview
Build RESTful APIs with Laravel using API Resources for response transformation and Sanctum for authentication.
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Controllers | Handle requests, delegate to services |
| Form Requests | Validate input, authorize actions |
| API Resources | Transform models to JSON |
| Middleware | Auth, rate limiting, CORS |
| Routes | Versioned endpoints with groups |
| Pagination | Offset/cursor pagination |
| HTTP Client | Consume external APIs |
Critical Rules
- Always use API Resources - Never return Eloquent models directly
- Versioned routes - Prefix with
/v1/,/v2/ - Validate all input - Use Form Requests, not inline validation
- Rate limiting - Configure per-route limits
- Consistent responses - Same structure, proper status codes
- Use services - Keep controllers thin
- Eager load - Prevent N+1 with
with()before pagination
Reference Guide
Core Concepts
| Topic | Reference | When to consult |
|---|---|---|
| Routing | routing.md | Defining versioned API routes |
| Controllers | controllers.md | Controller patterns, resource methods |
| Middleware | middleware.md | Route protection, request filtering |
| Validation | validation.md | Form Requests, validation rules |
Request/Response
| Topic | Reference | When to consult |
|---|---|---|
| Requests | requests.md | Accessing input, files, headers |
| Responses | responses.md | API Resources, status codes |
| Pagination | pagination.md | Offset/cursor pagination |
Advanced
| Topic | Reference | When to consult |
|---|---|---|
| Rate Limiting | rate-limiting.md | Throttle configuration |
| HTTP Client | http-client.md | Consuming external APIs |
| URLs | urls.md | URL generation, signed URLs |
| Strings | strings.md | String helpers, UUIDs, slugs |
| Redirects | redirects.md | Redirect responses |
Templates (Code Examples)
Controllers & Routes
| Template | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ApiController.php.md | Complete CRUD controller with service |
| api-routes.md | Versioned routes with middleware |
| routing-examples.md | Detailed routing patterns |
Validation & Resources
| Template | Purpose |
|---|---|
| FormRequest.php.md | Store/Update Form Requests |
| validation-rules.md | All validation rules reference |
| ApiResource.php.md | Resource with relationships |
External APIs
| Template | Purpose |
|---|---|
| HttpClientService.php.md | Reusable HTTP client service |
Quick Reference
Resource Response
return PostResource::collection($posts);
return PostResource::make($post);
Status Codes
return PostResource::make($post)->response()->setStatusCode(201);
return response()->json(null, 204);
Form Request
public function store(StorePostRequest $request): JsonResponse
{
$post = $this->service->create($request->validated());
return PostResource::make($post)->response()->setStatusCode(201);
}
Rate Limiting
Route::middleware('throttle:60,1')->group(fn () => ...);
Versioned Routes
Route::prefix('v1')->group(function () {
Route::apiResource('posts', PostController::class);
});
Pagination
return PostResource::collection(Post::paginate(15));
Feature Matrix
| Feature | Status | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| RESTful Controllers | ✅ | controllers.md |
| API Resources | ✅ | responses.md |
| Form Request Validation | ✅ | validation.md |
| Route Versioning | ✅ | routing.md |
| Route Model Binding | ✅ | routing.md |
| Middleware | ✅ | middleware.md |
| Rate Limiting | ✅ | rate-limiting.md |
| Pagination | ✅ | pagination.md |
| Cursor Pagination | ✅ | pagination.md |
| HTTP Client | ✅ | http-client.md |
| Signed URLs | ✅ | urls.md |
| JSON Responses | ✅ | responses.md |
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