Laravel Tips: For Beginners

Working with Laravel is great, but we can always improve how we use the framework. Here are 5 quick tips to help you write better code:

Use when() instead of if in Eloquent

User::query()
    ->when($isActive, fn($q) => $q->where('active', true))
    ->get();

This avoids external if statements and makes the query cleaner.

Use Resources to format API responses

Avoid return $user directly. Instead, use:

return new UserResource($user);

This helps with versioning, security, and response clarity.

Use Laravel's Str helper

Str::slug('Post Title') // returns: post-title

Simple, powerful, and more readable.

Don't put heavy logic in Controller

Use Services, Actions, to keep your controllers clean and easy to read.

Write tests with Pest

it('creates a user', function () {
    $response = post('/users', [...]);

    $response->assertCreated();
});

Clean syntax, easy to write and maintain.

Bonus: Use php artisan model:show User to view relationships right in your terminal.