laravel-best-practices

name	laravel-best-practices
description	Trigger when writing, reviewing, or debugging Laravel code. Enforces framework conventions: thin controllers, Form Requests for validation, Eloquent over raw queries, and proper use of built-in features. Also trigger on questions about Laravel architecture or "how do I do X in Laravel".

Core conventions

• Use Eloquent over raw queries; use query scopes for reusable filters
• Controllers stay thin — move business logic to Service classes
• Use Form Requests for validation, never validate in controllers directly

Gotchas

• Soft-deleted models require withTrashed() or results silently exclude them
• ->get() always returns a Collection, never null — check ->isEmpty() not null
• Mass assignment requires $fillable or $guarded — forgetting causes silent failures

References (load on demand)

• Read references/eloquent-patterns.md if writing or reviewing Eloquent queries, scopes, casts, or model events
• Read references/eloquent-relationships.md if defining or querying model relationships or pivot tables
• Read references/validation.md if writing Form Requests or validation rules
• Read references/security-checklist.md if the task involves auth, authorization, CSRF, or user input
• Read references/performance-tips.md if the task involves N+1 queries, caching, or chunking large datasets
• Read references/queues.md if writing jobs, dispatching, batching, or configuring queue workers
• Read references/mail.md if sending emails, building Mailables, or configuring mail drivers
• Read references/notifications.md if sending notifications across mail, database, SMS, or Slack channels