Master Laravel in 2023: Top 20+ Best Practices, Tips & Tricks

For most Laravel projects, the best practices can be summarized as two points:

Stick to the defaults;
Defer as much work as possible to the framework.
Whether you are running Laravel 10, 9 or 8, let’s see in details how I can help you improve any codebase with tons of tips and tricks.

Laravel best practices
Keep Laravel up to date
Keep packages up to date
Keep your project tested to prevent critical bugs
Stick to the default folder structure
Use custom form requests for complex validation
Use single action controllers to keep the code organized
Use middlewares instead of repeating code
Use policies for authorization
Keep migrations up to date
Use anonymous migrations to avoid conflicts (Laravel 8 and above)
Use the down() method correctly for rollbacks
Use Eloquent’s naming conventions for table names
Prevent N+1 issues with eager loading
Use Eloquent’s strict mode to prevent performance issues and bugs
Use the new way of declaring accessors and mutators
Use dispatchAfterResponse() for long-running tasks
Use queues for even longer running tasks
Lazily refresh your database before each test
Make use of factories to help you with fake data and tests
Test against the production stack whenever it’s possible
Use database transactions to rollback changes after each test
Don’t waste API calls, use mocks
Prevent stray HTTP requests to identify slow tests
Don’t track your .env file

Certainly, I'll provide you with an outline for a detailed article on "20+ Laravel Best Practices, Tips, and Tricks to Use in 2024." You can expand on each point to create a comprehensive article:

Title: 20+ Laravel Best Practices, Tips, and Tricks to Use in 2024
Introduction:
Brief overview of Laravel's popularity and importance in web development.
Importance of staying updated with the latest practices in Laravel.
1. Adopt the Latest Laravel Version:
Explanation of the benefits of using the latest Laravel version.
How to upgrade Laravel to the latest version.
2. Use Composer Efficiently:
Best practices for managing dependencies with Composer.
Tips for optimizing Composer autoloading.
3. Leverage Eloquent ORM Effectively:
How to use Eloquent relationships for efficient database interactions.
Tips for optimizing Eloquent queries.
4. Implement Caching Strategies:
Importance of caching in Laravel applications.
Tips for using Laravel's caching features effectively.
5. Optimize Database Queries:
Techniques for optimizing database queries for better performance.
Use of indexes and eager loading.
6. Implement Queues and Jobs:
Benefits of using queues and jobs in Laravel applications.
Best practices for setting up and managing queues.
7. Enhance Security Measures:
Laravel security best practices for protecting against common vulnerabilities.
How to use Laravel's built-in security features.
8. Utilize Artisan Commands:
Overview of useful Artisan commands for Laravel development.
Tips for creating custom Artisan commands.
9. Frontend Development with Laravel Mix:
How to use Laravel Mix for efficient asset compilation.
Tips for managing frontend assets in Laravel.
10. Testing Strategies:
Importance of testing in Laravel development.
Tips for writing effective PHPUnit tests.
11. Containerization with Docker:
How Docker can enhance Laravel development.
Best practices for containerizing Laravel applications.
12. Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD):
Setting up CI/CD pipelines for Laravel applications.
Best practices for automated testing and deployment.
13. Use of Middleware for Request Handling:
How to leverage middleware for handling HTTP requests.
Tips for creating custom middleware.
14. Laravel Horizon for Queue Monitoring:
Overview of Laravel Horizon for monitoring queues.
Tips for using Horizon effectively.
15. Websockets and Broadcasting:
Integration of Websockets for real-time features.
Broadcasting events in Laravel.
16. Package Development Best Practices:
Tips for developing and maintaining Laravel packages.
Guidelines for creating reusable and scalable packages.
17. Logging and Error Handling:
Configuring Laravel's logging features.
Best practices for error handling in Laravel applications.
18. Use of Policies and Gates for Authorization:
Implementing robust authorization with Laravel's policies and gates.
Tips for managing user permissions.
19. Localization and Internationalization:
How to implement multilingual features in Laravel.
Best practices for localization and internationalization.
20. Stay Active in the Laravel Community:
Importance of staying connected with the Laravel community.
How to contribute and benefit from the Laravel ecosystem.
Conclusion:
Recap of the key Laravel best practices, tips, and tricks discussed.
Encouragement for developers to implement these practices for more efficient and secure Laravel development in 2024.
Feel free to elaborate on each point, provide code examples, and include relevant links and references to make the article more informative and engaging.