eloquent-best-practices

SKILL.md

Laravel Eloquent query optimization and relationship management patterns with N+1 prevention.

Eager load relationships with with() and use withCount() for efficient aggregations instead of triggering additional queries in loops

Select only needed columns at query time and define return types on relationship methods for better IDE support and clarity

Use query scopes to encapsulate reusable filtering logic and leverage database-level operations (update(), increment()) instead of loading models into memory

Implement mass assignment protection via $fillable or $guarded, define type casts for safety, and chunk large datasets to manage memory efficiently

Add database indexes on foreign keys and frequently queried columns, and enable lazy loading prevention in development to catch N+1 issues early

Eloquent Best Practices

Query Optimization

Always Eager Load Relationships

// ❌ N+1 Query Problem
$posts = Post::all();
foreach ($posts as $post) {
    echo $post->user->name; // N additional queries
}

// ✅ Eager Loading
$posts = Post::with('user')->get();
foreach ($posts as $post) {
    echo $post->user->name; // No additional queries
}