Difference between Gates and Policies in Laravel Authorization.
Jul 16, 2025 am 01:24 AMIn Laravel, gates are used for model-independent global permission checks, while policies are used for model-independent structured authorization logic. 1. Gates is a closure check, suitable for judgments such as "whether the user can access the dashboard"; 2. Policies are bound to the model and centrally manage the authorization logic, such as defining whether the user can update a certain article; 3. Gates is simple and lightweight, suitable for one-time inspection, and Policies is easier to test and expand; 4. Laravel will automatically match the policy method according to the model, without manual association. Both can be used in the same application.
In Laravel, gates and policies are both tools for handling authorization logic, but they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts. Gates are simple, closure-based checks that work well for one-off authorization rules or actions not tied to a specific model. Policies, on the other hand, are more structured and organized — they're like controllers for authorization, grouping logic around a particular model or resource.

When to Use Gates
Gates are best when you need to check permissions that don't necessarily involve a specific model. For example, checking if a user can access an admin dashboard doesn't require looking at any particular data model — it's more about the user's general role or permissions.
- You define them using closings in the
AuthServiceProvider
. - They're great for global checks, like "can this user view reports" or "is the user allowed to log in via API".
- Example:
Gate::define('view-reports', function ($user) { return $user->isAdmin(); });
You can then check this gate anywhere using:

if (Gate::allows('view-reports')) { ... }
When to Use Policies
Policies are meant for model-based authorization. If your app has a Post model and you want to define who can update or delete a post, a policy is the right tool.
- Each policy is tied to a specific model.
- They offer methods like
update
,delete
,view
, etc., which automatically receive the model instance. - Example policy method:
public function update(User $user, Post $post) { return $user->id === $post->user_id; }
To use it:

if ($user->can('update', $post)) { ... }
This keeps your code clean and organized — all post-related authorization lives in the PostPolicy class.
Key Differences to Keep in Mind
Here are some practical differences between the two:
- Model dependency : Policies always involve a model; gates usually don't.
- Organization : Policies help keep things tidy when dealing with multiple related actions. Gates are quick and easy for small checks.
- Testing & reuse : Policies are easier to test and scale as your app grows.
- Naming conventions : Gates are named like abilities (
'edit-settings'
), while policy methods match action names ('update'
,'delete'
).
One thing people often miss is that Laravel automatically resolves policy methods based on the model type. So if you call $user->can('update', $post)
, Laravel knows to look for the update
method in the policy associated with the Post model — no need to manually wire that up beyond registering the policy.
How to Decide Between Them
If you're trying to decide which to use, here's a quick rule of thumb:
-
? Use a gate when:
- The check isn't tied to a model.
- It's a simple yes/no permission.
- You just need to do a quick check without creating extra files.
-
? Use a policy when:
- You're working with a model and common CRUD-style actions.
- You want cleaner, more maintained code.
- Your authorization logic might grow over time.
You can even mix both in the same app — gates for quick checks and policies for model-based decisions.
So yeah, gates and policies aren't interchangeable — they each have their place. Just remember: gates are for general abilities, and policies are for model-specific rules. Once you get the hang of that, Laravel's authorization system becomes much easier to work with.
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