Create a new Laravel project and start the service; 2. Generate the model, migration and controller and run the migration; 3. Define the RESTful route in routes/api.php; 4. Implement the addition, deletion, modification and query method in PostController and return a JSON response; 5. Test the API functionality with Postman or curl; 6. Optionally add API authentication through Sanctum; finally obtain a clear structure, complete and extensible Laravel REST API suitable for practical applications.

Building a REST API with Laravel is straightforward thanks to its built-in features for routing, Eloquent ORM, and request handling. Here's a practical guide to help you create a clean, functional REST API using Laravel.

1. Set Up a New Laravel Project

Start by creating a new Laravel project using Composer:

 composer create-project laravel/laravel api-demo
cd api-demo

Then, start the development server to confirm everything works:

 php artisan serve

You should see the Laravel welcome page at http://localhost:8000 .

2. Create a Model, Migration, and Controller

Let's build a simple API for managing posts . Use the make:model command with the -a flag to generate a model, migration, factory, and controller:

 php artisan make:model Post -a

This creates:

• app/Models/Post.php – the Eloquent model
• database/migrations/xxxx_create_posts_table.php – the migration
• app/Http/Controllers/PostController.php – the controller
• database/factories/PostFactory.php – for seeing

Edit the migration file to define the post fields:

 // in database/migrations/..._create_posts_table.php
Schema::create('posts', function (Blueprint $table) {
    $table->id();
    $table->string('title');
    $table->text('body');
    $table->timestamps();
});

Run the migration:

 php artisan migrate

3. Define API Routes

Open routes/api.php and define RESTful routes using Route::apiResource() :

 use App\Http\Controllers\PostController;

Route::apiResource('posts', PostController::class);

These routes automatically map to standard REST actions:

• GET /api/posts → index
• POST /api/posts → store
• GET /api/posts/{id} → show
• PUT/PATCH /api/posts/{id} → update
• DELETE /api/posts/{id} → destroy

You can view all routes with:

 php artisan route:list --path=api

4. Implement the Controller Methods

Open app/Http/Controllers/PostController.php and fill in the logic using Eloquent.

 use App\Models\Post;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class PostController extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        return response()->json(Post::all());
    }

    public function store(Request $request)
    {
        $validated = $request->validate([
            'title' => 'required|string|max:255',
            'body' => 'required|string',
        ]);

        $post = Post::create($validated);

        return response()->json($post, 201);
    }

    public function show($id)
    {
        $post = Post::find($id);

        if (!$post) {
            return response()->json(['message' => 'Post not found'], 404);
        }

        return response()->json($post);
    }

    public function update(Request $request, $id)
    {
        $post = Post::find($id);

        if (!$post) {
            return response()->json(['message' => 'Post not found'], 404);
        }

        $validated = $request->validate([
            'title' => 'required|string|max:255',
            'body' => 'required|string',
        ]);

        $post->update($validated);

        return response()->json($post);
    }

    public function destroy($id)
    {
        $post = Post::find($id);

        if (!$post) {
            return response()->json(['message' => 'Post not found'], 404);
        }

        $post->delete();

        return response()->json(['message' => 'Post deleted']);
    }
}

? Laravel automatically returns JSON responses when you pass data to response()->json() . Also, API routes are already protected by CSRF evidence and use the api middleware (stateless).

5. Test the API

Use a tool like Postman , curl , or Thunder Client (VS Code) to test your endpoints.

Example: Create a post with curl

 curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/posts \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"My First Post", "body":"This is the body"}'

You should get a JSON response with the created post and a 201 status.

6. (Optional) Add API Authentication with Sanctum

For protected routes, use Laravel Sanctum to add token-based authentication.

Install Sanctum:

 composer requires laravel/sanctum
php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Laravel\Sanctum\SanctumServiceProvider"
php artisan migrate

Add the Sanctum middleware in app/Http/Kernel.php under 'api' :

 'api' => [
    \Laravel\Sanctum\Http\Middleware\EnsureFrontendRequestsAreStateful::class,
    'throttle:api',
    \Illuminate\Routing\Middleware\SubstituteBindings::class,
],

Protect your routes:

 Route::middleware('auth:sanctum')->apiResource('posts', PostController::class);

Now users must authenticate with a token to access the API.

Final Notes

• Keep validation logic clean—consider using Form Requests for complex rules.
• Use API Resources ( php artisan make:resource PostResource ) to format responses.
• Always handle errors gracefully (eg, 404, 422).
• Use versioning (eg, /api/v1/posts ) for long-term stability.

That's it. You now have a fully functioning REST API with Laravel. It's clean, scalable, and ready for real-world use.

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