laravel-best-practices

Fix N+1 queries by eager loading relationships with `with()` so related models load in one query instead of per-iteration. Enable `Model::preventLazyLoading()` in development to catch violations, and use `withCount()` instead of loading collections just to count them.

Extract validation into dedicated Form Request classes and type-hint them in controller methods for automatic validation. Always use `$request->validated()` for mass operations instead of `$request->all()`, and prefer array notation for rules in new code.

Use `Cache::remember()` for the cache-aside pattern, `Cache::flexible()` for stale-while-revalidate on high-traffic keys, and `Cache::memo()` to avoid redundant hits within a request. Add cache tags for group invalidation and configure failover stores in production.

The rules target modern Laravel features like `Cache::flexible()`, `defer()`, and `Context`, so some guidance requires recent versions. The Skill instructs verifying exact API syntax with `search-docs` against your installed Laravel version before applying rules.

Duplicate job execution happens when `retry_after` in queue config is shorter than the job's `timeout`, causing re-dispatch while still running. Set `retry_after` greater than the timeout and implement `ShouldBeUnique` to prevent duplicate processing.

Never modify a migration that has already run in production; treat it as immutable and create a new migration to alter the table. Keep one concern per migration and never mix schema changes with data manipulation.