Fluent validation rule builders for Laravel

Write Laravel validation rules with IDE autocompletion instead of memorizing string syntax. Each rule type exposes only the methods that apply to it: FluentRule::string() won't offer digits(), FluentRule::date() won't offer mimes(). each() and children() keep parent and child rules in one place instead of scattered across dot-notation keys. For large arrays, the HasFluentRules trait makes wildcard validation up to 160x faster.

// Before
'name'         => 'required|string|min:2|max:255',
'email'        => ['required', 'email', Rule::unique('users')->ignore($id)],
'role'         => Rule::when($isAdmin, 'required|string|in:admin,editor'),
'items'        => 'array',
'items.*.id'   => 'required|integer|exists:items,id',
'items.*.name' => 'required|string|max:255',

// After
'name'  => FluentRule::string('Full Name')->required()->min(2)->max(255),
'email' => FluentRule::email('Email')->required()->unique('users', 'email', fn ($r) => $r->ignore($id)),
'role'  => FluentRule::string()->when($isAdmin, fn ($r) => $r->required()->in(['admin', 'editor'])),
'items' => FluentRule::array()->each([
    'id'   => FluentRule::integer()->required()->exists('items', 'id'),
    'name' => FluentRule::string()->required()->max(255),
]),

Migrating an existing codebase? Jump straight to Migrating to fluent validation; a companion package automates the bulk of the rewrite.

Installation

You can install the package via composer:

composer require sandermuller/laravel-fluent-validation

Requires PHP 8.2+ and Laravel 12+. See Installation for AI-assisted development with Laravel Boost, and UPGRADING.md when upgrading from an older release.

Usage

Add the HasFluentRules trait to your form request:

use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest;
use SanderMuller\FluentValidation\FluentRule;
use SanderMuller\FluentValidation\HasFluentRules;

class StorePostRequest extends FormRequest
{
    use HasFluentRules;

    public function rules(): array
    {
        return [
            'title'    => FluentRule::string('Title')->required()->min(2)->max(255),
            'email'    => FluentRule::email('Email')->required()->unique('users'),
            'date'     => FluentRule::date('Publish Date')->required()->afterToday(),
            'avatar'   => FluentRule::image()->nullable()->max('2mb'),
            'tags'     => FluentRule::array(label: 'Tags')->required()->each(
                              FluentRule::string()->max(50)
                          ),
            'password' => FluentRule::password()->required()->mixedCase()->numbers(),
        ];
    }
}

The label 'Title' replaces :attribute in error messages. You get "The Title field is required" instead of "The title field is required", without a separate attributes() array.

See Basic usage for the schema() builder, typing your rules() return, and using fluent rules outside form requests.

Documentation

Read the full documentation at sandermuller.github.io/laravel-fluent-validation.

Getting started

Why this package?: DX, type safety, structure, performance, and how it compares to Laravel's Rule class
Installation
Getting started: one form request, three rules, a validated payload
Basic usage: form requests, typing rules(), the schema() builder, other contexts
Error messages: labels, per-rule messages
Array validation: each(), children(), nesting

Digging deeper

Extending parent rules: child form requests, modifyEach, modifyChildren, returning a RuleSet
Livewire: HasFluentValidation trait, Filament workaround
Performance: O(n) wildcards, pre-evaluation, fast-check closures, batched DB
Benchmarks: the measured numbers and the rule sets behind them
RuleSet: build, compose, inspect, escape hatches, method reference
Validating with a RuleSet: validate(), check(), unknown fields, error bags
Testing: FluentRulesTester, Pest expectations
Rule reference: all types, modifiers, conditionals, macros

Migration and tooling

Migrating to fluent validation: incremental migration and the automated Rector companion
Static analysis with PHPStan: opt-in PHPStan rules package that flags unbounded each() chains
Troubleshooting: common issues and solutions

Contributing

Please see CONTRIBUTING for details.

Changelog

Please see CHANGELOG for more information on what has changed recently.

Security vulnerabilities

Please review our security policy on how to report security vulnerabilities.

Credits

License

MIT License. Please see License File for more information.

Laravel Fluent Validation: An Object-Oriented Rule Builder