This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Rohit Dhiman
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the backbone of modern web and mobile applications. They allow your frontend to communicate with your backend seamlessly. If you’re new to Laravel, building your first API can seem daunting, but don’t worry – this guide will walk you through it step by step.
Why Build APIs in Laravel?
Laravel is one of the most beginner-friendly PHP frameworks, offering:
- Built-in support for RESTful APIs
- Simple routing and controller setup
- Eloquent ORM for database interactions
- Easy testing with Postman or other API clients
Step 1: Create a New Laravel Project
Use Composer to set up your project:
composer create-project laravel/laravel laravel-first-api
cd laravel-first-api
php artisan serve
Your application will now run at http://127.0.0.1:8000.
Step 2: Set Up the Database
- Configure your database in the
.envfile. - Run migrations to create default tables:
php artisan migrate
Step 3: Create a Model and Migration
php artisan make:model Post -m
In the migration file (database/migrations/..._create_posts_table.php), define your fields:
$table->id();
$table->string('title');
$table->text('content');
$table->timestamps();
Run the migration:
php artisan migrate
Step 4: Create the Controller
php artisan make:controller PostController --api
In app/Http/Controllers/PostController.php, add CRUD methods:
public function index() { return Post::all(); }
public function store(Request $request) { return Post::create($request->all()); }
public function show(Post $post) { return $post; }
public function update(Request $request, Post $post) { $post->update($request->all()); return $post; }
public function destroy(Post $post) { $post->delete(); return response()->noContent(); }
Step 5: Define API Routes
In routes/api.php:
use App\Http\Controllers\PostController;
Route::apiResource('posts', PostController::class);
This automatically creates all routes for CRUD operations.
Step 6: Test Your API
- Run the server:
php artisan serve
- Open Postman and set
http://127.0.0.1:8000as the base URL. - Test these routes:
-
GET /api/posts– List all posts -
POST /api/posts– Create a post -
GET /api/posts/{id}– View a single post -
PUT /api/posts/{id}– Update a post -
DELETE /api/posts/{id}– Delete a post
Recap
You’ve successfully:
- Set up a Laravel project
- Created models, migrations, and controllers
- Defined API routes
- Tested your first API
Next, you can explore authentication with Laravel Sanctum or Passport to secure your API endpoints.
Happy Coding!
If you found this guide helpful, share it and help other beginners get started with Laravel APIs.
#Laravel #PHP #APIDevelopment #WebDevelopment #RESTAPI #BackendDevelopment #BeginnerFriendly #Coding #Programming
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Rohit Dhiman
Rohit Dhiman | Sciencx (2025-09-24T04:30:00+00:00) Building Your First API in Laravel – A Beginner’s Guide. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/09/24/building-your-first-api-in-laravel-a-beginners-guide/
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