Common Laravel Mistakes I See in Production (And How to Avoid Them)

Laravel makes it incredibly easy to build applications fast. But that same ease can lead to patterns that work fine early on and become painful in production. After working on multiple real-world Laravel applications, I’ve seen the same mistakes repeated again and again.

This article covers the most common ones — and how to fix them before they hurt.

Putting Too Much Logic in Controllers

Fat controllers are one of the earliest warning signs in a Laravel codebase. Controllers should coordinate requests, not contain business rules.

The problem:

• Hard-to-test logic
• Repeated code across controllers
• Controllers that grow endlessly

The fix: Move business logic into:

• Service classes
• Actions
• Jobs

Keep controllers thin and focused on request/response handling.

Ignoring Database Indexes

Laravel makes database interactions easy, but performance issues often come from the database layer, not PHP.

Common issues:

• Missing indexes on foreign keys
• Searching large tables without optimization
• Overusing LIKE %query%

The fix:

• Add indexes where data is frequently queried
• Use database-level constraints
• Profile slow queries early using Telescope or logs

Overusing Eloquent Without Understanding It

Eloquent is powerful, but misuse leads to performance bottlenecks.

Red flags:

• N+1 query problems
• Loading entire models when only a few columns are needed
• Heavy use of accessors inside loops

The fix:

• Use eager loading intentionally
• Select only required columns
• Move heavy logic out of accessors

Skipping Validation Outside Controllers

Validation often lives only in controllers, which breaks down quickly in complex flows.

The problem:

• Duplicated rules
• Inconsistent validation
• Hidden assumptions

The fix:

• Use Form Request classes
• Centralize validation rules
• Reuse validation logic across HTTP and API layers

Treating Queues as Optional

Queues are often added late, after performance issues appear.

The problem:

• Slow user experiences
• Timeouts on heavy operations
• Scaling difficulties

The fix:

• Queue emails, notifications, and exports by default
• Offload heavy tasks early
• Design async-first where possible

Not Handling Authorization Explicitly

Authorization logic scattered across the app leads to security gaps.

The fix:

• Use Policies and Gates consistently
• Keep authorization close to the model
• Make permission checks explicit and testable

Forgetting About Maintenance Mode and Failures

Production systems fail — ignoring this reality causes bigger problems later.

The fix:

• Use maintenance mode properly
• Add graceful fallbacks
• Log and monitor critical paths

Final Thoughts

Laravel gives you excellent tools, but it doesn’t enforce architecture. That freedom is powerful — and dangerous — if misused.

Avoiding these mistakes early leads to:

• Cleaner code
• Better performance
• Happier teams