Optimizing and increasing the speed of Laravel

If you're working with Laravel and want to make your application faster and more efficient, you're in the right place! I’m going to walk you through some simple steps that will help optimize your Laravel app.

These tips focus on improving performance, reducing load times, and making your app run smoother. Whether you’re dealing with a large number of users or trying to speed up your database queries, these methods will help you achieve better performance.

Optimizing and increasing the speed of Laravel

Optimizing and increasing the speed of Laravel

 

Use Caching

Caching is crucial for improving the speed of frequently accessed data.

// Store data in the cache
Cache::put('key', $data, now()->addMinutes(10));

// Retrieve data from the cache
$data = Cache::remember('key', 10, function () {
    return DB::table('users')->get();
});

 

Optimize Eloquent Queries

Avoid N+1 query problems by eager loading relationships.

// Without eager loading (N+1 issue)
$users = User::all();
foreach ($users as $user) {
    echo $user->posts->count();
}

// With eager loading
$users = User::with('posts')->get();
foreach ($users as $user) {
    echo $user->posts->count();
}

 

Use Query Builder for Complex Queries

The query builder is often faster for complex queries.

$users = DB::table('users')
    ->join('posts', 'users.id', '=', 'posts.user_id')
    ->where('users.active', 1)
    ->select('users.name', DB::raw('COUNT(posts.id) as post_count'))
    ->groupBy('users.id')
    ->get();

 

Index Database Tables

Ensure frequently queried columns are indexed.

CREATE INDEX users_active_index ON users(active);

In Laravel migration:

$table->index('active');

 

Use Queues for Time-Consuming Tasks

Offload tasks like email sending or data processing to queues.

dispatch(new SendEmailJob($user));

 

Optimize Middleware

Run heavy operations only when necessary by limiting middleware.

// Apply middleware only to specific routes
Route::middleware(['auth', 'throttle:60,1'])->group(function () {
    Route::get('/dashboard', [DashboardController::class, 'index']);
});

 

Optimize Assets

Use tools like Laravel Mix to minify CSS and JavaScript.

npm run prod

In webpack.mix.js

mix.js('resources/js/app.js', 'public/js')
   .sass('resources/sass/app.scss', 'public/css')
   .version();

 

Use Pagination for Large Data Sets

Load only what’s needed for display.

$users = User::paginate(10);

 

Precompile Configurations and Routes
php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache

 

Use Redis for Session and Cache

Redis is faster than file or database storage for sessions and cache.

CACHE_DRIVER=redis
SESSION_DRIVER=redis

 

Reduce the Number of Included Files

Use composer dump-autoload --optimize to optimize the Composer autoloader.

 

Optimize Database Connections

Use persistent connections in the env file.

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_PORT=3306
DB_PERSISTENT_CONNECTION=true

 

Minimize Middleware and Service Providers

Disable unused middleware and service providers in config/app.php.

 

Use API Resources

Transform large datasets efficiently.

return UserResource::collection(User::all());

 

Use Lazy Collections for Large Datasets

Lazy collections reduce memory usage when processing large datasets.

DB::table('users')->lazy()->each(function ($user) {
    // Process each user
});

 

Optimize Blade Templates

Use compiled views and avoid unnecessary logic in templates.

// Avoid in Blade template
@if(count($users) > 0)
@else
@endif

// Instead, use
@forelse($users as $user)
    {{ $user->name }}
@empty
    No users found.
@endforelse

 

Use CDN for Assets

Offload static files like images, CSS, and JS to a CDN.

 

Upgrade Laravel and PHP

Always use the latest stable versions of Laravel and PHP for performance improvements.

 

Use Database Connection Pooling

If applicable, use connection pooling for database connections to reduce overhead.

 

Profile and Monitor

Use tools like Laravel Telescope, Debugbar, or external monitoring tools like New Relic to identify bottlenecks.

composer require barryvdh/laravel-debugbar --dev

 


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techsolutionstuff

Techsolutionstuff | The Complete Guide

I'm a software engineer and the founder of techsolutionstuff.com. Hailing from India, I craft articles, tutorials, tricks, and tips to aid developers. Explore Laravel, PHP, MySQL, jQuery, Bootstrap, Node.js, Vue.js, and AngularJS in our tech stack.

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