How to Build a REST API in Laravel 12: Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Thinking about creating a REST API using Laravel 12 but not sure where to start? You’re in the right place! Laravel has always made API development easy, but with version 12, things have become even more streamlined and developer-friendly. Whether you’re a beginner or someone with a bit of coding experience, this step-by-step guide will walk you through building a functional REST API with Laravel 12 in no time. Let’s dive in together!

Step 1: Install Laravel 12

Create a New Laravel Project

First things first, make sure you have Composer installed on your system. Then, open your terminal and run the following command:

composer create-project laravel/laravel laravel-api

This command will create a fresh Laravel 12 project named laravel-api.

Step 2: Set Up the Database

Configure .env File

Once your project is ready, head over to the .env file and update the database credentials:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=your_database
DB_USERNAME=your_username
DB_PASSWORD=your_password

Make sure your MySQL server is running and the database you entered exists.

Step 3: Create a Model and Migration

Let’s say you want to build an API for managing posts.

Run Artisan Command

php artisan make:model Post -m

This command creates a Post model and its corresponding migration file.

Define Table Structure

Open the migration file in database/migrations and add the following:

public function up()
{
    Schema::create('posts', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('title');
        $table->text('content');
        $table->timestamps();
    });
}

Now run:

php artisan migrate

Step 4: Create a Controller

Use API Resource Controller

Run this command:

php artisan make:controller Api/PostController --api

This creates a controller with default methods for RESTful APIs like index, store, show, update, and destroy.

Step 5: Define API Routes

Open the file routes/api.php and add:

use App\Http\Controllers\Api\PostController;

Route::apiResource('posts', PostController::class);

This will automatically create all the routes needed for a standard CRUD API.

Step 6: Build the Controller Methods

Inside your PostController, add logic to each method. Here’s a quick setup:

use App\Models\Post;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

public function index()
{
    return response()->json(Post::all(), 200);
}

public function store(Request $request)
{
    $request->validate([
        'title' => 'required',
        'content' => 'required',
    ]);

    $post = Post::create($request->all());
    return response()->json($post, 201);
}

public function show($id)
{
    $post = Post::findOrFail($id);
    return response()->json($post);
}

public function update(Request $request, $id)
{
    $post = Post::findOrFail($id);
    $post->update($request->all());
    return response()->json($post, 200);
}

public function destroy($id)
{
    Post::findOrFail($id)->delete();
    return response()->json(null, 204);
}

Step 7: Allow Mass Assignment

In Post.php model, allow mass assignment by adding:

protected $fillable = ['title', 'content'];

Step 8: Test Your API

You can now test your API using tools like Postman or Insomnia. Try creating, reading, updating, and deleting posts using your new endpoints:

• GET /api/posts
• POST /api/posts
• GET /api/posts/{id}
• PUT /api/posts/{id}
• DELETE /api/posts/{id}

And there you have it! You’ve successfully built a fully functional REST API using Laravel 12. Laravel makes it incredibly easy to set up clean and scalable APIs, perfect for powering your mobile apps, frontend frameworks like React or Vue, or even microservices.

If you’re looking to take your Laravel skills to the next level or want help with custom web development, CodeHunger is a great place to start. Their expert team helps individuals and businesses build high-quality Laravel applications with clean code and strong architecture.