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Laravel Love Laravel Package
cybercog/laravel-love
Add reactions, likes, votes, and other “feelings” to any Eloquent model with Laravel Love. Flexible, enterprise-ready system inspired by GitHub/Facebook/Slack reactions. Includes migrations and APIs to make models reactable in minutes.
Add Social Reactions to Laravel Eloquent Models. It lets people express how they feel about the content. Fully customizable Weighted Reaction System & Reaction Type System with Like, Dislike and any other custom emotion types. Do you react?
Frequently asked questions about Laravel Love
- How do I add reactions (like GitHub or Reddit) to a Laravel Eloquent model?
- Use the `Reacterable` trait on your model and run `php artisan migrate` to set up the database tables. Then call `$post->reactTo($user, 'love')` to register a reaction. The package auto-generates the necessary migrations and relationships.
- Can I use custom reaction types like 'laugh,' 'confused,' or 'heart' instead of just 'like/dislike'?
- Yes. Define custom reaction types via the `ReactionType` model or use the `createReactionType` helper. For example, `ReactionType::create(['name' => 'laugh', 'weight' => 1])->save()`. These can be used just like built-in types.
- Does Laravel Love support weighted reactions (e.g., 1-5 stars or sentiment scores)?
- Absolutely. Assign weights to reaction types (e.g., `thumbs-up` = +1, `meh` = 0, `thumbs-down` = -1) via the `weight` field in `ReactionType`. Use `reactTo($model, 'type', $weight)` to apply custom values, like `$post->reactTo($user, 'love', 3)`.
- How do I check if a user has already reacted to a model (e.g., to prevent duplicate likes)?
- Use the `hasReactedTo` method: `$user->hasReactedTo($post, 'love')`. This checks the database for existing reactions between the user and the model. You can also fetch all reactions for a user with `$user->reactions()`.
- Is Laravel Love compatible with Laravel 13 and PHP 8.5? What about older versions?
- The package officially supports Laravel 9–13 and PHP 8.0–8.5. If you're on Laravel <9 or PHP <8.0, use version 7.x of the package. Check the [UPGRADING.md](https://github.com/cybercog/laravel-love/blob/master/UPGRADING.md) guide for migration steps.
- How are reaction counts (e.g., '1.2K reactions') aggregated and updated in real-time?
- Aggregates are updated asynchronously via the `IncrementReactionAggregatesJob`. For high-traffic apps, monitor queue backlogs. You can also cache counts in Redis or implement custom logic for real-time updates using the `ReactionTotal` model.
- Can I use Laravel Love for multi-tenancy (e.g., Laravel Nova or Breeze)?
- Yes, but ensure `reactant_id` (the model being reacted to) and `reacter_id` (the user reacting) are scoped per tenant. If using a custom user model, extend the `Reacter` trait and override the `getAuthId` method to return the correct tenant-aware ID.
- Does this package include frontend UI components for displaying reactions?
- No, Laravel Love focuses on backend logic. You’ll need to build your own UI (e.g., buttons, counters) using Blade or a frontend framework. Example: `{{ $post->reactions()->count() }} likes`. The package provides APIs like `reactions()` to fetch data for your UI.
- How do I rate-limit reactions (e.g., 1 reaction per minute per user)?
- Laravel Love doesn’t include rate-limiting by default. Use Laravel’s `throttle` middleware or packages like `spatie/rate-limiter` to restrict reactions. Example: Apply middleware to your reaction endpoint to limit calls based on `reacter_id`.
- Are there alternatives to Laravel Love for simpler like/dislike systems?
- For basic likes/dislikes, consider `spatie/laravel-activitylog` (with custom reactions) or `beberlei/doctrineextensions` (for DDD-style voting). However, Laravel Love stands out for its weighted system, custom reaction types, and enterprise-grade aggregation, making it ideal for complex use cases.
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