- What is Laravel Compass?
- Laravel Compass is a REST client built into your Laravel application. It provides a Vue-powered dashboard where you can browse registered routes, construct requests, and inspect API responses without switching to an external tool. It is intended to make endpoint testing quicker and more convenient inside your codebase.
- How do I install Laravel Compass?
- Install it as a Composer package in your Laravel project and follow the repository setup instructions for publishing assets and registering the dashboard. Because it is a development convenience, many teams install it as a dev dependency. Check the package README for the exact install and publish commands rather than assuming a fixed artisan command.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does Laravel Compass support?
- The package Composer constraints determine which Laravel and PHP versions are supported. Confirm those constraints in composer.json before upgrading, because the provided release information does not list exact Laravel or PHP version ranges. If your application runs an older framework version, test the dashboard in a branch first.
- Is Laravel Compass safe to enable in production?
- Laravel Compass is generally a development and debugging tool, so it should be restricted or disabled in production unless you fully understand the exposure. It can reveal routes and allow request execution, so protect it with authentication, authorization, and environment gating. Review the package configuration and middleware before enabling it in any shared environment.
- How does Laravel Compass handle authentication for API requests?
- Compass is a REST client, so you supply the headers, tokens, or session context needed by your endpoints when building a request. It does not automatically grant access to protected routes beyond whatever credentials you provide. For Sanctum or Passport APIs, include the appropriate bearer token or cookie-based session details in your request setup.
- Can Laravel Compass send POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE requests?
- As a REST client, it is designed to build and send common HTTP requests, not just GET requests. You can typically choose the method, set headers and body payloads, and inspect the response. Confirm the exact supported methods and body formats in the package documentation for your version.
- Does Laravel Compass replace Postman or Insomnia?
- It can replace external REST clients for many day-to-day Laravel endpoint checks because it lives inside your app and knows your routes. It may not match every advanced feature of dedicated tools such as shared collections, environments, or team collaboration. Many developers use Compass for quick internal testing and keep Postman for broader API workflows.
- How do I configure Laravel Compass?
- Configuration is typically handled through published package config and environment settings, with the dashboard served by the package routes. Review the repository README for available options, middleware, and path settings. After changing config, clear Laravel config cache and re-test the dashboard.
- Is Laravel Compass actively maintained?
- Maintenance status should be confirmed from the repository release history and issue activity before adopting it. The package is a small developer tool, so routine updates are mainly Composer constraint and frontend asset maintenance. Pin a known-good version and review changes before upgrading.
- Does Laravel Compass affect route domain resolution or tenant isolation?
- Based on the package overview, Laravel Compass is a REST client dashboard for browsing routes and testing API requests, not a multi-domain or tenant-aware routing package. The supplied technical assessment describes host-fallback domain-resolution behavior that appears unrelated to Compass. Verify the actual repository changelog and tests before making routing or tenant-isolation decisions.