- How do I install Pretty Routes in a Laravel application?
- Install the dragon-code/pretty-routes package with Composer, preferably in the require-dev layer, and rely on Laravel package auto-discovery. Publish the configuration if you need to change the route prefix, middleware, or access settings, then open the package route in your browser. No data migration is required.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does Pretty Routes support?
- Version 3.9.0 is reported to include Laravel 13 compatibility through a merged community pull request. The exact PHP floor and whether older Laravel majors remain supported are not confirmed in the provided overview, so validate against your application's actual Laravel and PHP versions before rollout. Pin to 3.9.0 or a narrow version range rather than assuming broad forward compatibility.
- Is Pretty Routes safe to enable in production?
- It is best treated as a development and staging tool, not a production feature. The main risk is accidental exposure of route metadata if the viewer is reachable outside local or staging environments or lacks authorization middleware. Restrict it by environment, apply strict middleware, and gate it behind existing SSO or admin access if it must run anywhere shared.
- Should Pretty Routes be installed with require-dev?
- Yes, it fits naturally in require-dev because it is Laravel developer tooling rather than application runtime infrastructure. Keeping it out of production dependencies reduces the chance of exposing the route viewer to customer-facing traffic. It also makes it easier to remove or replace without affecting deployed application behavior.
- How do I protect the Pretty Routes page with middleware or authorization?
- The package provides configurable access, route prefix, and middleware, so you can wrap the viewer in your application's existing authentication or admin authorization. Combine that with environment restrictions so the route is only registered or reachable in local and staging. Review the default route and middleware model before enabling it in any shared environment.
- Does Pretty Routes replace php artisan route:list?
- No, it complements the standard route:list Artisan command rather than replacing it. Pretty Routes presents methods, URIs, names, actions, and middleware in a responsive web table with instant search and filtering. Many teams keep route:list as the fallback and use Pretty Routes when browsing is faster.
- Can Pretty Routes show middleware, route names, and controller actions?
- Yes, the package displays the HTTP methods, URI, route name, action, and middleware for each registered route. That makes it useful for onboarding, debugging, and quickly checking which middleware applies to an endpoint. The searchable table helps when the route list is too large to scan comfortably in terminal output.
- Does Pretty Routes work with route caching and large route tables?
- The provided overview does not guarantee behavior with route caching or very large route sets, so treat those as validation items. Test route coverage, cached-route behavior, and rendering performance against a representative route table before making it a team default. If problems appear, fall back to php artisan route:list or custom tooling.
- What are the alternatives to Pretty Routes for inspecting Laravel routes?
- The built-in php artisan route:list command is the primary alternative and remains the safest fallback. You can also build custom internal tooling or rely on API documentation for endpoint inventories. Pretty Routes is best viewed as a convenience layer for development and debugging rather than a production observability or documentation system.
- Is Pretty Routes still maintained?
- The repository is archived, so upstream support should be treated as best-effort rather than vendor-grade. Version 3.9.0 shows the project can still absorb framework-compatibility fixes through community pull requests, which reduces but does not remove the need to fork or patch after Laravel upgrades. Keep the version pinned, avoid assigning it production-critical ownership, and re-review it at each Laravel upgrade.