- How do I install dragon-code/request-tracker in Laravel?
- Install it with Composer using composer require dragon-code/request-tracker. The package follows Laravel conventions with auto-discovery, so you can publish its config and migrations, then register the tracking middleware in your HTTP kernel or route group. Verify the published config and middleware order in a staging environment before enabling it broadly.
- What data does dragon-code/request-tracker capture for each request?
- The package captures incoming HTTP request details such as method, URL, IP address, user agent, response status, and timing, and stores them through Eloquent models and migrations. Its configurable filters let you ignore routes, bot traffic, and sensitive data before records are persisted. Exact columns and defaults should be checked in the published migration and config for your version.
- Which Laravel versions does dragon-code/request-tracker support?
- The provided package overview does not list explicit Laravel version constraints, so check Composer's illuminate/support requirement and the repository's CI matrix before installing. The package is described as Laravel-native with config and service provider integration, but you should confirm compatibility with your Laravel version, especially for older or newly released majors. Run a small lab spike on your target version before rollout.
- How do I exclude routes or bots from request tracking?
- dragon-code/request-tracker provides configurable filters for ignoring routes, bots, and sensitive data. Publish the package config and define the route patterns or bot rules there; also review middleware registration so only intended route groups are tracked. Test exclusions against real traffic patterns, since filter changes affect what is stored for auditing.
- How do I clean up old request logs with dragon-code/request-tracker?
- The package includes retention and cleanup options for managing stored request records. Configure the retention period in the published config and schedule the cleanup command or job according to the package documentation. Confirm the cleanup strategy against your database size and audit requirements before enabling high-volume tracking.
- Can request-tracker log request timing and status codes?
- Yes. The overview lists captured request details including method, URL, IP, user agent, status, and timing. These fields are persisted through the package's Eloquent model and migrations, so you can query them for debugging, traffic inspection, and simple performance review. For full APM or distributed tracing, use a dedicated backend.
- Does request-tracker work with Laravel Octane or queued jobs?
- The package is middleware-based and targets incoming HTTP requests, so it is not a general queue or job tracing tool. The technical assessment flags Laravel Octane long-running workers and queued jobs as areas to verify, especially if correlation IDs or request-scoped state are involved. Test middleware behavior under Octane and confirm that request context does not leak between requests before relying on it in production.
- Is dragon-code/request-tracker safe for production?
- The package is single-maintainer and has little evidence of production adoption, so treat it as unproven until you verify source, releases, and behavior in a lab spike. Review data governance because request URLs and headers can contain PII or secrets, and audit any correlation header handling in version 1.5.0. Confirm fail-open behavior, overhead, retention, and compatibility across a mixed-version fleet before production rollout.
- Can I use request-tracker for correlation IDs across services?
- The package's core role is capturing and storing incoming HTTP requests, not replacing an APM or distributed-tracing backend. The technical assessment notes a correlation-ID and timing layer, with 1.5.0 introducing TrackerHeader and TrackerUuid classes, but you must verify whether it propagates W3C traceparent/tracestate or a custom header and whether it interoperates with an OpenTelemetry collector. Use it as a lightweight correlation layer only after confirming header naming, ID format, and mixed-version compatibility.
- What alternatives to dragon-code/request-tracker exist for Laravel request logging?
- Alternatives include Laravel Telescope, Sentry, OpenTelemetry-based tracing, and custom correlation-ID middleware, depending on whether you need request auditing, error tracking, or full distributed tracing. dragon-code/request-tracker is focused on storing incoming request history via middleware and Eloquent, so compare it with tools that already cover your observability stack to avoid duplicate instrumentation and conflicting trace IDs. Validate maintenance activity and production evidence for any package before adoption.