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Lob Laravel Package
laravel-notification-channels/lob
Laravel Notification Channels Lob adds a notification channel for sending physical mail such as postcards and letters through Lob's API. Define a Lob message in your notification, configure your API key, and deliver mail using Laravel's built-in notification system.
Lob.com notifications channel for Laravel 5.3
Frequently asked questions about Lob
- How do I install laravel-notification-channels/lob in a Laravel app?
- Install it with composer require laravel-notification-channels/lob, publish the package config file, and add your Lob API key to the environment. You also need a Lob account and the lob/lob-php SDK dependency. On Laravel 10 or 11, expect to fork and update the illuminate/* and SDK constraints rather than installing the 2020 release directly.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does this Lob notification channel support?
- The package was built for Laravel 5.3, and its last release in March 2020 pins illuminate/* around ^5.5|^6.0 with PHP ^7.x. It is not a drop-in dependency for Laravel 10 or 11 on PHP 8.2+. Plan on fork-and-bump plus SDK compatibility work, not just a Composer constraint change.
- How do I send a postcard or letter through a Laravel notification with Lob?
- Add the channel to your notification's via() method and implement a toLob() method that returns the Lob payload. Your notifiable model should implement routeNotificationForLob() to return the structured mailing address. Laravel's notification dispatcher then calls the channel's send() method, and queued notifications compose normally with this pattern.
- How does the package resolve the mailing address for the notifiable model?
- The channel expects routeNotificationForLob() on the notifiable to return a structured address with fields such as name, address_line1, address_line2, city, state, zip, and country. That means your model needs dedicated address columns or a related address model, and you must decide whether it is a billing, shipping, or print address. The package does not remove the need to validate and normalize that address before mailing.
- Does laravel-notification-channels/lob support address verification and idempotency keys?
- There is no confirmed support for Lob's address verification endpoint or per-piece idempotency keys in this 2020-era channel. That matters because a queued retry can produce a second physical letter and a second charge. Audit the channel source and add your own verification and idempotency handling if you fork it.
- Is laravel-notification-channels/lob still maintained?
- No. The repository has roughly 11 stars, zero dependents, no release since March 2020, and no evidence of CI, and it comes from a volunteer collective with no SLA. Treat it as a reference implementation or fork rather than a maintained dependency. Assume no upstream fixes for SDK drift or Laravel compatibility.
- What Lob mail types does this channel support?
- The overview describes physical mail such as postcards and letters, but Lob's letters, postcards, and checks APIs use different payload shapes. Confirm the actual toLob() payload shape in the source before assuming coverage for a specific mail type. Checks and other Lob products are unlikely to be supported by a thin 2020 channel.
- Can I test Lob notifications without sending real mail or spending money?
- Lob provides test-mode API keys, so you can point the package at a test key to exercise the pipeline without spending money. For local tests, use Laravel's Notification::fake() to assert the notification was sent without hitting Lob at all. Because the package has no visible CI or test suite, verify test-mode behaviour in a fork before trusting it in production.
- Does the package support Lob webhooks for tracking delivered or returned mail?
- The channel appears to be fire-and-forget and does not document webhook or tracking support for delivered, in-transit, or returned mail. Physical mail failures are asynchronous, so without your own Lob webhook endpoint a routing or payload regression may surface weeks later as returned mail. Add tracking outside the notification channel if delivery status matters.
- What are alternatives if the package is abandoned or incompatible with Laravel 11?
- If the package is abandoned or incompatible, the safest alternative is to call the current lob/lob-php SDK directly from a queued job or a small custom notification channel. Forking this repository and updating illuminate/*, the SDK, and the API version header is also practical because the MIT-licensed surface area is tiny. Avoid relying on an unmaintained channel for production mail without tests and cost controls.
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