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Lob Php Laravel Package
lob/lob-php
Official PHP client for Lob's direct mail automation API. Send letters, postcards, self-mailers, and checks programmatically, verify addresses, and track mailpieces from Laravel or any PHP app using this Composer-installable SDK.
lob/lob-php is the official PHP client for Lob, the print and mail API that lets developers send physical postcards, letters, checks, and self-mailers programmatically. It wraps Lob's REST API in an idiomatic, object-oriented PHP library, so you can integrate direct mail into any PHP or Laravel application with just a few lines of code.
- Full resource coverage: postcards, letters, checks, self-mailers, addresses, and bank accounts
- PSR-compatible HTTP layer built on Guzzle for flexible transport and middleware
- Simple resource API — create, retrieve, list, and delete objects via intuitive methods
- Webhook-friendly design for tracking delivery events and mail status
- Test mode support for safe development without real printing or postage costs
Install with composer require lob/lob-php and authenticate using your Lob API key.
Frequently asked questions about Lob Php
- How do I install lob/lob-php in a Laravel application?
- Install the package with Composer and confirm its PHP and Guzzle constraints match your Laravel project. Add a config/lob.php file for credentials, bind the Lob client as a singleton in a service provider, and wrap SDK calls in an application service. Do not call the SDK directly from controllers or domain code.
- Is lob/lob-php compatible with Laravel 10, 11, and 12?
- The integration assessment indicates it works with Laravel 10, 11, and 12 on PHP 8.1+ via Composer and Guzzle. You should still validate the package's Composer constraints against the exact PHP, Laravel, and Guzzle versions in your application. Pin the SDK version and test upgrades in CI before deployment.
- Should I call the Lob API directly from Laravel controllers?
- No. Direct mail is asynchronous and cost-bearing, so mail creation should not run inline in request paths. Dispatch queued jobs for postcards, letters, checks, and self-mailers, and keep the HTTP request fast. Add idempotency and retry handling so a queued job cannot create duplicate costly mail pieces.
- How should I structure a Laravel integration with lob/lob-php?
- Use a thin adapter: a config file for API keys and settings, a service provider binding the client, a service class that maps SDK responses to DTOs, queued jobs for sends, and a webhook controller. Keep SDK arrays out of domain code so you can later switch to direct HTTP calls or another SDK. Isolate the wrapper behind an interface from the start.
- Does lob/lob-php support idempotency keys and webhooks?
- The SDK is a PHP client for Lob's API, but the integration assessment recommends verifying idempotency and webhook support in the source before relying on it. Even if the SDK exposes these features, your Laravel wrapper should own idempotency keys, webhook signature verification, retries, and reconciliation. Treat webhook loss and replay as production concerns that need explicit handling.
- How can I test Lob mail sending in Laravel without incurring costs?
- Use Lob test API keys and a shadow mode that exercises the full mail-piece lifecycle without sending real mail. Queue jobs in your test environment, assert DTO mapping and idempotency behavior, and confirm webhook handling with simulated payloads. Only switch to live credentials after a bounded pilot and a cost and compliance review.
- What are the production risks of using lob/lob-php?
- Risks include API version drift, thin SDK abstractions, duplicate sends, irreversible mail-piece costs, webhook loss, rate-limit handling, and PII or compliance exposure. The package also has low adoption signals and an unknown repository, which increases maintenance uncertainty. Mitigate with pinned versions, queued jobs, idempotency, backoff retries, webhook reconciliation, secret management, and alerting.
- Is lob/lob-php the official Lob-maintained PHP SDK?
- The package is described as an official PHP client library for Lob's API, but the technical assessment flags low adoption signals and an unknown repository. Before treating it as a strategic dependency, confirm with Lob whether it is officially maintained and what release and security policies apply. If official support is unconfirmed, keep the SDK behind your own adapter so it can be replaced.
- How do I handle Lob webhooks in a Laravel application?
- Add a dedicated webhook route and controller, verify signatures according to Lob's documentation, and reconcile events against your stored mail-piece records. Log webhook payloads, handle retries and duplicate events idempotently, and route repeated failures to a dead-letter queue. Do not let webhook processing block the HTTP response; dispatch follow-up work to queues.
- What alternatives or migration path should I consider for lob/lob-php?
- Start with one bounded use case behind a Laravel interface, such as transactional letters or marketing postcards, and use Lob test keys before production. If the SDK proves unsuitable, replace it with direct HTTP calls or another Lob-supported client without changing callers. Pin the SDK version, isolate the wrapper, and document an upgrade and migration procedure in your runbook.
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