- How do I install pxlrbt/filament-excel in a Laravel Filament app?
- Install it with Composer using composer require pxlrbt/filament-excel, then add the export action to a Filament table or resource. There is no separate service or frontend to deploy, because the package is a plugin that hooks into Filament's table and action abstractions. Exports are defined where the table itself is defined, so setup is essentially a trait or action plus optional config publishing. Check that your PHP version meets the 8.2 or higher requirement before installing.
- Which Filament versions does pxlrbt/filament-excel support?
- Support is tiered by package major: version 2.x targets Filament v3, versions 3.0 through 3.3 target Filament v4, and version 3.4 and above target Filament v5. Because the package tracks Filament closely, a Filament major upgrade becomes a coupled two-package upgrade rather than a routine bump. Pin both packages deliberately and check the support matrix before planning a Filament upgrade.
- Can Filament Excel exports run in a background queue?
- Yes. Exports can run synchronously or be pushed onto a queue with a configurable connection and queue name, a capability added in version 3.6.0. Results are surfaced through Filament's notification system, including database notifications. Version 3.5.0 added authentication of the user inside the queue worker, so keep that as a minimum constraint if you queue exports.
- How do I control exported columns and keep date, money and numeric formatting accurate?
- Exports reuse the same Filament TextColumn modifiers that render the table, so numeric, money, date and time formatting is defined once. You can add custom columns and use escape hatches such as modifyQueryUsing, useTableQuery and modifyModelUsing, plus append or prepend custom sheets. The changelog shows a recurring class of formatting and mounting bugs, with fixes in releases like 3.1.1 and 3.4.1, so add acceptance tests comparing exported values against the on-screen table for each resource.
- Does this package also import spreadsheets into Laravel models?
- Yes. Filament Excel adds import as well as export, letting you load spreadsheet data straight into your Eloquent models from a Filament resource or table. That makes it useful for admin workflows that need round-trip data handling. Import shares the same plugin architecture, so it lives in the same Filament application with no extra service boundary.
- Is pxlrbt/filament-excel safe to use in production?
- The package has a security history worth knowing: signed middleware for the download route was introduced in 2.3.3 and 1.1.14 after a reported vulnerability, and 3.5.0 added user authentication inside the queue worker. Floor your Composer constraint at 3.5.0 or higher and treat generated files as access-controlled artifacts rather than public URLs. Combine that with tenant scopes and resource policies so export queries are constrained the same way the table is.
- Does the export respect table sorting, filters, relationships and enum labels?
- Yes. Sort order, filters, relationship columns, enum HasLabel labels, boolean casting and multi-sheet output are handled by the package rather than hand-rolled. That is the main architectural benefit, since the export inherits the behavior of the Filament table it is attached to. Relationship and boolean handling have had bugs in past releases, so verify those specific columns in your acceptance tests.
- What are the alternatives if I need exports outside the Filament admin panel?
- This package is the UI layer only. If your roadmap includes API endpoints, CLI commands or scheduled distribution to external parties, you still need a direct Laravel Excel or PhpSpreadsheet path. Filament Excel is the lowest-effort choice when the target data already lives in a Filament table. If it does not, a standalone export engine is a better fit.
- What PHP extensions and memory do large Filament Excel exports need?
- File generation is delegated to Laravel Excel and PhpSpreadsheet, which require the zip and XML PHP extensions. Each export carries real memory cost proportional to row and column count, which is an infrastructure concern rather than just a Composer dependency. Measure your p95 and maximum export size and make sure queue workers have sufficient memory headroom before enabling queued exports.
- Is pxlrbt/filament-excel actively maintained and what is the bus factor?
- It is maintained primarily by one author with community pull requests, with around 460 GitHub stars and a steady release cadence. Packagist shows no indexed dependents, which is weak evidence of broad production adoption, so plan accordingly. The MIT license and small surface area mean an in-house fork or patch is viable, which materially reduces abandonment risk.