Weave Code
Laravel Browser Filter Laravel Package
spinen/laravel-browser-filter
Laravel middleware that blocks requests from specified browsers and devices using browser-filter rules. Define allowed or denied user agents in config and redirect or reject unsupported visitors before they reach your routes.
Laravel middleware to filter routes based on browser types & versions.
Frequently asked questions about Laravel Browser Filter
- What does spinen/laravel-browser-filter do?
- It is a Laravel HTTP middleware package for gating route groups by detected browser type and version. You define allowed or denied user agents in configuration, and the middleware redirects or rejects unsupported visitors before requests reach your routes. It fits legacy UI compatibility policies, not API or security enforcement.
- How do I install spinen/laravel-browser-filter in a Laravel app?
- Install it with Composer using composer require spinen/laravel-browser-filter, then register the middleware in Laravel’s HTTP kernel or attach it to a route group. Because the package dates from the Laravel 5.x era, confirm its Composer constraints against your Laravel and PHP versions before committing. Run a short compatibility spike in a non-production branch first.
- How do I configure allowed or denied browsers and devices?
- Configuration is rule-based: you maintain allow or deny lists of browser types and versions, and the middleware evaluates the incoming User-Agent against them. The exact config keys depend on the package version, so review the package config file and source. Keep the support matrix documented outside the middleware so product and support teams own the policy.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions are supported?
- The last release was 2018-04-05, so assume it targets Laravel 5.x-era applications and PHP 7.x unless your Composer resolution proves otherwise. For Laravel 9, 10, 11, or PHP 8.1+, treat compatibility as unproven and validate constraints, middleware registration, and transitive dependencies in a time-boxed spike. Do not assume modern framework support from the package name alone.
- Can I limit browser filtering to specific routes or route groups?
- Yes, the package is middleware, so the intended pattern is to attach it to selected route groups rather than globally. Apply it only to HTML UI routes and avoid APIs, health checks, auth callbacks, and static assets. Start with one non-critical route group behind a feature flag.
- What happens when a visitor uses an unsupported browser?
- The package supports blocking or redirecting based on browser-filter rules, so behavior depends on how you configure the middleware. A common pattern is redirecting unsupported browsers to an upgrade notice, while denied agents are rejected. Ensure the fallback response is accessible, cacheable, and does not create redirect loops.
- Is laravel-browser-filter a security control for bots and spoofed user agents?
- No, browser filtering is a UX and compatibility policy layer, not a security control. User-Agent strings are easy to spoof, and bots, empty UAs, and proxy or CDN-normalized UAs can produce false positives. Do not use this middleware to protect authentication, APIs, or critical flows.
- How should I test browser filtering before rolling it out?
- Test a representative browser and device matrix, including supported versions, unsupported versions, unknown User-Agents, empty UAs, and spoofed UAs. Prototype in non-production and isolate the middleware behind a feature flag so you can compare block and redirect rates. Verify route-level behavior for the exact route groups you plan to gate.
- What are the production risks of using this middleware?
- The main risks are stale browser detection data, abandoned or constrained Composer dependencies, missing support for current Laravel and PHP releases, false positives blocking legitimate users, and User-Agent spoofing. The package had only 20 stars and a 2018 release, which signals low ecosystem momentum and limited upstream fixes. Treat it as high maintenance relative to value and plan for an internal fork if you adopt it.
- Is spinen/laravel-browser-filter maintained, and what are the alternatives?
- The project’s last release was 2018-04-05 with low adoption, so it is best treated as a reference implementation rather than a core dependency. A safer long-term alternative is an internal Laravel middleware that wraps a maintained browser detector and reads from a configuration-driven support matrix. You can also fork the package to preserve its route-level contract while owning updates and compatibility.
Weaver
How can I help you explore Laravel packages today?