Laravel

Introduction to Laravel Response

Every Laravel application sends a response back to the browser or client after handling a request. It can be plain text, JSON, an HTML view, a file download, or even a redirect.

Laravel makes working with responses very clean using the response() helper and the Illuminate\Http\Response class.

In this guide, we will explore:

  • Basic Laravel responses

  • JSON & API responses

  • File & streaming responses

  • Redirect responses

  • Response headers, status codes, and cookies

  • Caching and dispatching after response

  • Testing responses in Laravel

1- Basic Responses

Response Type Description Example Code
Basic Text Response Return simple text using response() helper.

return response('Hello World');
View Response Return Blade view as response. return view('welcome');
Set Status Code Send response with specific HTTP status code. return response('Created', 201);
Get Status Code Retrieve status code from response.

$res = response('OK');

$res->getStatusCode();
Add Headers Attach custom headers to response. return response('Hi')->header('X-Custom','Yes');
Add Headers (Global) Add headers to all responses using middleware.

$response = $next($request);

$response->header('X-App','Laravel');
Set Cookies Attach cookies with response. return response('Hi')->cookie('theme','dark',60);
Abort Responses Quickly send error response and stop execution.

abort(404);

abort_if(!$user,404);

2- JSON Responses

Response Type Description Example Code
Basic JSON Return array/object as JSON. return response()->json(['name'=>'Ahmad']);
JSON with Status Code Include HTTP status in JSON response. return response()->json(['msg'=>'Created'],201);
From Controller Return model data as JSON from controller. return response()->json(User::all());
Force JSON Force all responses to be JSON (via headers). $request->headers->set('Accept','application/json');
Pagination JSON Laravel automatically formats paginated data. return User::paginate(10);
Cache JSON Cache API/JSON data for performance. Cache::remember('users',60,fn()=>User::all());

4- API Response Best Practices

Response Type Description Example Code
Standard Format Structured API response with status, message, data. return response()->json(['status'=>'success','message'=>'Done','data'=>$user]);
API Resources Transform model data safely. return new UserResource($user);
Unauthorized Response Send 401 if user not authorized. return response()->json(['error'=>'Unauthorized'],401);
Measure API Response Time Use middleware to log execution time. Custom middleware
Mock API Response Fake API responses during testing. Http::fake(['api.com/*'=>Http::response(['test'=>true],200)]);

5- File & Stream Responses

Response Type Description Example Code
File Response Display file directly in browser. return response()->file(storage_path('app/manual.pdf'));
Download Response Force browser download of a file. return response()->download(storage_path('app/report.csv'));
Streamed Response Send large/dynamic data as a stream. return response()->streamDownload(fn()=>echo 'Big data','data.txt');

6- Redirect Responses

Response Type Description Example Code
Simple Redirect Redirect user to a given path. return redirect('/home');
Redirect to Named Route Redirect using a route name. return redirect()->route('dashboard');
Redirect Back with Data Send back with flash message. return back()->with('success','User created');
Redirect Back with Errors Redirect back with validation errors. return back()->withErrors(['email'=>'Taken']);

7- Response Middleware & After Response

Response Type Description Example Code
Response Middleware Modify every response globally.

$res = $next($request);

$res->header('X-App','Laravel');
Dispatch After Response Run jobs after response is sent. SomeJob::dispatchAfterResponse();
Cache Full Response Cache full HTML/JSON response. Cache::remember('home',60,fn()=>response(view('home')));

8- Testing Responses

Response Type Description Example Code
Status Testing Check status codes. $response->assertStatus(200);
JSON Testing Verify returned JSON data. $response->assertJson(['name'=>'Ahmad']);
View Testing Confirm correct view is returned. $response->assertViewIs('users.index');
Redirect Testing Ensure correct redirect is triggered. $response->assertRedirect('/home');

 

Conclusion

Laravel gives you a powerful and clean way to handle every kind of response: simple HTML, JSON for APIs, file downloads, redirects, and even streaming large data.

By following these best practices — using proper status codes, headers, caching, and testing — you can build fast and reliable applications that respond correctly to every request.

  Previous
Next