How to Build a Simple REST API with Laravel in 2025

Learn how to create a clean and efficient REST API with Laravel in 2025 with this step-by-step guide, perfect for both beginners and experienced developers.

Building APIs is a fundamental task for modern web developers, and Laravel simplifies this process significantly. Whether you're developing a backend for a mobile app, a single-page application, or a microservice, Laravel's robust tools enable you to construct RESTful APIs swiftly and efficiently. In this post, I'll guide you through the process of creating a simple REST API using Laravel 10, the latest stable version in 2025.

In this post, I’ll walk you through creating a simple REST API using Laravel 10 (the latest stable version in 2025).

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Step 1: Setting Up Your Laravel Project

First, make sure you have Composer installed. Then, create a new Laravel project:

composer create-project laravel/laravel laravel-api
cd laravel-api

Step 2: Create a Model and Migration

Let’s say we want to manage "Tasks." We can generate a model and migration with:

bashKopyalaDüzenlephp artisan make:model Task -m

Open the generated migration file (database/migrations/xxxx_xx_xx_create_tasks_table.php) and add some fields:

phpKopyalaDüzenlepublic function up()
{
    Schema::create('tasks', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('title');
        $table->boolean('completed')->default(false);
        $table->timestamps();
    });
}

Run the migration:

bashKopyalaDüzenlephp artisan migrate

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Step 3: Create a Resource Controller

Generate a controller with resource methods:

bashKopyalaDüzenlephp artisan make:controller TaskController --api

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Step 4: Define API Routes

Open routes/api.php and add:

phpKopyalaDüzenleuse App\Http\Controllers\TaskController;

Route::apiResource('tasks', TaskController::class);

This creates all standard RESTful routes for the "tasks" resource.

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Step 5: Implement Controller Methods

Open app/Http/Controllers/TaskController.php and implement the basic CRUD:

phpKopyalaDüzenleuse App\Models\Task;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class TaskController extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        return Task::all();
    }

    public function store(Request $request)
    {
        $validated = $request->validate([
            'title' => 'required|string|max:255',
            'completed' => 'boolean',
        ]);

        $task = Task::create($validated);
        return response()->json($task, 201);
    }

    public function show(Task $task)
    {
        return $task;
    }

    public function update(Request $request, Task $task)
    {
        $validated = $request->validate([
            'title' => 'sometimes|required|string|max:255',
            'completed' => 'sometimes|boolean',
        ]);

        $task->update($validated);
        return response()->json($task);
    }

    public function destroy(Task $task)
    {
        $task->delete();
        return response()->json(null, 204);
    }
}

Don’t forget to allow mass assignment in the Task model (app/Models/Task.php):

phpKopyalaDüzenleprotected $fillable = ['title', 'completed'];

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Step 6: Test Your API

You can now test your API endpoints using tools like Postman or curl:

• GET /api/tasks — List all tasks

• POST /api/tasks — Create a new task

• GET /api/tasks/{id} — Show a single task

• PUT /api/tasks/{id} — Update a task

• DELETE /api/tasks/{id} — Delete a task

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Final Words

With just a few steps, Laravel allows you to build a fully functional REST API. Its clear syntax and built-in features save you a lot of time and effort.

Next, you might want to add authentication, validation, and pagination to make your API ready for production.

Happy coding!

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