Laravel + Livewire: Best Practices for Building Modern Web Applications

After building numerous applications with Laravel and Livewire, I've learned what works, what doesn't, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Here are my top recommendations for building robust, maintainable applications with this powerful combination.

Why Laravel + Livewire?

Before diving into best practices, let's understand why this combination is so effective:

• Laravel provides a mature, feature-rich backend framework
• Livewire brings reactive frontend capabilities without writing JavaScript
• Together they create a seamless full-stack development experience

1. Component Organization

Keep Components Focused

Each Livewire component should have a single, clear responsibility. If a component is doing too much, break it down:

// ❌ Bad: Component doing too much
class UserDashboard extends Component
{
    public function render()
    {
        // Handles user profile, settings, notifications, etc.
    }
}

// ✅ Good: Focused components
class UserProfile extends Component { }
class UserSettings extends Component { }
class UserNotifications extends Component { }

Use Nested Components

Break complex UIs into smaller, reusable components:

// Parent component
class PollBuilder extends Component
{
    public function render()
    {
        return view('livewire.poll-builder');
    }
}

// Child component
class QuestionEditor extends Component
{
    public $question;
    
    public function render()
    {
        return view('livewire.question-editor');
    }
}

2. Data Loading Strategies

Eager Loading Relationships

Always eager load relationships to avoid N+1 query problems:

// ❌ Bad: N+1 queries
public function render()
{
    $polls = Poll::all();
    return view('livewire.polls', ['polls' => $polls]);
}

// ✅ Good: Eager loading
public function render()
{
    $polls = Poll::with(['user', 'votes', 'tags'])->get();
    return view('livewire.polls', ['polls' => $polls]);
}

Computed Properties

Use computed properties for derived data:

// ✅ Good: Computed property
#[Computed]
public function totalVotes()
{
    return $this->poll->votes()->count();
}

// In the view
<div>Total Votes: {{ $this->totalVotes }}</div>

3. Performance Optimization

Use Pagination

For large datasets, always use pagination:

use Livewire\WithPagination;

class PollList extends Component
{
    use WithPagination;
    
    public function render()
    {
        return view('livewire.poll-list', [
            'polls' => Poll::paginate(12)
        ]);
    }
}

Debounce User Input

For search and filtering, debounce the input:

// In your Blade template
<input 
    type="text" 
    wire:model.live.debounce.300ms="search"
    placeholder="Search polls..."
>

Polling Wisely

Use polling sparingly and with appropriate intervals:

// ✅ Good: Reasonable polling interval
<div wire:poll.5s>
    <!-- Content that updates every 5 seconds -->
</div>

// ❌ Bad: Too frequent polling
<div wire:poll.100ms>
    <!-- This will hammer your server -->
</div>

4. State Management

Use Public Properties Wisely

Only make properties public if they need to be reactive:

// ✅ Good: Public for reactivity
public $search = '';
public $selectedTag = null;

// ✅ Good: Private for internal use
private $cachedResults = null;

Avoid Storing Large Objects

Don't store entire Eloquent models in component state:

// ❌ Bad: Storing full model
public $poll; // Entire model serialized

// ✅ Good: Store only what you need
public $pollId;
public $pollTitle;

5. Security Best Practices

Validate All Input

Always validate user input:

protected $rules = [
    'title' => 'required|string|max:255',
    'description' => 'nullable|string|max:1000',
    'tags' => 'array|max:5',
];

public function save()
{
    $this->validate();
    // Save logic
}

Authorize Actions

Use Laravel's authorization:

public function delete()
{
    $this->authorize('delete', $this->poll);
    $this->poll->delete();
}

Protect Against CSRF

Livewire handles CSRF automatically, but ensure your forms include the token:

<form wire:submit="save">
    @csrf
    <!-- Form fields -->
</form>

6. Testing Strategies

Test Component Behavior

Test your Livewire components like any other class:

use Livewire\Livewire;

test('poll can be created', function () {
    Livewire::test(CreatePoll::class)
        ->set('title', 'My Poll')
        ->set('description', 'Poll description')
        ->call('save')
        ->assertHasNoErrors();
});

Test User Interactions

Test the full user flow:

test('user can vote on poll', function () {
    $poll = Poll::factory()->create();
    
    Livewire::test(VoteOnPoll::class, ['poll' => $poll])
        ->set('selectedOption', 1)
        ->call('vote')
        ->assertSee('Thank you for voting!');
});

7. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Over-using Livewire

Not everything needs to be a Livewire component. Use it for:

• ✅ Interactive forms
• ✅ Real-time updates
• ✅ Dynamic content

Avoid it for:

• ❌ Static content
• ❌ Simple links
• ❌ Pure CSS animations

2. Ignoring Database Queries

Always check your queries:

// Use Laravel Debugbar or Telescope
DB::enableQueryLog();
// Your code
dd(DB::getQueryLog());

3. Forgetting to Clean Up

Clean up listeners and subscriptions:

public function mount()
{
    $this->listeners = ['pollUpdated' => 'refresh'];
}

public function dehydrate()
{
    // Cleanup if needed
}

8. Deployment Considerations

Optimize for Production

• Run php artisan optimize before deployment
• Clear caches: php artisan cache:clear
• Compile assets: npm run build

Monitor Performance

Use tools like Laravel Telescope or Debugbar in development, but disable them in production.

Conclusion

Laravel + Livewire is a powerful combination that can dramatically speed up development while maintaining code quality. The key is understanding when to use Livewire and following these best practices.

Ready to build your next application? I specialize in Laravel and Livewire development. Contact me to discuss your project.

-Michael