developing-with-ai-sdk
Developing with the Laravel AI SDK
The Laravel AI SDK (laravel/ai) is the official AI package for Laravel, providing a unified API for agents, images, audio, transcription, embeddings, reranking, vector stores, and file management across multiple AI providers.
Searching the Documentation
This package is new. Always search the documentation before implementing any feature. Never guess at APIs — the documentation is the single source of truth.
- Use broad, simple queries that match the documentation section headings below.
- Do not add package names to queries — package information is shared automatically. Use
test agent fake, notlaravel ai test agent fake. - Run multiple queries at once — the most relevant results are returned first.
Documentation Sections
Use these section headings as query terms for accurate results:
- Introduction, Installation, Configuration, Provider Support
- Agents: Prompting, Conversation Context, Structured Output, Attachments, Streaming, Broadcasting, Queueing, Tools, Provider Tools, Middleware, Anonymous Agents, Agent Configuration
- Images
- Audio (TTS)
- Transcription (STT)
- Embeddings: Querying Embeddings, Caching Embeddings
- Reranking
- Files
- Vector Stores: Adding Files to Stores
- Failover
- Testing: Agents, Images, Audio, Transcriptions, Embeddings, Reranking, Files, Vector Stores
- Events
Decision Workflow
Determine the right entry point before writing code:
Text generation or chat? → Agent class with Promptable trait
Chat with conversation history? → Agent + Conversational interface (manual) or RemembersConversations trait (automatic)
Structured JSON output? → Agent + HasStructuredOutput interface
Image generation? → Image::of()->generate()
Audio synthesis? → Audio::of()->generate()
Transcription? → Transcription::fromPath()->generate()
Embeddings? → Embeddings::for()->generate()
Reranking? → Reranking::of()->rerank()
File storage? → Document::fromPath()->put()
Vector stores? → Stores::create()
Basic Usage Examples
Agents
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Agent;
use Laravel\Ai\Promptable;
class SalesCoach implements Agent
{
use Promptable;
public function instructions(): string
{
return 'You are a sales coach.';
}
}
// Prompting
$response = (new SalesCoach)->prompt('Analyze this transcript...');
echo $response->text;
// Streaming (returns SSE response from a route)
return (new SalesCoach)->stream('Analyze this transcript...');
// Queueing
(new SalesCoach)->queue('Analyze this transcript...')
->then(fn ($response) => /* ... */);
// Anonymous agents
use function Laravel\Ai\{agent};
$response = agent(instructions: 'You are a helpful assistant.')->prompt('Hello');
Conversation Context
Manual conversation history via the Conversational interface:
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Agent;
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Conversational;
use Laravel\Ai\Messages\Message;
use Laravel\Ai\Promptable;
class SalesCoach implements Agent, Conversational
{
use Promptable;
public function __construct(public User $user) {}
public function instructions(): string { return 'You are a sales coach.'; }
public function messages(): iterable
{
return History::where('user_id', $this->user->id)
->latest()->limit(50)->get()->reverse()
->map(fn ($m) => new Message($m->role, $m->content))
->all();
}
}
Automatic conversation persistence via the RemembersConversations trait:
use Laravel\Ai\Concerns\RemembersConversations;
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Agent;
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Conversational;
use Laravel\Ai\Promptable;
class SalesCoach implements Agent, Conversational
{
use Promptable, RemembersConversations;
public function instructions(): string { return 'You are a sales coach.'; }
}
// Start a new conversation
$response = (new SalesCoach)->forUser($user)->prompt('Hello!');
$conversationId = $response->conversationId;
// Continue an existing conversation
$response = (new SalesCoach)->continue($conversationId, as: $user)->prompt('Tell me more.');
Structured Output
use Illuminate\Contracts\JsonSchema\JsonSchema;
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Agent;
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\HasStructuredOutput;
use Laravel\Ai\Promptable;
class Reviewer implements Agent, HasStructuredOutput
{
use Promptable;
public function instructions(): string { return 'Review and score content.'; }
public function schema(JsonSchema $schema): array
{
return [
'feedback' => $schema->string()->required(),
'score' => $schema->integer()->min(1)->max(10)->required(),
];
}
}
$response = (new Reviewer)->prompt('Review this...');
echo $response['score']; // Access like an array
Images
use Laravel\Ai\Image;
$image = Image::of('A sunset over mountains')
->landscape()
->quality('high')
->generate();
$path = $image->store(); // Store to default disk
Audio
use Laravel\Ai\Audio;
$audio = Audio::of('Hello from Laravel.')
->female()
->instructions('Speak warmly')
->generate();
$path = $audio->store();
Transcription
use Laravel\Ai\Transcription;
$transcript = Transcription::fromStorage('audio.mp3')
->diarize()
->generate();
echo (string) $transcript;
Embeddings
use Laravel\Ai\Embeddings;
use Illuminate\Support\Str;
$response = Embeddings::for(['Text one', 'Text two'])
->dimensions(1536)
->cache()
->generate();
// Single string via Stringable
$embedding = Str::of('Napa Valley has great wine.')->toEmbeddings();
Reranking
use Laravel\Ai\Reranking;
$response = Reranking::of(['Django is Python.', 'Laravel is PHP.', 'React is JS.'])
->limit(5)
->rerank('PHP frameworks');
$response->first()->document; // "Laravel is PHP."
Files and Vector Stores
use Laravel\Ai\Files\Document;
use Laravel\Ai\Stores;
// Store a file with the provider
$file = Document::fromPath('/path/to/doc.pdf')->put();
// Create a vector store and add files
$store = Stores::create('Knowledge Base');
$store->add($file->id);
$store->add(Document::fromStorage('manual.pdf')); // Store + add in one step
Agent Configuration
PHP Attributes
use Laravel\Ai\Attributes\{Provider, MaxSteps, MaxTokens, Temperature, Timeout};
#[Provider('anthropic')]
#[MaxSteps(10)]
#[MaxTokens(4096)]
#[Temperature(0.7)]
#[Timeout(120)]
class MyAgent implements Agent
{
use Promptable;
// ...
}
The #[UseCheapestModel] and #[UseSmartestModel] attributes are also available for automatic model selection.
Tools
Implement the HasTools interface and scaffold tools with php artisan make:tool:
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\HasTools;
class MyAgent implements Agent, HasTools
{
use Promptable;
public function tools(): iterable
{
return [new MyCustomTool];
}
}
Provider Tools
use Laravel\Ai\Providers\Tools\{WebSearch, WebFetch, FileSearch};
public function tools(): iterable
{
return [
(new WebSearch)->max(5)->allow(['laravel.com']),
new WebFetch,
new FileSearch(stores: ['store_id']),
];
}
Conversation Memory
use Laravel\Ai\Concerns\RemembersConversations;
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Conversational;
class ChatBot implements Agent, Conversational
{
use Promptable, RemembersConversations;
// ...
}
$response = (new ChatBot)->forUser($user)->prompt('Hello!');
$response = (new ChatBot)->continue($conversationId, as: $user)->prompt('More...');
Failover
$response = (new MyAgent)->prompt('Hello', provider: ['openai', 'anthropic']);
Testing and Faking
Each capability supports fake() with assertions:
use App\Ai\Agents\SalesCoach;
use Laravel\Ai\{Image, Audio, Transcription, Embeddings, Reranking, Files, Stores};
// Agents
SalesCoach::fake(['Response 1', 'Response 2']);
SalesCoach::assertPrompted('query');
SalesCoach::assertNotPrompted('query');
SalesCoach::assertNeverPrompted();
SalesCoach::fake()->preventStrayPrompts();
// Images
Image::fake();
Image::assertGenerated(fn ($prompt) => $prompt->contains('sunset'));
Image::assertNothingGenerated();
// Audio
Audio::fake();
Audio::assertGenerated(fn ($prompt) => $prompt->contains('Hello'));
// Transcription
Transcription::fake(['Transcribed text.']);
Transcription::assertGenerated(fn ($prompt) => $prompt->isDiarized());
// Embeddings
Embeddings::fake();
Embeddings::assertGenerated(fn ($prompt) => $prompt->contains('Laravel'));
// Reranking
Reranking::fake();
Reranking::assertReranked(fn ($prompt) => $prompt->contains('PHP'));
// Files
Files::fake();
Files::assertStored(fn ($file) => $file->mimeType() === 'text/plain');
// Stores
Stores::fake();
Stores::assertCreated('Knowledge Base');
$store = Stores::get('id');
$store->assertAdded('file_id');
Key Patterns
- Namespace:
Laravel\Ai\ - Package:
composer require laravel/ai - Agent pattern: Implement the
Agentinterface and use thePromptabletrait - Optional interfaces:
HasTools,HasMiddleware,HasStructuredOutput,Conversational - Entry-point classes:
Image,Audio,Transcription,Embeddings,Reranking,Stores - Artisan commands:
php artisan make:agent,php artisan make:tool - Global helper:
agent()for anonymous agents
Common Pitfalls
Wrong Namespace
The namespace is Laravel\Ai, not Illuminate\Ai or Laravel\AI.
// Correct
use Laravel\Ai\Image;
use Laravel\Ai\Contracts\Agent;
use Laravel\Ai\Promptable;
// Wrong — these do not exist
use Illuminate\Ai\Image;
use Laravel\AI\Agent;
Unsupported Provider Capability
Calling a capability not supported by a provider throws a LogicException. Refer to the provider support table below.
Never Use Prism Directly
Use agents and entry-point classes (Image, Audio, etc.) — not Prism::text() directly. The AI SDK wraps Prism internally.
Provider Support
| Provider | Text | Image | Audio | STT | Embeddings | Reranking | Files | Stores |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | - | Y | Y |
| Anthropic | Y | - | - | - | - | - | Y | - |
| Gemini | Y | Y | - | - | Y | - | Y | Y |
| xAI | Y | Y | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Groq | Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| OpenRouter | Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| ElevenLabs | - | - | Y | Y | - | - | - | - |
| Cohere | - | - | - | - | Y | Y | - | - |
| Jina | - | - | - | - | Y | Y | - | - |