Laravel Boost

Overview

Laravel Boost is an official Laravel package that accelerates AI-assisted development by providing composable guidelines, on-demand agent skills, an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, and a documentation API with semantic search across 17,000+ Laravel-specific knowledge pieces. It bridges AI coding tools and the Laravel ecosystem, ensuring that AI agents generate high-quality, convention-compliant Laravel code.

Apply this skill when setting up, configuring, or extending Laravel Boost in a project, or when integrating AI agents with a Laravel application.

Multi-Phase Process

Phase 1: Assessment

1. Confirm Laravel version compatibility (10.x, 11.x, 12.x)
2. Identify the AI IDE or agent in use (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, Junie)
3. Check if an MCP configuration already exists (.mcp.json)
4. Review existing guideline and skill customizations in .ai/

STOP — Do NOT install Boost without confirming Laravel version compatibility and target IDE.

Phase 2: Installation and Configuration

1. Install the package and run the installer
2. Configure MCP server for the target IDE
3. Set up automatic updates via Composer hooks
4. Verify MCP tools are accessible from the AI agent

STOP — Do NOT proceed until MCP server connectivity is verified with at least one tool call.

Phase 3: Customization

1. Add project-specific guidelines in .ai/guidelines/
2. Create domain-specific skills in .ai/skills/
3. Override built-in guidelines or skills where project conventions differ
4. Register custom agents if extending to unsupported IDEs

STOP — Do NOT override built-in guidelines unless project conventions genuinely differ from Laravel defaults.

Phase 4: Validation

1. Confirm MCP server responds to tool calls (Application Info, Database Schema, Search Docs)
2. Verify guidelines load in the AI agent's context window
3. Test skill activation for domain-relevant tasks
4. Check that boost:update keeps resources current after dependency changes

IDE Setup Decision Table

IDE / Agent	Setup Method	Configuration File
Claude Code	CLI command	.mcp.json (auto-generated)
Codex	CLI command	.mcp.json
Gemini CLI	CLI command	.mcp.json
Cursor	Command Palette GUI	.cursor/mcp.json
GitHub Copilot	Command Palette GUI	.mcp.json
Junie	Settings GUI	.mcp.json
Custom / Unsupported	Custom agent class	Manual MCP config

Installation

# Install as a development dependency
composer require laravel/boost --dev

# Run the installer — generates .mcp.json, guideline files, and boost.json
php artisan boost:install

The installer generates:

• .mcp.json — MCP server configuration for IDE integration
• Guideline files (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, etc.) tailored to detected packages
• boost.json — Boost configuration file

IDE-Specific MCP Setup

IDE / Agent	Setup Command or Action
Claude Code	claude mcp add -s local -t stdio laravel-boost php artisan boost:mcp
Codex	codex mcp add laravel-boost -- php "artisan" "boost:mcp"
Gemini CLI	gemini mcp add -s project -t stdio laravel-boost php artisan boost:mcp
Cursor	Command Palette -> "Open MCP Settings" -> toggle on laravel-boost
GitHub Copilot	Command Palette -> "MCP: List Servers" -> select laravel-boost -> "Start server"
Junie	Shift-Shift -> "MCP Settings" -> check laravel-boost -> Apply

Manual MCP Configuration

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "laravel-boost": {
            "command": "php",
            "args": ["artisan", "boost:mcp"]
        }
    }
}

Keeping Resources Updated

# Manual update after dependency changes
php artisan boost:update

# Automatic updates — add to composer.json scripts
{
    "scripts": {
        "post-update-cmd": [
            "@php artisan boost:update --ansi"
        ]
    }
}

MCP Server Tools

Laravel Boost exposes the following tools through its MCP server, giving AI agents direct access to application context:

Tool	Purpose	Typical Use
Application Info	Read PHP and Laravel versions, database engine, ecosystem packages, Eloquent models	Context discovery at session start
Database Schema	Read full database schema	Migration planning, model generation
Database Query	Execute queries against the database	Data inspection, debugging
Database Connections	Inspect available database connections	Multi-database configuration
Search Docs	Semantic search across Laravel documentation API	Finding best practices, API references
Last Error	Read the most recent application log error	Debugging workflow
Read Log Entries	Read last N log entries	Monitoring, debugging
Browser Logs	Read logs and errors from browser	Frontend debugging
Get Absolute URL	Convert relative path URIs to absolute URLs	Link generation

AI Guidelines

Guidelines are composable instruction files loaded upfront into the AI agent's context, providing broad conventions and best practices.

Available Built-in Guidelines

Package	Versions Supported
Laravel Framework	Core, 10.x, 11.x, 12.x
Livewire	Core, 2.x, 3.x, 4.x
Flux UI	Core, Free, Pro
Inertia	React, Vue, Svelte (1.x-3.x)
Tailwind CSS	Core, 3.x, 4.x
Pest	Core, 3.x, 4.x
PHPUnit, Pint, Sail, Pennant, Volt, Wayfinder, Folio, Herd, MCP	Core

Custom Guidelines

Create .blade.php or .md files in .ai/guidelines/:

.ai/guidelines/team-conventions.md
.ai/guidelines/billing/stripe-patterns.blade.php

Override a built-in guideline by matching its path:

.ai/guidelines/inertia-react/2/forms.blade.php

Third-Party Package Guidelines

Package authors can ship guidelines at:

resources/boost/guidelines/core.blade.php

Agent Skills

Skills are on-demand knowledge modules activated only when relevant, reducing context window bloat.

Available Built-in Skills

Skill	Domain
livewire-development	Livewire components and reactivity
inertia-react-development	Inertia.js with React
inertia-vue-development	Inertia.js with Vue
inertia-svelte-development	Inertia.js with Svelte
pest-testing	Pest test patterns
fluxui-development	Flux UI components
folio-routing	Folio page-based routing
tailwindcss-development	Tailwind CSS utility classes
volt-development	Volt single-file Livewire components
pennant-development	Pennant feature flags
wayfinder-development	Wayfinder type-safe routing
mcp-development	MCP server/tool development

Custom Skills

Create .ai/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md:

---
name: invoice-management
description: Build and work with invoice features including PDF generation and payment tracking.
---

# Invoice Management

## When to use this skill
Use when working with the invoicing module...

Guidelines vs Skills Decision Table

Question	Guidelines	Skills
When is it loaded?	Always — upfront context	On-demand — when the task matches
How broad is the scope?	Foundational conventions	Focused implementation patterns
Impact on context window?	Constant (always present)	Minimal (loaded only when needed)
Best for?	Coding standards, package versions	Step-by-step implementation guides
Content changes often?	Rarely (stable conventions)	Frequently (evolving patterns)
Team-wide applicability?	High (everyone follows)	Varies (domain-specific)

Documentation API

Boost provides semantic search across 17,000+ documentation pieces covering:

Package	Versions
Laravel Framework	10.x, 11.x, 12.x
Filament	2.x, 3.x, 4.x, 5.x
Flux UI	2.x Free, 2.x Pro
Inertia	1.x, 2.x
Livewire	1.x, 2.x, 3.x, 4.x
Nova	4.x, 5.x
Pest	3.x, 4.x
Tailwind CSS	3.x, 4.x

The Search Docs MCP tool queries this API. Guidelines and skills automatically instruct agents to use it when they need implementation details.

When to Use vs When Not Needed

Scenario	Use Laravel Boost?	Why
Laravel project with AI-assisted development	Yes	Primary use case
Team uses Cursor, Claude Code, Copilot, or other AI IDE	Yes	MCP integration improves output
Need consistent Laravel conventions across AI-generated code	Yes	Guidelines enforce standards
Non-Laravel PHP project	No	Boost is Laravel-specific
No AI coding tools in workflow	No	Boost's value is in AI agent integration
Production runtime performance optimization	No	Boost is dev-time only, not a runtime optimizer
Already have comprehensive custom AI prompts	Optional	Boost may supplement or replace them

Extending Boost

Custom Agent Registration

For AI tools not supported out of the box:

// In AppServiceProvider::boot()
use Laravel\Boost\Boost;

Boost::registerAgent('custom-ide', CustomAgent::class);

The custom agent class must extend Laravel\Boost\Install\Agents\Agent and implement the relevant interfaces:

• SupportsGuidelines — for guideline file generation
• SupportsMcp — for MCP server configuration
• SupportsSkills — for skill file generation

Anti-Patterns / Common Mistakes

Anti-Pattern	Why It Fails	What To Do Instead
Installing in production	Boost is dev-time only, adds unnecessary overhead	Use composer require --dev
Overriding every built-in guideline	Drifts from Laravel core team recommendations	Override only where project genuinely differs
Ignoring boost:update	Guidelines fall out of sync with installed packages	Run after every composer update
Overly broad custom skills	Wastes context window tokens when activated	Focus each skill on a single domain
Skipping MCP verification	Misconfigured MCP silently degrades AI agent quality	Test tool calls after installation
Not committing .mcp.json	Team members get inconsistent AI agent experience	Commit to version control
Mixing guidelines and skills	Context window pollution with always-loaded content	Conventions in guidelines, patterns in skills
Not running installer after upgrade	Missing new guideline files and MCP tools	Run php artisan boost:install after major upgrades

Anti-Rationalization Guards

• Do NOT skip MCP verification because "the install succeeded" -- test at least one tool call.
• Do NOT override built-in guidelines without a documented reason for the deviation.
• Do NOT create broad skills -- if it covers more than one domain, split it.
• Do NOT install Boost in production -- it is a --dev dependency exclusively.
• Do NOT forget to run boost:update after dependency changes -- stale guidelines degrade AI output.

Documentation Lookup (Context7)

Use mcp__context7__resolve-library-id then mcp__context7__query-docs for up-to-date docs. Returned docs override memorized knowledge.

• laravel/framework — for core Laravel APIs, configuration, or Artisan commands
• livewire — for component lifecycle, wire directives, or Alpine.js integration

---

Integration Points

Skill	How It Connects
laravel-specialist	Boost guidelines and skills enhance AI-generated Laravel code quality
php-specialist	Boost respects PHP version and PSR standards in generated guidelines
mcp-builder	Boost's MCP server is an example of the MCP pattern; extend it for custom tools
self-learning	Boost's Application Info tool feeds project context into the learning phase
senior-backend	Boost's Database Schema and Query tools support backend architecture decisions
test-driven-development	Boost's Pest skill provides testing patterns for AI-generated tests

Skill Type

FLEXIBLE — Adapt the process phases to what the project needs. A new project requires full installation and IDE setup (Phases 1-4). An existing Boost installation may only need customization (Phase 3) or validation after a Laravel upgrade (Phase 4). The non-negotiable minimum: verify MCP server connectivity and confirm guidelines match installed package versions.