Using Middleware for Authentication
Authentication is one of the most common uses for middleware, and Laravel ships with a built-in auth middleware specifically for this purpose. Attaching it to a route guarantees that only logged-in users can ever reach it.
How the Auth Middleware Works
When a request reaches a route protected by the auth middleware, Laravel checks whether the current user is authenticated. If they are, the request proceeds normally; if not, they're redirected, typically to a login page, before the route's actual logic ever runs.
Applying It in Practice
| Usage | Effect |
|---|---|
Route::get('/dashboard', ...)->middleware('auth') | Protects a single route |
Route::middleware('auth')->group(function () {...}) | Protects an entire group of routes |
Auth::routes() + scaffolding | Automatically applies auth middleware to generated routes |
Customizing the Behavior
- The redirect destination for unauthenticated users can be customized
- Additional guards can be specified for applications with multiple user types
- Combining
authwith role-based middleware adds finer-grained protection
Middleware handles requests at the routing layer, but application logic often needs its own clean, reusable structure too — which brings us to service classes.
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