# laravel-tdd

A skill that walks the agent through red-green-refactor in Laravel: a failing Pest test first, minimal code to pass, then cleanup.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 378 installs · ★ 48
- Author: iSerter
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/iSerter/laravel-claude-agents/tree/HEAD/skills/laravel-tdd/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-04-19
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/iserter-laravel-tdd

## What it does

The skill sets the order of work for any Laravel feature or bugfix. A test comes first, gets run, and has to fail. Only then does the agent write the least code needed to make it pass. The loop is RED, verify RED, GREEN, verify GREEN, REFACTOR. Verification runs through `php artisan test`, and a single test can be filtered by name.

Inside are test patterns for Laravel: factories and `RefreshDatabase` for database work, `actingAs` for auth, `assertForbidden` for policies, `postJson` with `sanctum` for API routes. A checklist covers migrations, model relationships, controller actions, validation rules and database state. Refactoring waits until the test is green — extracting services, adding policies, query scopes, events.

Exceptions are left to the human: throwaway prototypes, config files, view-only changes with no logic. You need a Laravel project running Pest PHP.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add iSerter/laravel-claude-agents --skill laravel-tdd -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/laravel-tdd/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/laravel-tdd/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add iSerter/laravel-claude-agents --skill laravel-tdd -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/laravel-tdd/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add iSerter/laravel-claude-agents --skill laravel-tdd -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/laravel-tdd/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install iSerter/laravel-claude-agents laravel-tdd
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/laravel-tdd/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add iSerter/laravel-claude-agents --skill laravel-tdd -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/iSerter/laravel-claude-agents --path skills/laravel-tdd
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/laravel-tdd/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add iSerter/laravel-claude-agents --skill laravel-tdd -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/iSerter/laravel-claude-agents/tree/HEAD/skills/laravel-tdd/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- write a failing test before the feature code
- check authorization through Laravel policies
- test an API endpoint with a sanctum token
- keep a migration and its model in sync
- extract complex logic into a service after green

## Example prompts
- write a test for creating a post as an authenticated user, then implement it
- add a check that a user cannot delete someone else's post
- cover the post creation API endpoint with tests

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: a74cf04829d35ed0.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE a74cf04829d35ed0
````text
---
name: laravel-tdd
description: Test-Driven Development specifically for Laravel applications using Pest PHP. Use when implementing any Laravel feature or bugfix - write the test first, watch it fail, write minimal code to pass.
---

# Test-Driven Development for Laravel

## Overview

Write the test first. Watch it fail. Write minimal code to pass.

This skill adapts TDD principles specifically for Laravel applications using Pest PHP, Laravel's testing features, and framework-specific patterns.

## When to Use

**Always for Laravel:**
- New features (controllers, models, services)
- Bug fixes
- API endpoints
- Database migrations and models
- Form validation
- Authorization policies
- Queue jobs
- Artisan commands
- Middleware

**Exceptions (ask your human partner):**
- Throwaway prototypes
- Configuration files
- View-only changes (no logic)

## The Laravel TDD Cycle

```
RED → Verify RED → GREEN → Verify GREEN → REFACTOR → Repeat
```

### RED - Write Failing Test

Write one minimal test showing what the Laravel feature should do.

**Feature Test Example:**
```php
<?php

use App\Models\User;
use App\Models\Post;

test('authenticated user can create post', function () {
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    
    $this->actingAs($user)
        ->post('/posts', [
            'title' => 'My First Post',
            'content' => 'Post content here',
        ])
        ->assertRedirect('/posts');
    
    expect(Post::where('title', 'My First Post')->exists())->toBeTrue();
    expect(Post::first()->user_id)->toBe($user->id);
});
```

### Verify RED - Watch It Fail

```bash
php artisan test --filter=authenticated_user_can_create_post
```

### GREEN - Minimal Laravel Code

Write simplest Laravel code to pass the test.

### Verify GREEN - Watch It Pass

```bash
php artisan test
```

### REFACTOR - Clean Up Laravel Code

After green only:
- Extract services for complex logic
- Create policies for authorization
- Add query scopes for reusability
- Use events for side effects

## Laravel-Specific Test Patterns

### Database Testing
```php
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;

uses(RefreshDatabase::class);

test('creates post in database', function () {
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    
    $this->actingAs($user)
        ->post('/posts', ['title' => 'Test', 'content' => 'Content']);
    
    $this->assertDatabaseHas('posts', ['title' => 'Test']);
});
```

### Authorization Testing
```php
test('user cannot delete others posts', function () {
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    $post = Post::factory()->create();
    
    $this->actingAs($user)
        ->delete("/posts/{$post->id}")
        ->assertForbidden();
});
```

### API Testing
```php
test('creates post via API', function () {
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    
    $this->actingAs($user, 'sanctum')
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE a74cf04829d35ed0

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the a74cf04829d35ed0 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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