Laravel validate array of objects
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Efficiently Validating Arrays of Objects with Laravel
Introduction
In today's world, many applications deal with massive amounts of data that require not only storage but also robust validation rules to ensure data integrity. In cases where a user interacts with multiple rows, such as in your scenario involving an Excel-like interface built using Vue and a POST request using Laravel as the backend, validating each object individually becomes essential.
Validating arrays of objects can be challenging but not impossible when using Laravel. In this post, we'll discuss different approaches to validate arrays of objects with Laravel effectively.
Approach 1: Using Laravel Validator
Laravel provides a robust validation system that allows us to easily add rules to an array of objects. Here's how you can achieve it:
1. First, create a request class (like ValidateRequest) to handle the incoming data. Include the required validation rules in this class.
2. Inside your controller's store() method, retrieve the input data from the store function and pass it as an array to Laravel's Validator.
3. Run the validator using the $request->validate() method. This will pass each object in the given array through the validation rules defined in your ValidationRequest class. To do so, you can use the following code:
```php
$validator = $this->createValidator($request, 'store');
if ($validator->fails()) {
return response()->json([
'errors' => $validator->errors()
]);
}
```
Approach 2: Using Laravel Form Request Validation (Since Laravel 5.7)
1. Create a custom FormRequest class for your resource, such as BlogFormRequest.
2. Add the required validation rules to this class. The rules can be specific to each object or shared across all objects.
3. In your controller's store() method, create an instance of your custom form request (BlogFormRequest) and handle any errors within it:
```php
if ($request->isMethod('post')) {
$validator = Validator::make($request->all(), [
'posts' => 'required|array',
'posts.*' => 'sometimes|required|string',
]);
if ($validator->fails()) {
return response()->json([
'errors' => $validator->errors()
]);
}
// Store the validated request data in database or perform other actions
}
```
Approach 3: Using Custom Validation Rules (Since Laravel 5.6)
1. Create a custom validation rule for each field, whether required or not. For example, you can create a new class called ArrayRequiredRule and define the following function:
```php
public function passes($attribute, $value)
{
return !empty($value);
}
```
2. In your controller's store() method, apply these custom rules to each object in the array using Laravel's Validator:
```php
$validator = Validator::make($request->all(), [
'posts' => 'required|array',
'posts.*' => ['string', new ArrayRequiredRule()],
]);
```
Conclusion
Validating arrays of objects is a crucial aspect of handling web applications. Laravel provides several ways to tackle this task, from using the built-in validation system and form request validation to writing custom rules for each field. By selecting the most appropriate approach, you'll ensure that your application remains robust, secure, and efficient in dealing with complex data sets. Remember to always handle validation errors effectively by responding with clear error messages to enhance user experience and facilitate debugging during development.