Laravel DB::update only return 0 or 1
Stefan Bogdanescu
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Understanding Laravel DB::update Return Values: Zero or One may Indicate Either Failure or Equal Updates
Body: Laravel's DB update function is an immensely useful tool for updating records in your database. However, just like any other feature, it has its quirks. This blog post will help you understand the return values of Laravel DB::update and how they can influence your code execution.
Firstly, let's look at some basic scenarios where this function is used:
1. Updating multiple rows with distinct values:
```php
$query = DB::table('users')
->where('id', '=', $requestdata['user_id'])
->update([
'first_name' => $requestdata['user_fname'],
'last_name' => $requestdata['user_lname']
]);
```
In this case, if any row is updated, the update operation succeeds and returns the number of rows affected. This information can be invaluable while handling multiple rows simultaneously to know how many records were updated successfully.
2. Updating multiple rows with equal values:
```php
$query = DB::table('users')
->where('id', '=', $requestdata['user_id'])
->update([
'first_name' => $requestdata['user_fname'],
'last_name' => $requestdata['user_lname']
]);
```
If the values for first_name and last_name are identical to the previous rows, Laravel DB::update will set all fields to these values. However, if you were expecting that this update would result in a specific action, such as triggering a subsequent piece of code based on the number of affected rows or even an error, things may appear strange when you see only 0 returned.
The reason behind this behavior is Laravel's internal workings. In certain situations, when the query fails due to errors or the database connection issues, it sets the $query variable to null in your code. This might cause confusion if the update was not related to an error but was a result of distinct values in the update function.
To solve this problem and ensure that your code can handle both situations, you could implement a workaround:
```php
$query = DB::table('users')
->where('id', '=', $requestdata['user_id'])
->update([
'first_name' => $requestdata['user_fname'],
'last_name' => $requestdata['user_lname']
]);
// Check if the query failed because of an error or due to no rows affected
if (!$query || $query === 0) {
return ['error' => 'error update user'];
}
```
With this approach, your code can handle both scenarios effectively. Remember that using Laravel's built-in try/catch block could provide another way to handle database errors. However, it is advisable to use the above method if you only need to check the query result status.
In summary, Laravel DB::update always returns either 0 (if the query failed or row update values were not altered) or the number of rows affected when successfully updating the database records. For more information on using Laravel's database features and optimizing your code, refer to our dedicated blog posts from Laravel Company: https://laravelcompany.com/blog/.