Laravel route model binding

Carlos Mendez Jan 2026

3 tabs

<?php

use App\Models\Post;
use App\Models\Comment;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

// Implicit binding - auto-resolves Post by ID
Route::get('/posts/{post}', function (Post $post) {
    return view('posts.show', compact('post'));
});

// Bind by slug instead of ID
Route::get('/posts/{post:slug}', function (Post $post) {
    return view('posts.show', compact('post'));
});

// Scoped binding - ensures comment belongs to post
Route::get('/posts/{post}/comments/{comment}', function (Post $post, Comment $comment) {
    return view('comments.show', compact('post', 'comment'));
})->scopeBindings();

// Include soft-deleted models
Route::get('/posts/{post}', function (Post $post) {
    return view('posts.show', compact('post'));
})->withTrashed();

// Custom missing behavior
Route::get('/posts/{post}', function (Post $post) {
    return view('posts.show', compact('post'));
})->missing(function () {
    return response()->view('errors.404', [], 404);
});

<?php

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

class Post extends Model
{
    // Custom route key
    public function getRouteKeyName(): string
    {
        return 'slug';
    }

    // Customize resolution
    public function resolveRouteBinding($value, $field = null)
    {
        // Custom logic for resolving model
        return $this->where($field ?? $this->getRouteKeyName(), $value)
            ->published()
            ->firstOrFail();
    }

    public function scopePublished($query)
    {
        return $query->whereNotNull('published_at');
    }
}

<?php

namespace App\Providers;

use App\Models\Post;
use App\Models\User;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Support\Providers\RouteServiceProvider as ServiceProvider;

class RouteServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
{
    public function boot(): void
    {
        // Explicit binding
        Route::bind('post', function ($value) {
            return Post::where('slug', $value)
                ->published()
                ->firstOrFail();
        });

        // Bind with custom model
        Route::model('admin', User::class);

        // Bind with callback
        Route::bind('user', function ($value) {
            return User::where('username', $value)->firstOrFail();
        });
    }
}

3 files · php Explain with highlit

Route model binding automatically resolves Eloquent models from route parameters, eliminating manual lookups. Implicit binding matches parameter names to model IDs—/users/{user} injects the User model. Custom route keys use getRouteKeyName() to bind by slug instead of ID. Explicit binding in RouteServiceProvider provides full control over resolution logic. Soft-deleted models are excluded unless using withTrashed(). Scoped bindings enforce parent-child relationships—/posts/{post}/comments/{comment} ensures the comment belongs to the post. Missing models return 404 automatically. This feature reduces boilerplate and improves security by centralizing authorization checks.