Implementing granular authorization using Laravel Policies and Gates
Jul 03, 2025 am 12:35 AMLaravel’s authorization system uses Policies for model-specific checks and Gates for global actions. 1. Policies handle resource-based logic, like allowing a user to update a post if they are the author. 2. Gates perform general checks, such as verifying admin access. 3. Define policies via php artisan make:policy, register them in AuthServiceProvider, and use $this->authorize() in controllers. 4. Create gates using Gate::define() inside AuthServiceProvider’s boot method. 5. Keep authorization manageable by naming gates clearly, using standard policy methods, integrating roles/permissions with packages, and writing tests for edge cases.
Laravel provides powerful tools for implementing granular authorization through Policies and Gates. These features allow you to define fine-grained access rules that are easy to maintain and scale with your application.

When to Use Policies vs. Gates
Understanding when to use each is key to organizing your authorization logic effectively:

- Policies are best suited for handling authorization around a specific model or resource. For example, checking if a user can update or delete a post.
- Gates are more general-purpose and ideal for actions that aren’t tied directly to a model—like determining whether a user can access the admin dashboard.
In practice:
- If it’s about a model (e.g.,
Post
,Comment
), go with a Policy. - If it’s a global check (e.g., “can-access-admin”), a Gate makes more sense.
Creating and Using Policies
To create a policy for a model like Post
, run:

php artisan make:policy PostPolicy --model=Post
Then register it in AuthServiceProvider
:
use App\Models\Post; use App\Policies\PostPolicy; protected $policies = [ Post::class => PostPolicy::class, ];
Inside the generated PostPolicy.php
, define methods like update
, delete
, etc. Each method receives the current user and the model instance:
public function update(User $user, Post $post) { return $user->id === $post->author_id; }
You can then use this in controllers or middleware via:
$this->authorize('update', $post);
This checks if the current user is allowed to perform the action on that specific post.
Defining Custom Gates for General Checks
For broader checks not tied to models, define gates inside the boot
method of AuthServiceProvider
.
Example gate for checking admin access:
Gate::define('access-admin', function ($user) { return $user->hasRole('admin'); });
Then in your controller or middleware:
if (Gate::allows('access-admin')) { // Proceed to admin area }
You can also group related gates in separate service classes if things get complex, keeping AuthServiceProvider
clean.
Tips for Keeping Authorization Manageable
Here are a few practical tips to avoid confusion as your app grows:
- ? Name gates clearly: Use descriptive names like
can-delete-post
instead of generic ones likedelete
. - ? Use Policy methods consistently: Stick to standard action names (
view
,create
,update
,delete
) to keep things predictable. - ? Combine with roles/permissions: Laravel doesn't include role-based permissions out of the box, but packages like
spatie/laravel-permission
work well alongside policies and gates. - ? Test your rules: Write feature tests to simulate different users trying to perform actions. This helps catch edge cases early.
Authorization in Laravel becomes flexible once you understand how to structure gates and policies. It’s not complicated, but it does require thoughtful planning to keep things scalable and readable over time.
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