---
title: 'Laravel 13 is HERE — Every New Feature Explained (2026)'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=1ugdEHd6-78'
video_id: '1ugdEHd6-78'
date: 2026-06-16
duration_sec: 966
---

# Laravel 13 is HERE — Every New Feature Explained (2026)

> Source: [Laravel 13 is HERE — Every New Feature Explained (2026)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=1ugdEHd6-78)

## Summary

Laravel 13 has been released with zero breaking changes, making it one of the easiest major upgrades for existing applications. This video covers all the key updates including new features, improvements, and removed items with clear examples.

### Key Points

- **Release Overview** [1:53] — Laravel 13 was released on March 17, 2026, with no breaking changes. Minimum PHP version is 8.3. Bug fixes supported until Q3 2027, security fixes until Q1 2028.
- **Native PHP Attributes** [2:17] — Laravel 13 adopts native PHP attributes (hash bracket syntax) for configuration in Eloquent models, artisan commands, jobs, event listeners, notifications, and more. This is optional and backward compatible.
- **Laravel AI SDK** [5:14] — The Laravel AI SDK is now stable and production-ready, providing a unified interface for OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and other providers. Supports text generation, image generation, audio, text-to-speech, embeddings, and vector search.
- **Reverb Database Driver** [6:48] — Reverb can now use MySQL or PostgreSQL as a database driver instead of Redis for message passing between multiple servers. This simplifies setup for smaller projects.
- **Passkey Authentication** [8:30] — Laravel 13 includes built-in passkey authentication in starter kits and Fortify. Supports Face ID, fingerprint, Windows Hello, and hardware security keys. Uses public-key cryptography for security.
- **Cache and Queue Enhancements** [10:04] — New cache()->touch() method extends cache TTL without reloading data. Useful for active user sessions and frequently used data.
- **JSON API Resources and Security** [10:44] — Built-in JSON API resource support with automatic formatting, field selection, relationships, and headers. Improved CSRF protection with new PreventRequestForgery middleware.
- **Teams, Bug Fixes, and Other Additions** [11:28] — Teams feature is back with better structure for multi-tenant apps. Fixed MySQL delete-with-join issue and STR factory reset between tests. Added whereVectorSimilarTo method for semantic vector search.
- **Removed Features and Upgrade Guide** [13:25] — Removed PHP 8.0 support. VerifyCsrfToken replaced by PreventRequestForgery. Cache session naming defaults changed. Upgrade by updating composer.json to ^13.0 and running composer update.

## Transcript

Welcome back to the channel.
If you are a Laravel developer, this
video is for you.
Today, we are going to talk about
Laravel 13, which is released recently
on March 3rd week, 2026.
In this video, I will explain you the
main updates in simple way, including
new features, improvements, and removed
items with a clear examples.
The best part,
Laravel 13 has no breaking changes. It
is one of the easiest major Laravel
upgrades, and many apps can be upgraded
very quickly.
But, there is a still many exciting
updates like AI features, especially
uh passkey authentication, web socket,
web socket improvements, and PHP
attributes.
Let's get started.
Now, the agenda.
What we will cover in this video. What
we will cover today.
This video has 10 main sections. If you
can see,
PHP attributes,
release overview,
cache queue updates, JSON API resources,
Laravel AI SDK, especially.
Right? That is the powerful feature of
Laravel 13. That is nothing but AI SDK.
I hope
in future releases also, in every
Laravel new version release, definitely
they will integrate AI and AI related
integrations, I'm sure.
Because everyday AI today in the market.
Right? Like you can see other other
features also, passkey authentication,
and what removed, what is deprecated.
Right? Let's talk about this.
So, let's have a overview of the
release.
So, Laravel 13 was released on March 17,
2026.
PHP 8.3, that is a minimum requirement.
There is no breaking changes. Bug fixes
support is available until Q3 2027, as
well as the security fixes support is
available up to Q1 2028. Maybe around 2
years is there. Now, let's talk about
the
the big feature, that is nothing but
native PHP attributes. This is also
called hash bracket syntax. If you don't
know, don't worry, I will create
separate video on what is a hash bracket
syntax, how that is work.
So, this hash bracket syntax is
introduced in PHP 8 version.
But, Laravel did not use them much
before. Now, Laravel 13 uses them in a
much better way.
So, what is the syntax will do? We just
if we can observe, before Laravel 12,
after Laravel 13.
Can you see in Laravel 12, we have a
model. In that model, we are defining
the properties like table, primary key,
key type, increment, fillable, casts,
hidden, and lot of things we can define.
But, they're all inside the class. But,
if you can see Laravel 13, what is
there?
Much of the configuration can be written
using PHP attributes just above the
class.
All these properties are going to become
into a configuration, which are going to
be defined inside hash bracket syntax.
This keeps the class very clean and
makes you main logic very easier. So,
what we will do? Any logic you want
Right, you can write that in the class.
And we don't want to write those
properties inside the class.
The best part is, one thing remember,
this feature is optional. Old code will
work still without any changes.
But, my suggestion, we are using Laravel
13, so let us go with Laravel 13.
So, we don't know what is going to be
happen in future. So, but as of now,
both are compatible. If it is a Laravel
13 version, you can use
the eloquent model how you define
previously,
or now you can use the same 13 way, that
is nothing but hash bracket syntax. You
can exactly we can use this hash bracket
syntax.
The PHP attributes not only for eloquent
models, and they are available many
places.
Some common examples if we can see, we
just now we seen eloquent models for
defining the tables, primary keys,
fillable, casts, and all for defining,
we can use the eloquent models. Not only
this,
for working with artisan commands also,
in artisan commands where we can define
the signature and description,
and jobs, some job classes are there to
set the queue connections, so queue
name, and retry attempts.
We have event listeners, define which
event listener should handles.
So, we can all define notifications,
mailables, broadcast events, all of the
configuration,
all of these related configurations, we
can keep into this hash bracket syntax.
These are the some common places.
Definitely, I'm sure in upcoming
sessions, we will discuss about this.
And one more thing, these all attributes
are 100% optional.
Now, the next one, Laravel AI SDK.
The Laravel AI SDK was in beta before,
but from this latest release, it is a
stable and ready to use for production.
It is an official Laravel package
that gives you a simple and common way
to work with the AI providers like
OpenAI, Anthropic, and Gemini, and other
AI providers.
So, we can work with them very easily
without using any third-party package.
This Laravel AI SDK package is provided
by the Laravel itself. We don't want to
go for any third-party.
So, the as of now, we can see some of
the powerful features, text generation
with AI agents, image generation, audio
and text-to-speech,
and embeddings, and vector search. All
how we are doing? So, with just with the
help of prompts, we are generating all
these things, right? Definitely, these
features are going to be available in
Laravel also with this package. If you
want to implement AI-powered search
functionalities in your website,
definitely, this package will makes a
blow. I'm I'm sure
in future also, any new releases coming
from Laravel, definitely, they will come
with new integrations for AI.
I'm sure.
Every release, you know, we are in 13,
maybe 14, 15, 16, every new release,
definitely, they will come with a new AI
integrations. So,
If you can see, Reverb database
driver.
This is a very useful update in Laravel
13 about this Reverb
database driver.
Laravel Reverb is a Laravel's official
web socket server.
Earlier, if you wanted to run Reverb on
multiple servers, you need Redis
database for this to messages between
the multiple servers, to communicate
between the multiple servers. Now,
Laravel 13 adds a new database driver
for Reverb.
This means you can use MySQL or
PostgreSQL instead of Redis.
So, we don't want to do anything. Just
you see, before Redis, after Redis.
So, there is a scaling inside we have
driver property, there you set Redis.
Now, you can see in the after Laravel
drive after Laravel 13 database driver,
if you can see the section,
driver is database.
What is the database you are working
with? The database it will connect
automatically.
So, we don't want to do anything. You
only need to change one config value
from the Redis to database, that's all.
Which one you are using by default, it
will continue with that. So, we don't
want to work hard here. So, for this
especially for the Reverb database, this
is a very nice fix coming from the
Laravel.
So, this is why this is helpful means,
no need to install Redis in smaller
projects.
Easier to set up and manage. You can use
your existing database. No need to go
for any other. Good enough for many
Laravel applications. For very large
apps, still Redis is faster.
But, for most projects,
the new database driver is great option.
Let's talk about the next feature, that
is nothing but a passkey authentication.
Laravel 13 is now support passkey
authentication directly
in starter kits
and a Fortify.
Earlier, we have to take some
third-party libraries help to do this,
but now we don't want to go for any
third-party.
So, it is available inside Laravel
itself directly. What are the passkeys?
Let me explain you. Passkeys are a
modern replacement of passwords.
Generally, we will type the passwords.
Instead of typing passwords, user can
log in using Face ID, fingerprint,
Windows Hello, hardware security keys
also.
Definitely, this is going to be more
useful. Why this is more useful?
Biometric login works out of the box.
Hardware keys are also supported. No
extra packages are required. That is
very important. Passkeys use public key
security.
The public key is stored on server,
but the private key stays safely on
user's device.
This makes login more secure and
protects the
protects it against the phishing
phishing techniques and everything,
whatever it is.
One of the powerful mechanism that is
passkey authentication. You believe me
or not, recently, I have implemented
passkey authentication for iPhone
uh in one of my projects.
So, people are slowly the people are
asking these features. That's why these
people also introduced this
authentication. The next new feature is
cache and queue enhancements. What is
this? Laravel 13 introduced there is a
method called cache a touch.
It lets you to extend the cache expiry
time without reloading or changing the
cache data.
You see that powerful feature. But
earlier what is happening? If you wanted
to keep cache data alive, you had to
reload and save it again.
Or let it expire.
Now you can simply update the TTL for
the same cache key.
This is useful for active users session
like caching and keeping frequently used
data fresh.
The next feature.
JSON API resources and security. What
exactly this is? Simply says Laravel 13
has a built-in JSON API resource
support. We don't want to go for any
third party again. It automatically
handles the correct formatting, field
selection, relationships, and headers
and everything.
No need for extra packages or manual
setup to work with this JSON API in
future. In Laravel 13 specially.
CSRF protection is improved provided a
middleware
to improve the CSRF protection. The
middleware name is prevent request
forgery.
We can check this also. It checks both
the token and the request origin for
better security. Next one.
Teams, bug fixes, and other additions.
Laravel 13 brings back the teams
feature. It is back with a better
structure.
This helps you to build apps with the
multiple teams, user management, roles
and permissions, and the team switching.
This is a very useful SaaS application.
Laravel 13 fixes an important MySQL
issue.
Before
if you use a delete with join
the order by and limit options are
ignored.
Because of this, Laravel could delete
all matching records instead of only the
required few.
Now this problem is fixed. Still after
upgrading, test your delete queries
carefully.
STR factory reset test. This is also an
issue and it is also fixed in Laravel
13.
Before, if one test changed the STR
factory behavior, that change could
affect other tests also. And create
confusing errors. Now Laravel reset it
automatically after each test.
Next one more thing. Semantic vector
search. In Laravel 13 adds where vector
similar to method
to the query builder.
This allows semantic search with
PostgreSQL
and PG vector.
It is useful for AI features like
embedding base search.
Next one. The verification email
improvements.
Laravel 13 also improves the subject
lines of verification emails and
password reset emails.
They now follow modern email
capitalization style. It is a small
change, but it makes Laravel looks more
polished really.
Now let us talk about what was dropped
in Laravel. I mean what is removed.
Right? What are the breaking changes?
And let us see. PHP 8.0 is removed for
the support. Definitely you have to go
8.3 or higher. Verify CSRF token has
been replaced with the prevent request
forgery.
Laravel 13 makes small changes to how
some cache data is stored. But most apps
will not notice this. But if you cache a
complex object, test carefully. Cache
session naming defaults and name
arguments stability removed. Now the
next one is going to be upgrading
to Laravel 13. So most of the Laravel
apps now 12.
So how we can upgrade this?
First make sure your project is using
8.3 version or higher. So find the PHP
version by using PHP hyphen V.
You'll get the latest version. As well
as update the composer.json. So in that
composer.json we have version with caps
12.0. Just change this to cap 13.0 and
run composer update. Just if you can run
composer composer update Laravel
framework, it will
take the latest version of the Laravel.
Also review the custom CSRF middleware
if it is added in it.
So test on staging. Definitely you have
to test the application and use Laravel
Shift. That is optional for bigger
projects you can use Laravel Shift. It
helps you to automate the upgrade.
And creates a pull request with
suggested changes actually. That's the
best option. Look at the key takeaways.
There is no breaking changes. 8.3 is
required.
PHP attribute that is a new feature
implemented. Now the support is
available implemented in Laravel 13.
Laravel AI SDK. One of the powerful new
feature is also added. And passkey
authentication.
Reverb can now use MySQL PostgreSQL
instead of Redis. Laravel 13 brings many
useful improvements and makes
development even better.
Yeah, this is all about Laravel 13
updates. You can also check the official
Laravel 13 docs and upgrade guide.
Let me know in the comment section which
Laravel 13 feature do you like the most?
Yeah. If this video is helpful to you,
please like and subscribe.
See you in the next video. Thank you.