A Laravel API is more than routes returning JSON. Production APIs need consistent error envelopes, token auth, policy checks, versioning, documentation, and tests that mobile teams trust before every app store release.
Recommended API stack
- Laravel 11 + Sanctum (or Passport for OAuth2)
- Form Requests for validation
- API Resources for JSON shape
- Policies for authorization
- Horizon for queues
- Pest/PHPUnit feature tests
- OpenAPI via Scribe or manual spec
Versioning and breaking changes
Use /api/v1/ prefixes. Document deprecation windows. Mobile clients cannot ship as fast as web — treat API changes as contracts, not internal refactors.
Plan first
Use the free API Architecture Planner before build — then book a contract sprint with GreeLogix for fixed milestones.