Laravel Scout Search With the HTTP QUERY Method | Mohamed Said [ ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MH.png) Mohamed Said Laravel Backend Engineer ](https://msaied.com) [ Home ](https://msaied.com) [ Projects ](https://msaied.com/projects) [ Articles ](https://msaied.com/articles) [ Certificates ](https://msaied.com/certificates) [ Contact ](https://msaied.com#contact-section) [ ](https://github.com/EG-Mohamed) [ Home ](https://msaied.com) [ Projects ](https://msaied.com/projects) [ Articles ](https://msaied.com/articles) [ Certificates ](https://msaied.com/certificates) [ Contact ](https://msaied.com#contact-section) [ home ](https://msaied.com) [ articles ](https://msaied.com/articles) Build a Laravel Scout Search Endpoint With the HTTP QUERY Method On this page 1. [ What Is the HTTP QUERY Method? ](#what-is-the-http-query-method) 2. [ Setting Up Scout ](#setting-up-scout) 3. [ Defining a QUERY Route ](#defining-a-query-route) 4. [ Testing the Endpoint ](#testing-the-endpoint) 5. [ CSRF and Web Routes ](#csrf-and-web-routes) 6. [ Gotchas Before You Ship ](#gotchas-before-you-ship) 7. [ Key Takeaways ](#key-takeaways) ![Build a Laravel Scout Search Endpoint With the HTTP QUERY Method](https://cdn.msaied.com/433/f1100f27bf9bb41032e0ea927629e818.png) [ Laravel ](https://msaied.com/articles?category=laravel) #Laravel #Laravel Scout #HTTP QUERY #REST API #PHP #Laravel 13 Build a Laravel Scout Search Endpoint With the HTTP QUERY Method ================================================================== 16 Jul 2026 3 min read ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MJ.jpg) Mohamed Said Table of contents 1. [ 01 What Is the HTTP QUERY Method? ](#what-is-the-http-query-method) 2. [ 02 Setting Up Scout ](#setting-up-scout) 3. [ 03 Defining a QUERY Route ](#defining-a-query-route) 4. [ 04 Testing the Endpoint ](#testing-the-endpoint) 5. [ 05 CSRF and Web Routes ](#csrf-and-web-routes) 6. [ 06 Gotchas Before You Ship ](#gotchas-before-you-ship) 7. [ 07 Key Takeaways ](#key-takeaways) What Is the HTTP QUERY Method? ------------------------------ The HTTP QUERY method ([RFC 10008](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc10008)) is a safe, cacheable HTTP verb designed specifically for queries. Like GET, it signals a read-only operation—but it carries its parameters in the request body, avoiding URL length limits and keeping sensitive values out of access logs and browser history. Laravel 13.19 added `Http::query()` to the HTTP client and `queryJson()` / `query()` testing helpers. A first-class `Route::query()` helper is already merged for Laravel 14, but you can use `Route::match()` today to register QUERY routes in Laravel 13. Setting Up Scout ---------------- Start from a fresh Laravel 13 app and install the API routes file and Scout: ```bash php artisan install:api composer require laravel/scout ``` Set the database driver in `.env`—no external search service required: ```env SCOUT_DRIVER=database ``` Create an `Article` model with migration and factory: ```bash php artisan make:model Article -mf ``` Add the `Searchable` trait and define `toSearchableArray()`: ```php use Laravel\Scout\Searchable; class Article extends Model { use HasFactory, Searchable; protected $fillable = ['title', 'body']; public function toSearchableArray(): array { return ['title' => $this->title, 'body' => $this->body]; } } ``` Defining a QUERY Route ---------------------- In `routes/api.php`, register the route with `Route::match()`: ```php Route::match(['QUERY'], '/articles/search', function (Request $request) { $validated = $request->validate([ 'search' => ['required', 'string'], 'per_page' => ['sometimes', 'integer', 'between:1,50'], ]); return Article::search($validated['search']) ->paginate($validated['per_page'] ?? 15); }); ``` Validation and `$request->input()` read from the JSON body exactly as they would for a POST request. Running `php artisan route:list` confirms the verb: ``` QUERY api/articles/search ``` A raw request looks like this: ```http QUERY /api/articles/search HTTP/1.1 Content-Type: application/json Accept: application/json {"search": "scout", "per_page": 10} ``` Testing the Endpoint -------------------- Laravel 13.19's `queryJson()` helper makes tests feel identical to `postJson()`: ```php $this->queryJson('/api/articles/search', ['search' => 'scout']) ->assertOk() ->assertJsonCount(1, 'data') ->assertJsonPath('data.0.title', 'Getting Started With Laravel Scout'); ``` On the client side, use `Http::query()`: ```php $response = Http::acceptJson()->query('https://example.com/api/articles/search', [ 'search' => 'scout', ]); ``` CSRF and Web Routes ------------------- API routes skip CSRF automatically. For `routes/web.php`, Laravel 13's `PreventRequestForgery` middleware treats QUERY like POST and returns a `419`. Extend the middleware to backport Laravel 14's behavior: ```php protected function isReading($request) { return in_array($request->method(), ['HEAD', 'GET', 'OPTIONS', 'QUERY']); } ``` Swap it in `bootstrap/app.php` and delete the override after upgrading to Laravel 14. Gotchas Before You Ship ----------------------- - **PHP's built-in server** returns `501 Not Implemented` for QUERY—use Herd, Valet, or test helpers instead. - **CDNs, WAFs, and load balancers** may block unrecognized verbs; test the full request path. - **CORS preflight** is required for every cross-origin QUERY request—it is not a safelisted method. - **Caching** is defined by the RFC but not yet implemented by browsers or CDNs. - **OpenAPI 3.2** added a first-class `query` operation; toolchains targeting 3.0/3.1 cannot describe the endpoint yet. Key Takeaways ------------- - `Route::match(['QUERY'], ...)` registers QUERY routes in Laravel 13 today. - Scout's database driver requires no external service and works out of the box. - `queryJson()` in Laravel 13.19 makes feature-testing QUERY endpoints straightforward. - Laravel 14 will add `Route::query()` and exempt QUERY from CSRF automatically. - QUERY is best suited to internal APIs where you control both client and server. --- Source: [Build a Laravel Scout Search Endpoint With the HTTP QUERY Method](https://laravel-news.com/build-a-laravel-scout-search-endpoint-with-the-http-query-method) Found this useful? [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmsaied.com%2Farticles%2Fbuild-a-laravel-scout-search-endpoint-with-the-http-query-method&text=Build+a+Laravel+Scout+Search+Endpoint+With+the+HTTP+QUERY+Method) [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmsaied.com%2Farticles%2Fbuild-a-laravel-scout-search-endpoint-with-the-http-query-method) Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- 3 questions Q01 Can I use the HTTP QUERY method in Laravel 13 before Route::query() is available? Yes. Laravel 13's router accepts any HTTP verb via Route::match(). Register your route with Route::match(['QUERY'], '/path', $handler) and it works today. The dedicated Route::query() shorthand is coming in Laravel 14. Q02 Why does PHP's built-in server return 501 for QUERY requests? PHP's built-in server hard-codes the HTTP methods it accepts and does not recognize QUERY, so it returns 501 Not Implemented before the request reaches Laravel. Use Nginx-based environments like Laravel Herd or Valet, or rely on Laravel's HTTP testing helpers, which dispatch requests directly through the framework. Q03 Do QUERY routes in routes/web.php require CSRF handling? Yes, in Laravel 13 the PreventRequestForgery middleware treats QUERY like POST and will return a 419. You can extend the middleware to add QUERY to its list of read verbs, or exclude individual routes with withoutMiddleware(). Laravel 14 will exempt QUERY automatically. 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