Laravel API vs Web Validation Errors: How Does It Work?

I've received a few questions about using Validation Form Requests for API and how to handle the response if it's returned in HTML for some reason. So let me explain how it works.

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[AnDrU]

Started with Laravel a couple of weeks ago, and im learning a lot with your channel, thx for all the effort you put in your videos.

[william]

Your video came at the perfect time. I am testing an api and all the responses are html so far. I know what to do now.

[bmtamim]

You are a superb person, as always. Now, I feel that I follow a great person 😍😍😍😍😍😍

[markoperica]

Thank you! This is just what I was searching for.

[Akshaykumarojha]

Indeed great tutorial, Thank you so much for share amazing videos

[ArthurRamires]

Thank you very much, you helped me a lot.

[AliAwwad]

Thank you, the "Accept application/json" did the trick.

[haroldpepete]

great, thank for take your time and respond me, best regard

[msdeav]

thank you. With this video. I got an answer to my comment too

[fftfaisal]

Always Learning from your video. <3

[JohnnyBigodes]

For API responses I use a dedicated middleware that checks for the headers and take a look if the requested json is also valid. There were many times people were using invalid json, forgetting to put a comma or putting a comma after the last field. Not everyone uses Postman or insomnia that shows that before requesting.

[vitorfontoura]

At the end of the video, the rule does work that way or should it actually be $rules['device_name'] = 'required' ? Anyway, nice tip, thanks for the videos.

[mabdullahsari]

I use an "AcceptsJson" middleware in my API middleware group to force Laravel to render as JSON at any given time. Even if the client does not explicitly request it, because it does make absolutely no sense to return HTML from an API route.

Just a simple $request->headers->set('Accept', 'application/json'); et voilà.

[atiquechowdhury]

I'm gonna throw a few more questions your way since I like the current line of topics you are covering. Great Job and Thanks a Lot. Helps us little guys out a lot.

1. So say I have a validation for store method that accepts an image along with some other data (e.g name and email). Should look like this:
$request->validate([
'name' => ['required', 'string', 'min:3', 'max:255'],
'email => ['required', 'string', 'min:3', 'max:255'],
'image' => ['required', 'image', 'max:3000'],

]);
But I won't allow the the user to update the image after store. It is a one time thing only. So the validation in update method looks like this:
$request->validate([
'name' => ['required', 'string', 'min:3', 'max:255'],
'email => ['required', 'string', 'min:3', 'max:255'],

]);
Should I make 2 separate request classes or is there an easier way to handle this with a single request class ??

2. So I have a registration that, alongside some other rules, will check for a unique e-mail address in the database like this:
$request->validate([

'email => ['required', 'string', 'min:3', 'max:255', 'unique:users, email_address'],

]);

But say (with a grain of salt. This is just an example) I will no longer validate email asunique in the update method. Maybe because I am allowing duplicate e-mails for multiple accounts owned by the same person(say I can somehow check that and approve). So my update method validation looks like this:
$request->validate([
'email => ['required', 'string', 'min:3', 'max:255'],

]);
So basically my store method email validation has one extra rule(unique).
Again, do I need to make 2 separate request classes or can I somehow use one single request class to accomplish this ?

[shoemoney]

expects json is one of those that you dont think its needed or done know about it until you then you never forget.

[Stoney_Eagle]

This is why i love laravel, it's all so easy to make it do what you want.

[francissebin]

Is this will give exact error instead of home page in postman without giving application/json in postman header?

[BsiennKhan]

I just add a custom middleware that forces the API routes to always expect json and thus return json response.

[josephemeruwa]

Amazing video. 🙌🏼

Please can you do something on Elastic Search

[alexaverkiyev]

Great hint.
In the end you mistyped. Should be $rules['device_name'] = 'required'; Otherwise it adds a '0' key to $rules with value of array.