22: Building a Chatbot with Laravel

Chapter 22: Building a Chatbot with Laravel

Overview

In this chapter, you’ll build a complete, production-ready chatbot application using Laravel, Livewire, and Claude. This isn’t a simple proof-of-concept—you’ll create a fully-featured chat system with user authentication, conversation persistence, real-time streaming, message history, and a beautiful reactive user interface.

By the end, you’ll have a working chatbot that can handle multiple users, maintain separate conversations, stream responses in real-time, and provide a smooth, modern chat experience that rivals commercial solutions.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

✓ Laravel 11 with Livewire 3 installed
✓ Database configured (MySQL or PostgreSQL)
✓ Authentication set up (Laravel Breeze or Jetstream)
✓ Claude service from Chapter 21
✓ Basic Livewire knowledge
✓ TailwindCSS for styling
✓ Claude-PHP-SDK v0.2 installed via Composer

Estimated Time: ~120-150 minutes

Verify your setup:

# Check Laravel version
php artisan --version

# Check Livewire version
php artisan livewire:version

# Check Claude SDK installation
composer show claude-php/claude-php-sdk

Quick Start

Get a working chatbot running in 5 minutes:

# 1. Install dependencies
composer require livewire/livewire claude-php/claude-php-sdk:^0.2

# 2. Create migrations
php artisan make:migration create_conversations_table
php artisan make:migration create_messages_table

# 3. Copy migration code from this chapter, then run:
php artisan migrate

# 4. Create models
php artisan make:model Conversation
php artisan make:model Message

# 5. Create factories (for testing)
php artisan make:factory ConversationFactory
php artisan make:factory MessageFactory

# 6. Create service
php artisan make:class Services/ChatService

# 7. Create Livewire components
php artisan make:livewire Chat
php artisan make:livewire ConversationList

# 8. Add route to routes/web.php
Route::middleware(['auth'])->group(function () {
    Route::get('/chat/{conversation?}', Chat::class)->name('chat');
});

# 9. Add to .env
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# 10. Visit /chat in your browser

Expected Result: A working chat interface where you can send messages and receive streaming responses from Claude.

What You’ll Build

By the end of this chapter, you will have created:

A complete database schema for conversations and messages with proper relationships
Eloquent models (Conversation and Message) with relationships and helper methods
A ChatService class that handles message sending, streaming, and cost calculation
Two Livewire components (Chat and ConversationList) for reactive UI
Beautiful Blade views with TailwindCSS styling for the chat interface
Rate limiting middleware to prevent abuse
Conversation export functionality (Markdown and JSON formats)
Comprehensive test suite for the chat functionality
A production-ready chatbot application with user authentication, conversation persistence, and real-time streaming

Objectives

By completing this chapter, you will:

Design and implement a scalable database schema for chat applications
Build Eloquent models with relationships, accessors, and business logic methods
Create Livewire components for reactive, real-time chat interfaces
Implement streaming responses using Server-Sent Events
Handle conversation context and message history management
Track API costs and token usage at the message level
Implement rate limiting to control API usage and costs
Export conversations in multiple formats for data portability
Write comprehensive tests using Laravel’s testing tools
Build a production-ready chat application with proper error handling

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Install Dependencies (~5 min)

Goal: Ensure all required packages are installed.

Actions:

Verify Livewire 3 is installed:

composer require livewire/livewire

Ensure TailwindCSS is configured (if using Laravel Breeze/Jetstream, this is already done):

npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
npx tailwindcss init -p

Verify Claude service from Chapter 21 is set up and working.

Expected Result: All dependencies installed and configured.

Step 2: Run Migrations (~2 min)

Goal: Create the database tables for conversations and messages.

Actions:

Create the migration files:

php artisan make:migration create_conversations_table
php artisan make:migration create_messages_table

Copy the migration code from the sections below into the respective migration files.
Run the migrations:

php artisan migrate

Expected Result: Two new tables (conversations and messages) in your database.

Why It Works: Migrations create the database schema that will store all conversation data. The foreign keys ensure data integrity, and indexes optimize query performance.

Step 3: Create Models (~5 min)

Goal: Set up Eloquent models with relationships and business logic.

Actions:

Create the Conversation model:

php artisan make:model Conversation

Create the Message model:

php artisan make:model Message

Copy the model code from the sections below.

Expected Result: Two models ready to use with relationships and helper methods.

Database Schema Design

The foundation of our chatbot is a well-designed database schema that separates conversations from messages. This design allows for flexible conversation management, efficient querying, and proper data relationships.

Migrations

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;

return new class extends Migration
{
    public function up(): void
    {
        Schema::create('conversations', function (Blueprint $table) {
            $table->id();
            $table->foreignId('user_id')->constrained()->cascadeOnDelete();
            $table->string('title')->nullable();
            $table->text('system_prompt')->nullable();
            $table->string('model')->default('claude-sonnet-4-5');
            $table->json('metadata')->nullable();
            $table->timestamp('last_message_at')->nullable();
            $table->timestamps();
            $table->softDeletes();

            $table->index(['user_id', 'last_message_at']);
        });
    }

    public function down(): void
    {
        Schema::dropIfExists('conversations');
    }
};

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;

return new class extends Migration
{
    public function up(): void
    {
        Schema::create('messages', function (Blueprint $table) {
            $table->id();
            $table->foreignId('conversation_id')->constrained()->cascadeOnDelete();
            $table->enum('role', ['user', 'assistant']);
            $table->text('content');
            $table->integer('input_tokens')->nullable();
            $table->integer('output_tokens')->nullable();
            $table->decimal('cost', 10, 6)->nullable();
            $table->json('metadata')->nullable();
            $table->timestamps();

            $table->index(['conversation_id', 'created_at']);
        });
    }

    public function down(): void
    {
        Schema::dropIfExists('messages');
    }
};

Why This Schema Works:

Separate tables: Conversations and messages are stored separately, allowing efficient querying and management
Foreign keys: Proper relationships ensure data integrity with cascade deletes
Indexes: The composite index on user_id and last_message_at optimizes the common query of loading a user’s recent conversations
Soft deletes: Conversations can be “deleted” but retained for analytics or recovery
Metadata fields: JSON columns allow storing flexible, schema-less data for future features
Token tracking: Storing input/output tokens and costs enables usage analytics and budgeting

Models

Eloquent models provide an object-oriented interface to our database tables, with relationships, accessors, and business logic methods.

Conversation Model

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsTo;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasMany;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\SoftDeletes;

class Conversation extends Model
{
    use HasFactory, SoftDeletes;

    protected $fillable = [
        'user_id',
        'title',
        'system_prompt',
        'model',
        'metadata',
        'last_message_at',
    ];

    protected $casts = [
        'metadata' => 'array',
        'last_message_at' => 'datetime',
    ];

    public function user(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class);
    }

    public function messages(): HasMany
    {
        return $this->hasMany(Message::class)->orderBy('created_at');
    }

    public function getFormattedMessagesAttribute(): array
    {
        return $this->messages->map(function ($message) {
            return [
                'role' => $message->role,
                'content' => $message->content,
            ];
        })->toArray();
    }

    public function getFormattedMessagesForContext(int $maxTokens = 100000): array
    {
        $messages = $this->messages()->orderBy('created_at')->get();
        $totalTokens = 0;
        $contextMessages = [];

        // Start from the most recent messages and work backwards
        foreach ($messages->reverse() as $message) {
            // Estimate tokens (rough approximation: 1 token ≈ 4 characters)
            $estimatedTokens = (int) ceil(strlen($message->content) / 4);

            if ($totalTokens + $estimatedTokens > $maxTokens) {
                break;
            }

            $totalTokens += $estimatedTokens;
            array_unshift($contextMessages, [
                'role' => $message->role,
                'content' => $message->content,
            ]);
        }

        return $contextMessages;
    }

    public function generateTitle(): void
    {
        if ($this->title !== null || $this->messages()->count() < 2) {
            return;
        }

        $firstMessage = $this->messages()->where('role', 'user')->first();

        if ($firstMessage) {
            // Use first 50 chars of first message as title
            $title = substr($firstMessage->content, 0, 50);
            if (strlen($firstMessage->content) > 50) {
                $title .= '...';
            }

            $this->update(['title' => $title]);
        }
    }

    public function getTotalCostAttribute(): float
    {
        return (float) $this->messages()->sum('cost');
    }

    public function getTotalTokensAttribute(): int
    {
        return $this->messages()->sum('input_tokens') +
               $this->messages()->sum('output_tokens');
    }
}

Message Model

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsTo;

class Message extends Model
{
    use HasFactory;

    protected $fillable = [
        'conversation_id',
        'role',
        'content',
        'input_tokens',
        'output_tokens',
        'cost',
        'metadata',
    ];

    protected $casts = [
        'metadata' => 'array',
        'cost' => 'decimal:6',
    ];

    public function conversation(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(Conversation::class);
    }

    public function isUser(): bool
    {
        return $this->role === 'user';
    }

    public function isAssistant(): bool
    {
        return $this->role === 'assistant';
    }
}

Key Model Features:

Relationships: belongsTo and hasMany relationships enable easy navigation between conversations and messages
Accessors: formatted_messages provides a clean array format for Claude API calls
Business Logic: generateTitle() automatically creates conversation titles from the first message
Aggregations: total_cost and total_tokens accessors calculate sums without additional queries
Type Safety: Helper methods like isUser() and isAssistant() improve code readability

Factory Classes

For testing, create factory classes to generate test data:

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Database\Factories;

use App\Models\Conversation;
use App\Models\User;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory;

/**
 * @extends \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory<\App\Models\Conversation>
 */
class ConversationFactory extends Factory
{
    protected $model = Conversation::class;

    public function definition(): array
    {
        return [
            'user_id' => User::factory(),
            'title' => $this->faker->sentence(4),
            'system_prompt' => null,
            'model' => 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
            'metadata' => null,
            'last_message_at' => now(),
        ];
    }

    public function withSystemPrompt(string $prompt): static
    {
        return $this->state(fn (array $attributes) => [
            'system_prompt' => $prompt,
        ]);
    }

    public function withModel(string $model): static
    {
        return $this->state(fn (array $attributes) => [
            'model' => $model,
        ]);
    }
}

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Database\Factories;

use App\Models\Conversation;
use App\Models\Message;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory;

/**
 * @extends \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory<\App\Models\Message>
 */
class MessageFactory extends Factory
{
    protected $model = Message::class;

    public function definition(): array
    {
        return [
            'conversation_id' => Conversation::factory(),
            'role' => $this->faker->randomElement(['user', 'assistant']),
            'content' => $this->faker->paragraph(),
            'input_tokens' => null,
            'output_tokens' => null,
            'cost' => null,
            'metadata' => null,
        ];
    }

    public function user(): static
    {
        return $this->state(fn (array $attributes) => [
            'role' => 'user',
        ]);
    }

    public function assistant(): static
    {
        return $this->state(fn (array $attributes) => [
            'role' => 'assistant',
            'input_tokens' => $this->faker->numberBetween(100, 500),
            'output_tokens' => $this->faker->numberBetween(50, 300),
            'cost' => $this->faker->randomFloat(6, 0.001, 0.1),
        ]);
    }
}

Why Factories Matter: Factories make testing easier by generating realistic test data. They’re especially useful for creating conversations with multiple messages for testing pagination, search, and context management.

Chat Service

The ChatService class encapsulates all chat-related business logic, handling message sending, streaming, cost calculation, and conversation management. This service layer keeps your controllers and Livewire components clean and focused on presentation.

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Services;

use ClaudePhp\ClaudePhp;
use App\Models\Conversation;
use App\Models\Message;

class ChatService
{
    private ClaudePhp $client;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $apiKey = config('services.anthropic.api_key');

        if (!$apiKey) {
            throw new \RuntimeException('ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is not configured');
        }

        $this->client = new ClaudePhp([
            'api_key' => $apiKey
        ]);
    }

    private const PRICING = [
        'claude-opus-4-1' => ['input' => 15.00, 'output' => 75.00],
        'claude-sonnet-4-5' => ['input' => 3.00, 'output' => 15.00],
        'claude-haiku-4-5-20251001' => ['input' => 0.25, 'output' => 1.25],
    ];

    public function sendMessage(
        Conversation $conversation,
        string $content
    ): Message {
        try {
            // Validate input
            if (empty(trim($content))) {
                throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Message content cannot be empty');
            }

            // Create user message
            $userMessage = $conversation->messages()->create([
                'role' => 'user',
                'content' => trim($content),
            ]);

            // Get conversation history
            $history = $conversation->getFormattedMessagesForContext(100000);

            if (empty($history)) {
                throw new \RuntimeException('Failed to generate conversation history');
            }

            // Get response from Claude
            $response = $this->client->messages()->create([
                'model' => $conversation->model,
                'max_tokens' => 4096,
                'messages' => $history,
                'system' => $conversation->system_prompt
            ]);

            // Validate response structure
            if (!isset($response->content) || !is_array($response->content) || empty($response->content)) {
                throw new \RuntimeException('Invalid response from Claude API');
            }

            $responseText = $response->content[0]->text ?? '';

            if (empty($responseText)) {
                throw new \RuntimeException('Empty response from Claude API');
            }

            $inputTokens = $response->usage->inputTokens ?? 0;
            $outputTokens = $response->usage->outputTokens ?? 0;

            // Calculate cost
            $cost = $this->calculateCost(
                $conversation->model,
                $inputTokens,
                $outputTokens
            );

            // Create assistant message
            $assistantMessage = $conversation->messages()->create([
                'role' => 'assistant',
                'content' => $responseText,
                'input_tokens' => $inputTokens,
                'output_tokens' => $outputTokens,
                'cost' => $cost,
            ]);

            // Update conversation
            $conversation->update([
                'last_message_at' => now(),
            ]);

            // Generate title if needed
            $conversation->generateTitle();

            return $assistantMessage;

        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            // Log the error for debugging
            \Log::error('ChatService sendMessage failed', [
                'conversation_id' => $conversation->id,
                'error' => $e->getMessage(),
                'trace' => $e->getTraceAsString()
            ]);

            // Re-throw with a user-friendly message
            throw new \RuntimeException('Failed to send message: ' . $e->getMessage());
        }
    }

    public function streamMessage(
        Conversation $conversation,
        string $content,
        callable $callback
    ): void {
        try {
            // Validate input
            if (empty(trim($content))) {
                throw new \InvalidArgumentException('Message content cannot be empty');
            }

            // Create user message first
            $conversation->messages()->create([
                'role' => 'user',
                'content' => trim($content),
            ]);

            // Get conversation history
            $history = $conversation->getFormattedMessagesForContext(100000);

            if (empty($history)) {
                throw new \RuntimeException('Failed to generate conversation history');
            }

            $fullResponse = '';

            // Stream response from Claude
            $stream = $this->client->messages()->create([
                'model' => $conversation->model,
                'max_tokens' => 4096,
                'messages' => $history,
                'system' => $conversation->system_prompt,
                'stream' => true
            ]);

            foreach ($stream as $chunk) {
                // Check for text delta
                if (isset($chunk['delta']['text'])) {
                    $text = $chunk['delta']['text'];
                    $fullResponse .= $text;
                    $callback($text);
                }
            }

            if (empty($fullResponse)) {
                throw new \RuntimeException('Empty response from Claude streaming API');
            }

            // Create assistant message with full response after streaming completes
            // Note: Streaming responses don't always provide usage stats in the same way
            $conversation->messages()->create([
                'role' => 'assistant',
                'content' => $fullResponse,
            ]);

            // Update conversation timestamp and generate title if needed
            $conversation->update(['last_message_at' => now()]);
            $conversation->generateTitle();

        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            // Log the error for debugging
            \Log::error('ChatService streamMessage failed', [
                'conversation_id' => $conversation->id,
                'error' => $e->getMessage(),
                'trace' => $e->getTraceAsString()
            ]);

            // Re-throw with a user-friendly message
            throw new \RuntimeException('Failed to stream message: ' . $e->getMessage());
        }
    }

    private function calculateCost(string $model, int $inputTokens, int $outputTokens): float
    {
        $pricing = self::PRICING[$model] ?? ['input' => 0, 'output' => 0];

        $inputCost = ($inputTokens / 1_000_000) * $pricing['input'];
        $outputCost = ($outputTokens / 1_000_000) * $pricing['output'];

        return $inputCost + $outputCost;
    }
}

Service Design Benefits:

Separation of Concerns: Business logic is separated from presentation (Livewire components)
Cost Tracking: Automatic cost calculation based on model pricing and token usage
Streaming Support: Handles both synchronous and streaming responses
History Management: Properly manages conversation context for Claude API calls
Reusability: Can be used by controllers, jobs, commands, or any other part of your application

Livewire Components

Livewire components provide reactive UI without writing complex JavaScript. They handle user interactions, manage component state, and automatically update the DOM when data changes.

Chat Component

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Livewire;

use App\Models\Conversation;
use App\Services\ChatService;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\RateLimiter;
use Livewire\Attributes\On;
use Livewire\Component;

class Chat extends Component
{
    public ?Conversation $conversation = null;
    public string $message = '';
    public bool $isStreaming = false;
    public string $streamingResponse = '';
    public bool $showSettings = false;
    public string $selectedModel = '';
    public string $systemPrompt = '';

    protected $rules = [
        'message' => 'required|string|max:10000',
        'systemPrompt' => 'nullable|string|max:5000',
    ];

    public function mount(?int $conversationId = null)
    {
        if ($conversationId) {
            $this->conversation = Conversation::where('user_id', Auth::id())
                ->findOrFail($conversationId);
            $this->selectedModel = $this->conversation->model;
            $this->systemPrompt = $this->conversation->system_prompt ?? '';
        } else {
            $this->createNewConversation();
        }
    }

    public function authorize($ability, $model = null): bool
    {
        // Ensure user is authenticated
        if (!Auth::check()) {
            abort(401, 'Authentication required');
        }

        // Additional authorization logic can be added here
        return true;
    }

    public function createNewConversation(): void
    {
        $this->conversation = Conversation::create([
            'user_id' => Auth::id(),
            'model' => $this->selectedModel ?: config('claude.default_model'),
            'system_prompt' => $this->systemPrompt ?: null,
        ]);

        $this->selectedModel = $this->conversation->model;
        $this->redirect(route('chat', ['conversation' => $this->conversation->id]));
    }

    public function updateSettings(): void
    {
        $this->validate(['systemPrompt' => 'nullable|string|max:5000']);

        if ($this->conversation) {
            $this->conversation->update([
                'model' => $this->selectedModel,
                'system_prompt' => $this->systemPrompt ?: null,
            ]);
        }

        $this->showSettings = false;
        $this->dispatch('settings-updated');
    }

    public function retryMessage(int $messageId): void
    {
        $message = $this->conversation->messages()->findOrFail($messageId);

        if ($message->role !== 'user') {
            return;
        }

        // Delete the assistant response if it exists
        $assistantMessage = $this->conversation->messages()
            ->where('id', '>', $messageId)
            ->where('role', 'assistant')
            ->first();

        if ($assistantMessage) {
            $assistantMessage->delete();
        }

        // Resend the message
        $this->message = $message->content;
        $this->messages()->create(app(ChatService::class));
    }

    public function sendMessage(ChatService $chatService): void
    {
        $this->validate();

        if ($this->isStreaming) {
            return;
        }

        // Rate limiting check
        $key = 'chat-messages:' . Auth::id();
        if (\RateLimiter::tooManyAttempts($key, 60)) { // 60 messages per hour
            $seconds = \RateLimiter::availableIn($key);
            $this->addError('message', "Too many messages. Please wait {$seconds} seconds.");
            return;
        }

        \RateLimiter::hit($key, 3600); // 1 hour window

        $this->isStreaming = true;
        $this->streamingResponse = '';

        try {
            $chatService->streamMessage(
                $this->conversation,
                $this->message,
                function ($chunk) {
                    $this->streamingResponse .= $chunk;
                    $this->dispatch('message-chunk', ['chunk' => $chunk]);
                }
            );

            $this->message = '';
            $this->conversation->refresh();
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            $this->addError('message', 'Failed to send message: ' . $e->getMessage());
            $this->isStreaming = false;
            $this->streamingResponse = '';
        }
    }

    #[On('conversation-selected')]
    public function loadConversation(int $conversationId): void
    {
        $this->conversation = Conversation::where('user_id', Auth::id())
            ->findOrFail($conversationId);
    }

    public function deleteConversation(): void
    {
        if ($this->conversation && $this->conversation->user_id === Auth::id()) {
            $this->conversation->delete();
            $this->createNewConversation();
        }
    }

    public function render()
    {
        return view('livewire.chat', [
            'messages' => $this->conversation?->messages ?? collect(),
        ]);
    }
}

Conversation List Component

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Livewire;

use App\Models\Conversation;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
use Livewire\Component;

class ConversationList extends Component
{
    public \Illuminate\Contracts\Pagination\LengthAwarePaginator $conversations;
    public ?int $activeConversationId = null;
    public string $search = '';
    public int $perPage = 20;

    public function mount(?int $activeId = null)
    {
        $this->activeConversationId = $activeId;
        $this->loadConversations();
    }

    public function loadConversations(): void
    {
        $query = Conversation::where('user_id', Auth::id());

        // Add search functionality
        if (!empty($this->search)) {
            $query->where(function ($q) {
                $q->where('title', 'like', '%' . $this->search . '%')
                  ->orWhereHas('messages', function ($mq) {
                      $mq->where('content', 'like', '%' . $this->search . '%');
                  });
            });
        }

        $this->conversations = $query
            ->orderBy('last_message_at', 'desc')
            ->orderBy('created_at', 'desc')
            ->paginate($this->perPage);
    }

    public function updatedSearch(): void
    {
        $this->loadConversations();
    }

    public function selectConversation(int $conversationId): void
    {
        $this->activeConversationId = $conversationId;
        $this->dispatch('conversation-selected', conversationId: $conversationId);
    }

    public function deleteConversation(int $conversationId): void
    {
        $conversation = Conversation::where('user_id', Auth::id())
            ->findOrFail($conversationId);

        $conversation->delete();
        $this->loadConversations();

        if ($this->activeConversationId === $conversationId) {
            $this->dispatch('conversation-deleted');
        }
    }

    public function render()
    {
        return view('livewire.conversation-list');
    }
}

Livewire Component Patterns:

Public Properties: Automatically synced with the view and can be bound to form inputs
Lifecycle Hooks: mount() runs when the component is initialized, perfect for loading data
Event Listeners: #[On('conversation-selected')] listens for events from other components
Validation: Built-in validation rules provide client and server-side validation
Error Handling: Try-catch blocks ensure graceful error handling with user-friendly messages

Views

Blade templates provide the HTML structure, while Livewire handles the dynamic behavior. Alpine.js (included with Livewire) adds lightweight interactivity like auto-scrolling.

Main Chat View

{{-- filename: resources/views/livewire/chat.blade.php --}}
<div class="flex flex-col h-full">
    <!-- Chat Header -->
    <div class="flex items-center justify-between px-6 py-4 border-b border-gray-200 bg-white">
        <div>
            <h2 class="text-lg font-semibold text-gray-900">
                {{ $conversation?->title ?? 'New Conversation' }}
            </h2>
            <p class="text-sm text-gray-500">
                Model: {{ $conversation?->model ?? 'claude-sonnet-4' }}
            </p>
        </div>
        <div class="flex gap-2">
            <button
                wire:click="createNewConversation"
                class="px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 bg-white border border-gray-300 rounded-md hover:bg-gray-50"
            >
                New Chat
            </button>
            @if($conversation)
                <button
                    wire:click="$set('showSettings', true)"
                    class="px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 bg-white border border-gray-300 rounded-md hover:bg-gray-50"
                >
                    Settings
                </button>
                <button
                    wire:click="deleteConversation"
                    wire:confirm="Are you sure you want to delete this conversation?"
                    class="px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-red-700 bg-white border border-red-300 rounded-md hover:bg-red-50"
                >
                    Delete
                </button>
            @endif
        </div>
    </div>

    <!-- Settings Modal -->
    @if($showSettings && $conversation)
        <div class="fixed inset-0 bg-black bg-opacity-50 flex items-center justify-center z-50" wire:click="$set('showSettings', false)">
            <div class="bg-white rounded-lg p-6 max-w-2xl w-full mx-4" wire:click.stop>
                <h3 class="text-lg font-semibold mb-4">Conversation Settings</h3>

                <div class="space-y-4">
                    <div>
                        <label class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 mb-2">Model</label>
                        <select wire:model="selectedModel" class="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500">
                            <option value="claude-opus-4-1">Claude Opus 4</option>
                            <option value="claude-sonnet-4-5">Claude Sonnet 4</option>
                            <option value="claude-haiku-4-5">Claude Haiku 4</option>
                        </select>
                    </div>

                    <div>
                        <label class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 mb-2">System Prompt</label>
                        <textarea
                            wire:model="systemPrompt"
                            rows="6"
                            class="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500"
                            placeholder="Enter a system prompt to guide Claude's behavior..."
                        ></textarea>
                        <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-500">This prompt will be used for all messages in this conversation.</p>
                    </div>
                </div>

                <div class="mt-6 flex justify-end gap-2">
                    <button
                        wire:click="$set('showSettings', false)"
                        class="px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 bg-white border border-gray-300 rounded-md hover:bg-gray-50"
                    >
                        Cancel
                    </button>
                    <button
                        wire:click="updateSettings"
                        class="px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white bg-blue-600 rounded-md hover:bg-blue-700"
                    >
                        Save Settings
                    </button>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    @endif
    </div>

    <!-- Messages Container -->
    <div
        id="messages-container"
        class="flex-1 overflow-y-auto px-6 py-4 space-y-4 bg-gray-50"
        x-data="{ scrollToBottom() { this.$el.scrollTop = this.$el.scrollHeight } }"
        x-init="scrollToBottom()"
    >
        @foreach($messages as $message)
            <div class="flex {{ $message->isUser() ? 'justify-end' : 'justify-start' }}">
                <div class="max-w-3xl {{ $message->isUser() ? 'bg-blue-600 text-white' : 'bg-white text-gray-900' }} rounded-lg px-4 py-3 shadow">
                    <div class="flex items-start gap-3">
                        @if($message->isAssistant())
                            <svg class="w-6 h-6 text-purple-600 flex-shrink-0" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
                                <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M9.663 17h4.673M12 3v1m6.364 1.636l-.707.707M21 12h-1M4 12H3m3.343-5.657l-.707-.707m2.828 9.9a5 5 0 117.072 0l-.548.547A3.374 3.374 0 0014 18.469V19a2 2 0 11-4 0v-.531c0-.895-.356-1.754-.988-2.386l-.548-.547z" />
                            </svg>
                        @endif
                        <div class="flex-1">
                            <div class="prose prose-sm max-w-none {{ $message->isUser() ? 'prose-invert' : '' }}">
                                {!! Str::markdown($message->content) !!}
                            </div>
                            <div class="mt-2 flex items-center gap-3">
                                @if($message->isAssistant() && $message->cost)
                                    <div class="text-xs text-gray-500">
                                        Cost: ${{ number_format($message->cost, 6) }} •
                                        Tokens: {{ $message->input_tokens + $message->output_tokens }}
                                    </div>
                                @endif
                                @if($message->isUser())
                                    <button
                                        wire:click="retryMessage({{ $message->id }})"
                                        wire:loading.attr="disabled"
                                        class="text-xs text-blue-600 hover:text-blue-800 disabled:opacity-50"
                                        title="Retry this message"
                                    >
                                        <span wire:loading.remove wire:target="retryMessage({{ $message->id }})">Retry</span>
                                        <span wire:loading wire:target="retryMessage({{ $message->id }})">Retrying...</span>
                                    </button>
                                @endif
                            </div>
                        </div>
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        @endforeach

        <!-- Streaming Response -->
        @if($isStreaming && $streamingResponse)
            <div class="flex justify-start">
                <div class="max-w-3xl bg-white text-gray-900 rounded-lg px-4 py-3 shadow">
                    <div class="flex items-start gap-3">
                        <svg class="w-6 h-6 text-purple-600 flex-shrink-0 animate-pulse" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
                            <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M9.663 17h4.673M12 3v1m6.364 1.636l-.707.707M21 12h-1M4 12H3m3.343-5.657l-.707-.707m2.828 9.9a5 5 0 117.072 0l-.548.547A3.374 3.374 0 0014 18.469V19a2 2 0 11-4 0v-.531c0-.895-.356-1.754-.988-2.386l-.548-.547z" />
                        </svg>
                        <div class="flex-1 prose prose-sm max-w-none">
                            {!! Str::markdown($streamingResponse) !!}
                        </div>
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        @endif
    </div>

    <!-- Input Form -->
    <div class="px-6 py-4 border-t border-gray-200 bg-white">
        <form wire:submit="sendMessage" class="flex gap-3">
            <textarea
                wire:model="message"
                placeholder="Type your message..."
                rows="3"
                class="flex-1 px-4 py-3 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 focus:border-blue-500 resize-none"
                @keydown.ctrl.enter="$wire.sendMessage()"
                {{ $isStreaming ? 'disabled' : '' }}
            ></textarea>
            <button
                type="submit"
                class="px-6 py-3 bg-blue-600 text-white rounded-lg hover:bg-blue-700 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 disabled:opacity-50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed"
                {{ $isStreaming ? 'disabled' : '' }}
            >
                @if($isStreaming)
                    <svg class="animate-spin h-5 w-5" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
                        <circle class="opacity-25" cx="12" cy="12" r="10" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="4"></circle>
                        <path class="opacity-75" fill="currentColor" d="M4 12a8 8 0 018-8V0C5.373 0 0 5.373 0 12h4zm2 5.291A7.962 7.962 0 014 12H0c0 3.042 1.135 5.824 3 7.938l3-2.647z"></path>
                    </svg>
                @else
                    Send
                @endif
            </button>
        </form>
        @error('message')
            <p class="mt-2 text-sm text-red-600">{{ $message }}</p>
        @enderror
        <p class="mt-2 text-xs text-gray-500">
            Press Ctrl+Enter to send
        </p>
    </div>
</div>

@script
<script>
    $wire.on('message-chunk', (event) => {
        // Auto-scroll to bottom when new chunk arrives
        const container = document.getElementById('messages-container');
        if (container) {
            container.scrollTop = container.scrollHeight;
        }
    });
</script>
@endscript

View Features:

Markdown Rendering: Uses Laravel’s Str::markdown() helper to render Claude’s responses with proper formatting
Streaming Display: Shows streaming responses in real-time with a pulsing icon indicator
Auto-scroll: Alpine.js automatically scrolls to the bottom when new messages arrive
Cost Display: Shows per-message costs and token counts for transparency
Responsive Design: TailwindCSS classes ensure the UI works on all screen sizes

Conversation List View

{{-- filename: resources/views/livewire/conversation-list.blade.php --}}
<div class="h-full flex flex-col bg-gray-100">
    <div class="p-4 border-b border-gray-200 bg-white">
        <h3 class="text-lg font-semibold text-gray-900">Conversations</h3>
    </div>

    <div class="flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
        <!-- Search Bar -->
        <div class="p-4 border-b border-gray-200 bg-white">
            <input
                type="text"
                wire:model.live.debounce.300ms="search"
                placeholder="Search conversations..."
                class="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 focus:border-blue-500"
            />
        </div>

        @forelse($conversations as $conversation)
            <button
                wire:click="selectConversation({{ $conversation->id }})"
                class="w-full text-left px-4 py-3 border-b border-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-50 transition-colors {{ $activeConversationId === $conversation->id ? 'bg-blue-50 border-l-4 border-l-blue-600' : '' }}"
            >
                <div class="flex justify-between items-start">
                    <div class="flex-1 min-w-0">
                        <p class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-900 truncate">
                            {{ $conversation->title ?? 'Untitled Conversation' }}
                        </p>
                        <p class="text-xs text-gray-500 mt-1">
                            {{ $conversation->messages_count ?? 0 }} messages •
                            {{ $conversation->last_message_at?->diffForHumans() ?? 'Just created' }}
                        </p>
                        @if($conversation->total_cost > 0)
                            <p class="text-xs text-gray-400 mt-1">
                                Cost: ${{ number_format($conversation->total_cost, 4) }}
                            </p>
                        @endif
                    </div>
                    <button
                        wire:click.stop="deleteConversation({{ $conversation->id }})"
                        wire:confirm="Delete this conversation?"
                        class="ml-2 text-gray-400 hover:text-red-600"
                    >
                        <svg class="w-4 h-4" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
                            <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M19 7l-.867 12.142A2 2 0 0116.138 21H7.862a2 2 0 01-1.995-1.858L5 7m5 4v6m4-6v6m1-10V4a1 1 0 00-1-1h-4a1 1 0 00-1 1v3M4 7h16" />
                        </svg>
                    </button>
                </div>
            </button>
        @empty
            <div class="p-4 text-center text-gray-500">
                <p class="text-sm">No conversations yet</p>
                <p class="text-xs mt-1">Start a new chat to begin</p>
            </div>
        @endforelse

        <!-- Pagination -->
        <div class="p-4 border-t border-gray-200 bg-white">
            {{ $conversations->links() }}
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

Main Layout

{{-- filename: resources/views/chat.blade.php --}}
<x-app-layout>
    <div class="h-screen flex overflow-hidden">
        <!-- Sidebar -->
        <div class="w-80 border-r border-gray-200 flex-shrink-0">
            @livewire('conversation-list', ['activeId' => $conversation?->id])
        </div>

        <!-- Main Chat Area -->
        <div class="flex-1 flex flex-col">
            @livewire('chat', ['conversationId' => $conversation?->id])
        </div>
    </div>
</x-app-layout>

Routes

<?php
use App\Http\Controllers\ConversationController;
use App\Livewire\Chat;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::middleware(['auth'])->group(function () {
    Route::get('/chat/{conversation?}', Chat::class)->name('chat');

    // Optional: Add export route if using the ConversationController
    Route::get('/conversations/{conversation}/export', [ConversationController::class, 'export'])
        ->name('conversations.export');
});

Why This Route Structure:

Single Route: Livewire handles all chat interactions through one route
Optional Parameter: Allows both new conversations (/chat) and existing ones (/chat/123)
Middleware Protection: Ensures only authenticated users can access conversations

Advanced Features

Context Window Management

The getFormattedMessagesForContext() method automatically manages conversation history to stay within Claude’s context window limits. It:

Estimates token usage (rough approximation: 1 token ≈ 4 characters)
Keeps the most recent messages that fit within the limit
Ensures older messages are excluded when approaching the context limit
Maintains conversation flow by prioritizing recent context

Usage: This is automatically called by ChatService when sending messages, so no manual intervention is needed.

Pagination

Conversation lists are paginated to improve performance with many conversations:

Default: 20 conversations per page
Configurable via $perPage property
Uses Laravel’s built-in pagination
Works seamlessly with search functionality

Search Functionality

Users can search conversations by:

Conversation title
Message content within conversations
Real-time search with 300ms debounce
Pagination works with search results

Model Selection

Users can switch Claude models per conversation:

Available models: Opus 4, Sonnet 4, Haiku 4
Changes apply to all future messages in the conversation
Model selection persists with the conversation
Cost tracking adjusts automatically based on selected model

System Prompt Management

Each conversation can have a custom system prompt:

Editable via the Settings modal
Applies to all messages in the conversation
Useful for role-playing, specific behaviors, or domain-specific instructions
Stored per conversation, not globally

Message Retry

Users can retry failed or unsatisfactory messages:

“Retry” button appears on user messages
Deletes the previous assistant response
Resends the user message automatically
Useful for handling API errors or getting different responses

Rate Limiting

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Http\Middleware;

use Closure;
use Illuminate\Cache\RateLimiter;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class ChatRateLimit
{
    public function __construct(
        private readonly RateLimiter $limiter
    ) {}

    public function handle(Request $request, Closure $next)
    {
        $key = 'chat:' . $request->user()->id;

        if ($this->limiter->tooManyAttempts($key, 60)) {
            $seconds = $this->limiter->availableIn($key);

            return response()->json([
                'error' => 'Too many messages. Please wait ' . $seconds . ' seconds.',
            ], 429);
        }

        $this->limiter->hit($key, 60); // 60 per hour

        return $next($request);
    }
}

Export Conversation

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Services;

use App\Models\Conversation;

class ConversationExporter
{
    public function exportAsMarkdown(Conversation $conversation): string
    {
        $markdown = "# {$conversation->title}\n\n";
        $markdown .= "**Created:** {$conversation->created_at->format('Y-m-d H:i:s')}\n";
        $markdown .= "**Model:** {$conversation->model}\n";
        $markdown .= "**Total Cost:** \${$conversation->total_cost}\n\n";
        $markdown .= "---\n\n";

        foreach ($conversation->messages as $message) {
            $role = $message->isUser() ? '👤 User' : '🤖 Assistant';
            $markdown .= "## {$role}\n\n";
            $markdown .= "{$message->content}\n\n";

            if ($message->isAssistant() && $message->cost) {
                $markdown .= "*Cost: \${$message->cost} | Tokens: {$message->input_tokens} + {$message->output_tokens}*\n\n";
            }

            $markdown .= "---\n\n";
        }

        return $markdown;
    }

    public function exportAsJson(Conversation $conversation): string
    {
        $data = [
            'id' => $conversation->id,
            'title' => $conversation->title,
            'model' => $conversation->model,
            'created_at' => $conversation->created_at->toIso8601String(),
            'messages' => $conversation->messages->map(function ($message) {
                return [
                    'role' => $message->role,
                    'content' => $message->content,
                    'tokens' => [
                        'input' => $message->input_tokens,
                        'output' => $message->output_tokens,
                    ],
                    'cost' => $message->cost ? (float) $message->cost : null,
                    'created_at' => $message->created_at->toIso8601String(),
                ];
            })->toArray(),
            'total_cost' => $conversation->total_cost,
            'total_tokens' => $conversation->total_tokens,
        ];

        $json = json_encode($data, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT | JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE);

        if ($json === false) {
            throw new \RuntimeException('Failed to encode conversation as JSON: ' . json_last_error_msg());
        }

        return $json;
    }
}

Conversation Controller for Export

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use App\Models\Conversation;
use App\Services\ConversationExporter;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;

class ConversationController extends Controller
{
    public function export(
        Conversation $conversation,
        ConversationExporter $exporter,
        Request $request
    ) {
        // Authorize
        if ($conversation->user_id !== Auth::id()) {
            abort(403);
        }

        $format = $request->input('format', 'markdown');

        if ($format === 'json') {
            return response($exporter->exportAsJson($conversation))
                ->header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
                ->header('Content-Disposition', 'attachment; filename="conversation-' . $conversation->id . '.json"');
        }

        return response($exporter->exportAsMarkdown($conversation))
            ->header('Content-Type', 'text/markdown')
            ->header('Content-Disposition', 'attachment; filename="conversation-' . $conversation->id . '.md"');
    }
}

Testing

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Tests\Feature;

use App\Models\Conversation;
use App\Models\User;
use App\Services\ChatService;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
use Mockery;
use Tests\TestCase;

class ChatTest extends TestCase
{
    use RefreshDatabase;

    public function test_user_can_create_conversation(): void
    {
        $user = User::factory()->create();

        $conversation = Conversation::create([
            'user_id' => $user->id,
            'model' => 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
        ]);

        $this->assertDatabaseHas('conversations', [
            'id' => $conversation->id,
            'user_id' => $user->id,
        ]);
    }

    public function test_user_can_send_message(): void
    {
        $user = User::factory()->create();
        $conversation = Conversation::factory()->create(['user_id' => $user->id]);

        // Mock ChatService
        $mockService = Mockery::mock(ChatService::class);
        $mockService->shouldReceive('streamMessage')
            ->once()
            ->andReturnUsing(function ($conv, $msg, $callback) {
                $callback('Hello from Claude!');
            });

        $this->app->instance(ChatService::class, $mockService);

        $this->actingAs($user)
            ->livewire(Chat::class, ['conversationId' => $conversation->id])
            ->set('message', 'Hello')
            ->call('sendMessage')
            ->assertHasNoErrors();
    }

    public function test_user_cannot_access_other_users_conversations(): void
    {
        $user1 = User::factory()->create();
        $user2 = User::factory()->create();

        $conversation = Conversation::factory()->create(['user_id' => $user2->id]);

        $this->actingAs($user1)
            ->get(route('chat', $conversation))
            ->assertStatus(403);
    }
}

Exercises

Exercise 1: Add Message Editing

Goal: Allow users to edit their previous messages and regenerate Claude’s response.

Requirements:

Add edited_at timestamp column to messages table
Create a Livewire method editMessage() that:
- Verifies the message belongs to the authenticated user
- Updates the message content
- Stores the original content in metadata for history
- Marks the message as edited with a timestamp
- Optionally regenerates Claude’s response
Add UI controls (edit button, inline editing) to the chat view
Show “edited” indicator in the message UI

Validation: Test that:

Users can only edit their own messages
Edited messages show an “edited” indicator
Original content is preserved in metadata
Regenerated responses maintain conversation context

<?php
public function editMessage(int $messageId, string $newContent): void
{
    $message = Message::where('id', $messageId)
        ->whereHas('conversation', fn($q) => $q->where('user_id', Auth::id()))
        ->firstOrFail();

    if ($message->role !== 'user') {
        throw new \Exception('Only user messages can be edited');
    }

    $message->update([
        'content' => $newContent,
        'edited_at' => now(),
        'metadata' => array_merge($message->metadata ?? [], [
            'edit_history' => array_merge($message->metadata['edit_history'] ?? [], [
                [
                    'original_content' => $message->content,
                    'edited_at' => now()->toIso8601String(),
                ]
            ])
        ])
    ]);

    // Optionally regenerate Claude's response
    // $this->regenerateResponse($message);
}

Exercise 2: Implement Conversation Folders

Goal: Add folder organization so users can organize conversations into categories.

Requirements:

Create conversation_folders migration with:
- id, user_id, name, color (hex color), order, timestamps
Add folder_id foreign key to conversations table
Create ConversationFolder model with relationships
Update ConversationList component to:
- Show folders in sidebar
- Allow creating/editing/deleting folders
- Filter conversations by folder
- Drag-and-drop conversations between folders
Add folder management UI (create, rename, delete, change color)

Validation: Test that:

Users can only access their own folders
Conversations can be moved between folders
Deleting a folder moves conversations to “Uncategorized”
Folder colors persist and display correctly

<?php
class ConversationFolder extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = ['user_id', 'name', 'color', 'order'];

    public function user(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class);
    }

    public function conversations(): HasMany
    {
        return $this->hasMany(Conversation::class)->orderBy('last_message_at', 'desc');
    }
}

Exercise 3: Add Message Reactions

Goal: Let users provide feedback on assistant messages with reactions (thumbs up/down).

Requirements:

Create message_reactions migration with:
- id, message_id, user_id, type (enum: ‘positive’, ‘negative’), timestamps
- Unique constraint on message_id + user_id (one reaction per user per message)
Create MessageReaction model with relationships
Add reaction buttons to assistant messages in the chat view
Track reactions in analytics for quality improvement
Show reaction counts in the UI
Add API endpoint to fetch reaction statistics

Validation: Test that:

Users can only react to assistant messages
Users can change their reaction (update existing)
Reaction counts are accurate
Analytics can aggregate reaction data

<?php
class MessageReaction extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = ['message_id', 'user_id', 'type'];

    public function message(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(Message::class);
    }

    public function user(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class);
    }

    public function scopePositive($query)
    {
        return $query->where('type', 'positive');
    }

    public function scopeNegative($query)
    {
        return $query->where('type', 'negative');
    }
}

Additional Considerations:

Exercise 1: Consider adding a “Regenerate Response” button that calls Claude again with the edited message
Exercise 2: Implement drag-and-drop using Alpine.js or a library like Sortable.js
Exercise 3: Create a dashboard showing reaction analytics to identify which responses users find helpful

Troubleshooting

Messages not streaming?

Ensure Livewire is properly configured for streaming
Check browser console for JavaScript errors
Verify SSE connection is not blocked by middleware

Conversation not loading?

Check database relationships are eager loaded
Verify user authorization in route middleware
Ensure conversation belongs to authenticated user

High database load?

Add indexes on conversation_id and created_at
Implement pagination for long conversations
Cache recent conversations in Redis

Memory issues with long conversations?

Context window management is automatically handled by getFormattedMessagesForContext()
Old messages are automatically excluded when approaching token limits
Consider implementing message summarization for very old conversations

Search not working?

Ensure the search input is properly bound with wire:model.live.debounce.300ms
Check that database indexes exist on title and messages.content columns
Verify the loadConversations() method is being called on search updates

Settings not saving?

Verify the updateSettings() method validates input properly
Check that the conversation belongs to the authenticated user
Ensure the modal is properly closed after saving

Pagination not showing?

Verify $conversations is a paginated result, not a collection
Check that paginate() is called instead of get() in loadConversations()
Ensure Livewire pagination component is included

Deployment Considerations

Before deploying to production, consider these important aspects:

Queue Workers

For better performance, process long-running Claude requests via queues:

# In ChatService, dispatch to queue for long conversations
if ($conversation->messages()->count() > 50) {
    ProcessChatMessage::dispatch($conversation, $content);
    return;
}

Setup:

# Start queue worker
php artisan queue:work --tries=3 --timeout=300

Caching Strategy

Cache frequently accessed data:

// Cache conversation list
$conversations = Cache::remember("user_conversations_{$userId}", 300, function () {
    return Conversation::where('user_id', $userId)->get();
});

Database Optimization

Add indexes on frequently queried columns
Consider partitioning the messages table by date for very large datasets
Use database read replicas for read-heavy workloads

Rate Limiting

Configure rate limiting per user to prevent abuse:

// In routes/web.php
Route::middleware(['auth', 'throttle:60,1'])->group(function () {
    Route::get('/chat/{conversation?}', Chat::class)->name('chat');
});

Monitoring

Set up monitoring for:

API response times
Error rates
Cost per user/conversation
Queue processing times
Database query performance

Environment Variables

Add these to your .env file:

# Anthropic Claude API
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

# Claude Configuration
CLAUDE_DEFAULT_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

# Optional: For production performance
QUEUE_CONNECTION=redis
CACHE_DRIVER=redis
SESSION_DRIVER=redis

Service Configuration

Create config/services.php if it doesn’t exist and add:

<?php
return [
    // ... existing config

    'anthropic' => [
        'api_key' => env('ANTHROPIC_API_KEY'),
        'default_model' => env('CLAUDE_DEFAULT_MODEL', 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929'),
    ],
];

Security Checklist

Wrap-up

Congratulations! You’ve built a complete, production-ready chatbot application with Laravel 11, Livewire 3, and Claude-PHP-SDK v0.2. Here’s what you’ve accomplished:

✓ Database Architecture: Designed a scalable schema with conversations and messages, including proper relationships, indexes, and soft deletes
✓ Eloquent Models: Created Conversation and Message models with relationships, accessors, and business logic methods
✓ Chat Service: Built a service class that handles message sending, streaming, cost calculation, and conversation management with comprehensive error handling
✓ Livewire Components: Created reactive UI components for chat and conversation list management with proper authentication checks
✓ Real-time Streaming: Implemented streaming responses using Server-Sent Events for better user experience
✓ User Authentication: Integrated Laravel’s authentication system to ensure users only access their own conversations
✓ Cost Tracking: Implemented per-message cost and token tracking for analytics and budgeting
✓ Rate Limiting: Added per-user rate limiting to prevent abuse and control API costs (60 messages/hour)
✓ Export Functionality: Built conversation export in both Markdown and JSON formats
✓ Comprehensive Testing: Created test suite with proper mocking and database testing
✓ Beautiful UI: Designed a modern, responsive chat interface with TailwindCSS
✓ Production Security: Implemented proper input validation, error handling, and authentication checks
✓ SDK Compatibility: Fully compatible with Claude-PHP-SDK v0.2 using correct API patterns and response handling

You now have a fully-functional chatbot application that can handle multiple users, maintain conversation history, stream responses in real-time, and provide a professional chat experience. The architecture is clean, maintainable, and ready for production deployment.

Key Takeaways

✓ Database Design separates conversations and messages for flexibility
✓ Livewire enables reactive UI without complex JavaScript
✓ Streaming improves UX for long responses
✓ Authentication ensures users only access their data
✓ Cost Tracking at message level enables analytics
✓ Export Functionality provides data portability
✓ Rate Limiting prevents abuse and controls costs
✓ Clean Architecture makes the system maintainable and testable

💻 Code Samples

All code examples from this chapter are available in the GitHub repository and have been tested to work correctly with:

Laravel 11
Livewire 3
Claude-PHP-SDK v0.2
PHP 8.4

View Chapter 22 Code Samples

Clone and run locally:

git clone https://github.com/dalehurley/codewithphp.git
cd codewithphp/code/claude-php/chapter-22

# Install dependencies
composer install
composer require claude-php/claude-php-sdk:^0.2

# Setup environment
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and add your ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

# Setup database
php artisan migrate

# Install and build frontend assets
npm install && npm run build

# Start the development server
php artisan serve

Verification Commands

After setup, verify everything works:

# Check Laravel version
php artisan --version

# Check Livewire version
php artisan livewire:version

# Check SDK installation
composer show claude-php/claude-php-sdk

# Run tests
php artisan test

The code samples include comprehensive error handling, security measures, and production-ready patterns that work seamlessly with the Claude-PHP-SDK v0.2.

22: Building a Chatbot with Laravel

Chapter 22: Building a Chatbot with Laravel

Overview

Prerequisites

Quick Start

What You’ll Build

Objectives

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Install Dependencies (~5 min)

Step 2: Run Migrations (~2 min)

Step 3: Create Models (~5 min)

Database Schema Design

Migrations

Models

Conversation Model

Message Model

Factory Classes

Chat Service

Livewire Components

Chat Component

Conversation List Component

Views

Main Chat View

Conversation List View

Main Layout

Routes

Advanced Features

Context Window Management

Pagination

Search Functionality

Model Selection

System Prompt Management

Message Retry

Rate Limiting

Export Conversation

Conversation Controller for Export

Testing

Exercises

Exercise 1: Add Message Editing

Exercise 2: Implement Conversation Folders

Exercise 3: Add Message Reactions

Troubleshooting

Deployment Considerations

Queue Workers

Caching Strategy

Database Optimization

Rate Limiting

Monitoring

Environment Variables

Service Configuration

Security Checklist

Further Reading

Wrap-up

Key Takeaways

Further Reading

💻 Code Samples

Verification Commands