Laravel 13 MongoDB CRUD Tutorial with the Official Laravel MongoDB Package

You can build a CRUD API in Laravel 13 on MongoDB with the official mongodb/laravel-mongodb package. It adds a MongoDB database driver and an Eloquent-style base model, so your controller code looks almost the same as with MySQL. In this tutorial you will connect Laravel to MongoDB, create a Book model and expose create, read, update and delete endpoints.

Targets: Laravel 13 (PHP 8.3 to 8.5), the MongoDB PHP extension, a running MongoDB server or Atlas cluster and the mongodb/laravel-mongodb package. Before installing, open the package's compatibility table and confirm which package version supports Laravel 13; Composer will refuse to install an incompatible version.

Step 1: Install the MongoDB PHP extension

The package needs the mongodb PHP extension. Install it with PECL or your platform's package, enable it in php.ini (extension=mongodb) and confirm:

php -m | grep mongodb

On Windows tools such as Laragon or Herd, enable the extension from the PHP extensions menu or add the DLL that matches your PHP version.

Step 2: Install the Laravel MongoDB package

composer require mongodb/laravel-mongodb

The package's quick start shows a version constraint such as ^5.12; use the constraint that the compatibility table lists for your Laravel version.

Step 3: Configure the connection

Add a mongodb connection to config/database.php inside the connections array:

'mongodb' => [
    'driver' => 'mongodb',
    'dsn' => env('DB_URI'),
    'database' => env('DB_DATABASE', 'library'),
],

Then set the connection string in .env. A local server and an Atlas cluster look like this:

DB_URI=mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017
# or: DB_URI=mongodb+srv://USER:PASSWORD@cluster0.example.mongodb.net
DB_DATABASE=library

Keep real credentials only in .env, never in committed files.

Step 4: Create the model

A MongoDB model extends the package's Model class instead of Laravel's. Set the connection on the model so it does not use your default database:

<?php

namespace App\Models;

use MongoDB\Laravel\Eloquent\Model;

class Book extends Model
{
    protected $connection = 'mongodb';

    protected $fillable = ['title', 'author', 'price'];

    protected function casts(): array
    {
        return [
            'price' => 'float',
        ];
    }
}

MongoDB creates the collection (the equivalent of a table) the first time you insert a document, so there is no migration to run. The primary key is _id, an ObjectId that the package exposes as a string.

Step 5: Add the API routes

If your project has no routes/api.php yet, run php artisan install:api. Then register a resource route:

use App\Http\Controllers\BookController;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::apiResource('books', BookController::class);

Step 6: Write the controller

php artisan make:controller BookController --api

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use App\Models\Book;
use Illuminate\Http\JsonResponse;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class BookController extends Controller
{
    public function index(): JsonResponse
    {
        return response()->json(Book::latest()->paginate(10));
    }

    public function store(Request $request): JsonResponse
    {
        $data = $request->validate([
            'title' => ['required', 'string', 'max:255'],
            'author' => ['required', 'string', 'max:255'],
            'price' => ['required', 'numeric', 'min:0'],
        ]);

        return response()->json(Book::create($data), 201);
    }

    public function show(Book $book): JsonResponse
    {
        return response()->json($book);
    }

    public function update(Request $request, Book $book): JsonResponse
    {
        $data = $request->validate([
            'title' => ['sometimes', 'string', 'max:255'],
            'author' => ['sometimes', 'string', 'max:255'],
            'price' => ['sometimes', 'numeric', 'min:0'],
        ]);

        $book->update($data);

        return response()->json($book);
    }

    public function destroy(Book $book): JsonResponse
    {
        $book->delete();

        return response()->json(null, 204);
    }
}

Route model binding works because the model's route key is its primary key, _id. Validation uses the normal Laravel rules. Do not use the exists or unique rules against MongoDB collections unless you have checked how the package handles them for your version.

Step 7: Test the endpoints

curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/books \
  -H "Accept: application/json" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"Clean Code","author":"Robert Martin","price":29.5}'

curl -H "Accept: application/json" http://localhost:8000/api/books
curl -X PUT http://localhost:8000/api/books/PASTE_ID_HERE \
  -H "Accept: application/json" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"price":24}'
curl -X DELETE http://localhost:8000/api/books/PASTE_ID_HERE

Always send Accept: application/json so validation errors come back as JSON instead of a redirect.

How do I check the data in MongoDB?

Open MongoDB Compass or mongosh, switch to the library database and run db.books.find(). You should see the document you created, with an _id field and the three fields from the request.

Common mistakes

• Extension missing: Laravel reports that the MongoDB driver class is not found. Enable extension=mongodb for the same PHP the web server uses.
• Using the default Eloquent Model: it queries your SQL connection. Extend MongoDB\Laravel\Eloquent\Model.
• Missing $connection: the model falls back to your default database unless the default connection is MongoDB.
• Assuming an auto-increment id: IDs are ObjectIds, not integers.
• Atlas network access: add your IP address to the Atlas allowlist or connections will time out.

FAQ

Do I need migrations with MongoDB?

No. Collections are created automatically on first insert. The package does provide schema helpers if you want indexes.

Can I mix MySQL and MongoDB in one Laravel app?

Yes. Keep your default connection on MySQL and set $connection = 'mongodb' only on the models that live in MongoDB.

Is this package official?

Yes. It is published by MongoDB under the mongodb/laravel-mongodb name.

References

• Laravel MongoDB documentation
• Laravel MongoDB: Get Started
• Laravel 13 Eloquent
• Laravel 13 controllers