How to Customize Default Middleware in Laravel 11?

In this article, I will show you How to customize default middleware in Laravel 11 framework.

The release of Laravel 11 is around the corner, and it is packed with a lot of new features and improvements. Laravel 11 comes with a slimmer application skeleton, introducing a streamlined application structure, per-second rate limiting, health routing, etc.

In Laravel 11, the Kernel.php file for middleware registration has been removed. You cannot define middleware in the Kernel.php file anymore. Instead, in Laravel 11, you need to register and customize the default middleware in the app.php file. Below is the code to customize the default middleware in Laravel 11:

Laravel 11 Define New Middleware

We will use the `alias()` method to define new middleware in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
  
        $middleware->alias([
            'logRequests' => \App\Http\Middleware\LogRequests::class,
        ]);
          
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

Laravel 11 Remove Default Middleware

We will use the `remove()` method to remove the existing default middleware in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
  
        // Using a string
        $middleware->remove(\Illuminate\Http\Middleware\ValidatePostSize::class);
   
        // Or removing multiple default middleware
        $middleware->remove([
            \Illuminate\Http\Middleware\TrustProxies::class,
            \Illuminate\Http\Middleware\HandleCors::class,
        ]);
            
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

Laravel 11 Update Where Users and Guests Are Redirected

We will use the `redirectTo()` method to change where users and guests will redirect in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
    
        $middleware->redirectTo(
            guests: '/admin/login',
            users: '/dashboard'
        );
              
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

Laravel 11 Exclude Cookies from being Encrypted

We will use the `encryptCookies()` method to exclude cookies from being encrypted in the URL in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
    
        $middleware->encryptCookies(except: [
            'test',
            'example',
        ]);
              
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

Laravel 11 Exclude Routes from CSRF Protection

We will use the `validateCsrfTokens()` method to exclude routes from CSRF protection in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
    
        $middleware->validateCsrfTokens(except: [
            '/stripe/*',
            '/paypal/callback',
        ]);
              
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

Laravel 11 Exclude Routes from URL Signature Validation

We will use the `validateSignatures()` method to exclude routes from URL signature validation in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
    
        $middleware->validateSignatures(except: [
            '/api/*',
        ]);
              
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

Laravel 11 Prevent Converting Empty Strings in Requests

We will use the `convertEmptyStringsToNull()` method to prevent converting empty strings in requests in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
    
        $middleware->convertEmptyStringsToNull(except: [
            fn ($request) => $request->path() === 'admin/home',
        ]);
              
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

Laravel 11 Prevent String Trimming in Requests

We will use the `trimStrings()` method to prevent string trimming in requests in the "bootstrap/app.php" file.

bootstrap/app.php

<?php
  
use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
  
return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
    ->withRouting(
        web: __DIR__.'/../routes/web.php',
        commands: __DIR__.'/../routes/console.php',
        health: '/up',
    )
    ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware) {
    
        $middleware->trimStrings(except: [
            '/reports',
        ]);
              
    })
    ->withExceptions(function (Exceptions $exceptions) {
        //
    })->create();

I hope it can help you...