Identify the building block you are touching (Action, Query, Model, Data object, Value object, Enum, Exception, Job, …).
Open and READ IN FULL the matching rule file(s) from the Routing Table below. The table gives pointers only — never rule content. You cannot satisfy a rule you have not read.
Before emitting any code in your reply, output a line: Rules consulted: <comma-separated relative paths of every rule file you read> If that line would be empty, you are NOT ready to write code — return to step 2.
After writing the class, re-read the ## Checklist section of each rule file you used and confirm every item against your code. Report any item you cannot satisfy instead of silently skipping it.

Hard rules:

Do not work from memory, from the Routing Table labels, or from a single nearby example. Nearby code may itself violate these rules.
If you are about to create or edit a class without the governing rule file in context, STOP and read it first.
This applies to EVERY agent: orchestrators, sub-agents, and you. A sub-agent that writes code must perform steps 1–4 itself; it may not assume the orchestrator did.

Higher priority than .agents/skills/laravel-best-practices when both apply. Use Laravel and Pest documentation for API syntax; use these files for project code shape.

Glossary

The building-block vocabulary this skill reasons in — Action, Query, Service, Model, Data object, Value object, Enum, Exception, Job — is defined once in LANGUAGE.md. Use those terms exactly; rule files carry the grammar and link back to the definition. Name the architecture from LANGUAGE.md; name the domain from the product's own language (see naming).

Placement test (read before adding a rule)

Each rule has one canonical home, decided by rules/architecture/placement.md:

Internals of one class type? → that building-block folder.
A settled global rule the whole codebase obeys? → architecture/.
An optional technique chosen per case? → patterns/.

"It's a pattern" is never a placement reason — CQRS is a pattern but is mandatory policy (architecture/); pipeline is a pattern you opt into (patterns/). Cross-cutting rules live in one home; other folders link-stub to it, never restate.

Each rule file follows: Rule → Why → Good/Bad → Edge cases → Checklist, with a Decision section where a rule is a choice.

Routing Table

The right column is a POINTER. It tells you which file applies — never what the rule says. You must open the file.

You are touching…	Read (in full)
An Action class	`rules/actions/conventions.md`
A Query class	`rules/queries/conventions.md`
A Model	`rules/models/conventions.md`
A Data object	`rules/data-objects/conventions.md`, `rules/data-objects/spatie-laravel-data.md`, `rules/data-objects/serialization.md`
Inertia page data	`rules/data-objects/inertia-page-data.md`
A Value object	`rules/value-objects/conventions.md`
An Enum	`rules/enums/conventions.md`
An Exception	`rules/exceptions/conventions.md`
A Job	`rules/jobs/conventions.md`
An Event	`rules/events/conventions.md`
An Observer	`rules/observers/conventions.md`
Controllers / HTTP / form requests	`rules/http/conventions.md`
A migration or DB schema	`rules/database/migrations.md`, `rules/database/schema.md`
DB performance / indexes / N+1	`rules/database/performance.md`
Large / high-volume tables	`rules/database/large-tables.md`
Append-only history tables	`rules/database/history.md`
Engine-specific DB work	`rules/database/mysql.md` or `rules/database/postgres.md`
Queues / queued work	`rules/queues/conventions.md`
Caching (any)	`rules/patterns/caching.md`, then `rules/cache/conventions.md`
Cache reads	`rules/cache/reads.md`
Cache invalidation	`rules/cache/invalidation.md`
Write-behind counters	`rules/cache/write-behind.md`
Logging	`rules/logs/conventions.md`
Anything touching secrets	`rules/security/secrets.md`
Authorization	`rules/security/authorization.md`
Mass assignment	`rules/security/mass-assignment.md`
Output / response shaping	`rules/security/output.md`
Naming a class or variable	`rules/naming/conventions.md`
Adding or choosing a package	`rules/packages/policy.md`, `rules/packages/catalog.md`
Writing Pest tests	`rules/testing/conventions.md`
Writing `arch()` tests	`rules/testing/architecture.md`
The pipeline pattern	`rules/patterns/pipeline.md`
The pluggable / strategy pattern	`rules/patterns/pluggable.md`
Class shape / final / strict types	`rules/architecture/classes.md`
Comments / when to comment	`rules/architecture/comments.md`
Where a class should live	`rules/architecture/placement.md`, `rules/architecture/structure.md`
Read vs write separation	`rules/architecture/cqrs.md`
Dependency injection	`rules/architecture/dependency-injection.md`
Imports / FQCN	`rules/architecture/imports.md`
Creating classes via artisan	`rules/architecture/scaffolding.md`
Transaction boundaries	`rules/architecture/transactions.md`
Enforcing invariants	`rules/architecture/invariants.md`
Dates / Carbon	`rules/architecture/dates.md`

Building-block vocabulary (Action, Query, Model, …) is defined in LANGUAGE.md. Use those terms exactly.

How to apply

Read any relevant docs/adr/ before touching code. Name architecture terms from LANGUAGE.md — never an _Avoid_ alias — and domain terms from the product's own language.
Follow the STOP gate at the top of this file. It is not optional.
Run the Placement Test before adding a NEW rule; give it one canonical home.
When rules conflict, this skill wins over .agents/skills/laravel-best-practices.
Verify Laravel/Pest API syntax with search-docs before using framework APIs.

Enforcement is mechanical

Mechanically checkable rules in this skill MUST be backed by committed Pest arch() tests in the consuming project (see rules/testing/architecture.md). An agent that ignores a rule then produces a red php artisan test and must fix it. Before considering a backend change done, run the test suite.

Minimum arch() coverage every consuming project should commit:

All app classes are final (except abstract bases).
declare(strict_types=1) in every PHP file.
App\Actions\* does not depend on the Eloquent query builder directly.
Models define no query scopes.
Naming conventions per rules/naming/conventions.md.

laravel-rules

FBarrento Laravel Rules

STOP — how this skill works