Request redirects in Laravel

Redirecting users in Laravel can be accomplished using several methods, each with its own advantages. In this article, we'll explore the differences between redirect(), redirect()->route(), and to_route(), using the following route definition for the demonstration:

Route::get('/some/path', function() {
    // ...
})->name('my-route.name');

redirect('/some/path')

The redirect() is a "helper" in Laravel that performs a redirection. If you provide the first parameter to the redirect function, you don't have to specify the route name. Instead, you provide the exact URL address.

Upon invocation, it passes the parameter to the to() function of the Redirect class, which expects a URL address. Therefore, the original function was redirect()->to(), and its abbreviation became the redirect() helper when accepting a parameter:

return redirect('/some/path'); // an alternative to "redirect()->to()"

You can also use the Route Facade for redirection like this:

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Redirect;

return Redirect::to('/some/path');

In this example, we are redirecting to /some/path. It is evident that among the three pieces of code, the first one is the most convenient.

return redirect()->to('/some/path'); // an alternative to "Redirect::to()"

You may find this section of the Laravel codebase relevant for your understanding of this as well.

The function behaves differently depending on whether there is a parameter or not. If no parameter is provided to the redirect() function, it returns an instance of the Redirect class, where various functions can be called, e.g. "to", "action", "route", etc.

redirect()->route('my-route.name')

Functionally, this method is similar to redirect('/some/path'). However, you will specify the route name in this case. Hence, there is the advantage of being able to specify dynamic route parameters, etc.

return redirect()->route('my-route.name', ['id' => 1]); // assumes `id` is a bindable route parameter

In this example, the route my-route.name is assigned to /some/path. The route() function requires you to pass the route name as a parameter and redirects to the appropriate route based on the route name.

You can also use the Route Facade for redirection like this:

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Redirect;

return Redirect::route('my-route.name', ['id' => 1]);

to_route('my-route.name')

to_route() is a newer helper function introduced in Laravel 9 that provides a more concise way to redirect to named routes:

return to_route('my-route.name', ['id' => 1]);

This method behaves similarly to redirect()->route() but with a cleaner syntax.

Conclusion

Laravel offers several ways to perform redirections, each with its own use case. Understanding the differences and use cases of redirect(), redirect()->route(), and to_route() will help you choose the most appropriate/convenient method for your needs. You can read more about redirects in Laravel from the redirects section of the official documentation.