Find, evaluate, and choose healthy Laravel packages using the LaraPlugins.io MCP server.
When to Use
User wants to find Laravel packages for a specific feature (e.g. "auth", "permissions", "admin panel")
User asks "what package should I use for..." or "is there a Laravel package for..."
User wants to check if a package is actively maintained
User needs to verify Laravel version compatibility
User wants to assess package health before adding to a project
MCP Requirement
LaraPlugins MCP server must be configured. Add to your
~/.claude.json
mcpServers:
"laraplugins"
:
{
"type"
:
"http"
,
"url"
:
"https://laraplugins.io/mcp/plugins"
}
No API key required — the server is free for the Laravel community.
MCP Tools
The LaraPlugins MCP provides two primary tools:
SearchPluginTool
Search packages by keyword, health score, vendor, and version compatibility.
Parameters:
text_search
(string, optional): Keyword to search (e.g. "permission", "admin", "api")
health_score
(string, optional): Filter by health band —
Healthy
,
Medium
,
Unhealthy
, or
Unrated
laravel_compatibility
(string, optional): Filter by Laravel version —
"5"
,
"6"
,
"7"
,
"8"
,
"9"
,
"10"
,
"11"
,
"12"
,
"13"
php_compatibility
(string, optional): Filter by PHP version —
"7.4"
,
"8.0"
,
"8.1"
,
"8.2"
,
"8.3"
,
"8.4"
,
"8.5"
vendor_filter
(string, optional): Filter by vendor name (e.g. "spatie", "laravel")
page
(number, optional): Page number for pagination
GetPluginDetailsTool
Fetch detailed metrics, readme content, and version history for a specific package.
Parameters:
package
(string, required): Full Composer package name (e.g. "spatie/laravel-permission")
include_versions
(boolean, optional): Include version history in response
How It Works
Finding Packages
When the user wants to discover packages for a feature:
Use
SearchPluginTool
with relevant keywords
Apply filters for health score, Laravel version, or PHP version
Review the results with package names, descriptions, and health indicators
Evaluating Packages
When the user wants to assess a specific package:
Use
GetPluginDetailsTool
with the package name
Review health score, last updated date, Laravel version support
Check vendor reputation and risk indicators
Checking Compatibility
When the user needs Laravel or PHP version compatibility:
Search with
laravel_compatibility
filter set to their version
Or get details on a specific package to see its supported versions
Examples
Example: Find Authentication Packages
SearchPluginTool({
text_search: "authentication",
health_score: "Healthy"
})
Returns packages matching "authentication" with healthy status:
spatie/laravel-permission
laravel/breeze
laravel/passport
etc.
Example: Find Laravel 12 Compatible Packages
SearchPluginTool({
text_search: "admin panel",
laravel_compatibility: "12"
})
Returns packages compatible with Laravel 12.
Example: Get Package Details
GetPluginDetailsTool({
package: "spatie/laravel-permission",
include_versions: true
})
Returns:
Health score and last activity
Laravel/PHP version support
Vendor reputation (risk score)
Version history
Brief description
Example: Find Packages by Vendor
SearchPluginTool({
vendor_filter: "spatie",
health_score: "Healthy"
})
Returns all healthy packages from vendor "spatie".
Filtering Best Practices
By Health Score
Health Band
Meaning
Healthy
Active maintenance, recent updates
Medium
Occasional updates, may need attention
Unhealthy
Abandoned or infrequently maintained
Unrated
Not yet assessed
Recommendation
Prefer
Healthy
packages for production applications.
By Laravel Version
Version
Notes
13
Latest Laravel
12
Current stable
11
Still widely used
10
Legacy but common
5
-
9
Deprecated
Recommendation
Match the target project's Laravel version.
Combining Filters
// Find healthy, Laravel 12 compatible packages for permissions
SearchPluginTool
(
{
text_search
:
"permission"
,
health_score
:
"Healthy"
,
laravel_compatibility
:
"12"
}
)
Response Interpretation
Search Results
Each result includes:
Package name (e.g.
spatie/laravel-permission
)
Brief description
Health status indicator
Laravel version support badges
Package Details
The detailed response includes:
Health Score
Numeric or band indicator
Last Activity
When the package was last updated
Laravel Support
Version compatibility matrix
PHP Support
PHP version compatibility
Risk Score
Vendor trust indicators
Version History
Recent release timeline
Common Use Cases
Scenario
Recommended Approach
"What package for auth?"
Search "auth" with healthy filter
"Is spatie/package still maintained?"
Get details, check health score
"Need Laravel 12 packages"
Search with laravel_compatibility: "12"
"Find admin panel packages"
Search "admin panel", review results
"Check vendor reputation"
Search by vendor, check details
Best Practices
Always filter by health
— Use
health_score: "Healthy"
for production projects
Match Laravel version
— Always check
laravel_compatibility
matches the target project
Check vendor reputation
— Prefer packages from known vendors (spatie, laravel, etc.)
Review before recommending
— Use GetPluginDetailsTool for a comprehensive assessment
No API key needed
— The MCP is free, no authentication required