Build Conditional Queries Cleanly with when() and unless()

Use when() and unless() on query builders to apply conditional clauses without breaking method chains with if statements.

Building dynamic search queries often breaks method chains with if ($search) { $query->where(...) }. The when() and unless() methods evaluate conditions inline within query chains.

use App\Models\User;

$users = User::query()
    ->when($request->search, fn ($q, $search) => $q->where('name', 'like', "%{$search}%"))
    ->unless($request->include_archived, fn ($q) => $q->whereNull('archived_at'))
    ->get();

• Keeps query builder method chains fluent without breaking into if statements
• when() executes closure if first parameter evaluates to truthy
• unless() executes closure if first parameter evaluates to falsey