Catch N+1 Queries and Model Mistakes with Model::shouldBeStrict()

Enable Model::shouldBeStrict() in development to automatically throw exceptions on lazy loading, unfillable attributes, and missing model properties.

In development environments, subtle bugs like lazy loading (N+1 query problems), mass-assigning unguarded attributes, or accessing misspelled model attributes can easily slip into production undetected.

Calling Model::shouldBeStrict() enables three strict development safeguards in a single call.

Enabling Strict Mode

Add the check inside AppServiceProvider::boot():

namespace App\Providers;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider;

class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
{
    public function boot(): void
    {
        // Enable strict checks in local and testing environments
        Model::shouldBeStrict(! $this->app->isProduction());
    }
}

What shouldBeStrict() Enforces

1. **Prevents Lazy Loading (preventLazyLoading)**: Throws a LazyLoadingViolationException` whenever a relationship is loaded outside an eager-loading query, eliminating N+1 performance bottlenecks.
2. **Prevents Silently Discarding Attributes (preventSilentlyDiscardingAttributes)**: Throws a MassAssignmentExceptionif you pass fields tocreate()orupdate()that are not defined in$fillable`.
3. **Prevents Accessing Missing Attributes (preventAccessingMissingAttributes)**: Throws a MissingAttributeExceptionif you attempt to read an attribute that was excluded from a partialselect('id', 'name')` query.

Summary

• Catches N+1 query regressions immediately during development and test suites.
• Prevents silent data loss caused by misconfigured $fillable arrays.
• Zero performance impact in production when conditioned on ! $this->app->isProduction().