Avoid whereDate() on Large Tables: Use Range Queries Instead

whereDate() wraps the column in a DATE() function, preventing the database from using indexes. Use whereBetween() with full timestamps for index-friendly filtering.

Filtering records with whereDate() forces the database to evaluate the DATE() function on every row, bypassing indexes. Use whereBetween() with explicit timestamps.

$orders = Order::whereBetween('created_at', [
    $date . ' 00:00:00',
    $date . ' 23:59:59',
])->get();

• whereBetween() enables B-Tree index range scans
• Avoids wrapping indexed columns in SQL functions
• Crucial for high-traffic tables with millions of rows