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PHP backed enums are a good fit for Laravel roles when the set of roles is small, stable, and changed through application code—not by administrators at runtime. They let you represent each role as a named PHP case while storing a scalar value, and Laravel Eloquent can cast a model attribute between that value and the enum. This pattern replaces role records only; it does not, by itself, provide permissions, multi-role assignments, or an administration workflow.
What changes when roles move from database records to an enum?
With database-driven roles, each role is represented by a row, and users typically refer to that row through a relationship or foreign key. With a backed enum, the allowed role cases are declared in PHP code, and a user record can store the enum’s scalar value directly in an attribute such as role.
The enum case is the application-level representation; its backing value is the scalar stored or serialized. PHP requires a backed enum to use one scalar type—int or string—and each case must have a unique explicit value. The PHP manual notes that a built-in scalar equivalent is useful when an enum case must round-trip through a database or similar datastore: PHP manual: Backed enumerations.
For example, an enum might define cases such as Admin and Editor, backed by strings such as admin and editor. Those values are not database-enum declarations; they are PHP enum values that can be stored in a compatible scalar column.
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When is this a good fit?
Use a code-defined enum when the role set and its meaning are controlled through application code and are not expected to change through a user-facing admin screen. Adding or removing a case then becomes a code change subject to the project’s normal review and deployment process.
- Stable membership: roles are few and change infrequently.
- Code-owned changes: developers, rather than customers or administrators, decide which roles exist.
- Simple assignment model: each user needs one role value rather than a many-to-many collection of roles.
- Known integrations: other applications and reporting tools can work with the stored scalar without relying on a roles table or joins.
This is an architectural fit, not a universal Laravel rule. A role table remains useful when the role set must be created or edited at runtime, when roles have attributes managed as data, or when the domain requires assignable relationships.
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How do you cast a backed enum in Eloquent?
Laravel 13 documents Eloquent enum casting: configure a model attribute to use the enum class, and Eloquent converts the stored value to an enum when the attribute is accessed and accepts the enum when the attribute is assigned. Check the documentation for the Laravel version used by your application: Laravel 13: Enum casting.
- Define the enum in application code. Choose a backing type and explicit values that are suitable as persisted values. Treat those values as part of the application’s data contract: changing a value may require updating existing rows or handling legacy values.
- Use a compatible scalar column. For a string-backed enum, a string column is a common choice; for an integer-backed enum, use a compatible integer column. The PHP enum type and the database column type are related but distinct decisions.
- Configure the model cast. In the model’s
$castsarray, map the attribute to the enum class, following the syntax supported by your Laravel version. - Read and assign through the model. With the cast in place, application code can work with the enum case rather than manually converting between a PHP value and the stored scalar.
- Validate incoming values. Ensure request or imported values correspond to an allowed case before persisting them; do not assume arbitrary input will become a valid enum case.
Test both reading existing values and assigning each allowed case against the target database. Persisted values that do not correspond to a declared case can prevent successful enum conversion, so deployments that rename or remove cases need an explicit data-transition plan.
Is a database enum column the same thing?
No. A PHP backed enum is a language-level type. A database enum column is a schema-level constraint that limits the values the database accepts. Laravel’s migration documentation describes database enum columns separately from Eloquent’s enum casts: Laravel migrations: enum column.
The example pattern here stores a PHP enum’s scalar value in a compatible column and lets Eloquent cast it. It does not require using a database enum column. If you choose a database enum as well, you introduce a second place where the allowed values are defined; keep the PHP cases and database constraint aligned, and verify behavior for your database engine and deployment process.
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What do you give up compared with a roles table?
| Decision area | Backed enum | Database-driven roles |
|---|---|---|
| Who changes the set? | Application code and its deployment process | Can be changed as data, including through an admin workflow if the application provides one |
| Data model | Convenient for one role value on a user | Can represent relationships such as multiple roles per user |
| Runtime administration | Does not make new enum cases available through a database admin screen | Can support runtime role creation or editing when the application is designed for it |
| Integration shape | Stores a scalar value; downstream systems must understand that value | Can expose role records, identifiers, relationships, and joins |
Neither option automatically makes authorization correct or faster. The available documentation establishes enum casting and serialization behavior, not a measured performance or maintenance advantage. Do not assume a switch removes a particular query or improves authorization speed without measuring the application.
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No. A role label and an authorization system are separate concerns. A simple application may check an enum value in policies or other authorization logic, but projects with permissions attached to roles, multiple roles per user, or runtime administration still need the corresponding relationships and workflows.
If you use Spatie’s Laravel Permission package, replacing its role or permission models is not just a matter of changing a model class: its documentation calls for configuration and compatibility with the relevant contracts. See Spatie Permission: Extending. Decide which parts remain database-backed before removing role records, and verify the package’s requirements against the version in your project.
Quick Recap
How to decide for your application
- Choose a backed enum if roles are a small, code-owned set and each user has one role value.
- Keep roles in the database if customers or administrators must define roles at runtime, or if roles carry data and relationships that the application manages.
- Keep permissions and role assignments as separate design decisions; an enum alone does not model them.
- Before migrating, inventory existing role values, identify integrations that depend on role IDs or joins, and plan how rows with removed or renamed values will be handled.
- Check PHP and Laravel compatibility in the target application, then test persisted-value conversion and deployment behavior with its actual database.
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