Global middleware in Laravel - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Global middleware

Request enters Laravel

↓

Global Middleware runs

↓

Controller or Route executes

↓

Response generated

↓

Global Middleware runs on Response

↓

Response sent to client

Global middleware runs automatically on every HTTP request before and after the main route or controller handles it.

Execution Sample

Laravel

<?php
// app/Http/Kernel.php
protected $middleware = [
    \App\Http\Middleware\CheckForMaintenanceMode::class,
];

This code registers a global middleware that runs on every request to check if the app is in maintenance mode.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Middleware State	Request/Response	Notes
1	Request enters Laravel	No middleware run yet	Incoming HTTP Request	Start of request lifecycle
2	Global middleware CheckForMaintenanceMode runs	Middleware checks app status	Request passed through middleware	Middleware can block or allow request
3	Controller or Route executes	Middleware passed	Controller processes request	Main app logic runs
4	Response generated by controller	Middleware passed	Response object created	Response ready to send
5	Global middleware runs on Response	Middleware can modify response	Response passed back through middleware	Middleware can add headers or modify content
6	Response sent to client	Middleware finished	Final HTTP Response sent	Request lifecycle ends

💡 Response sent to client, request lifecycle complete

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 5	Final
Request	Raw HTTP request	Checked for maintenance mode	Passed to controller	Passed back through middleware	Sent to client
Response	None	None	Created by controller	Modified by middleware	Final response sent

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does global middleware run on every request?

Because it is registered in the $middleware array in Kernel.php, Laravel automatically runs it for all requests as shown in execution_table steps 2 and 5.

Can global middleware stop a request before it reaches the controller?

Yes, as seen in step 2, middleware can block the request (for example, if the app is in maintenance mode) and prevent controller execution.

Does global middleware run on the response as well as the request?

Yes, step 5 shows middleware running on the response to modify it before sending to the client.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, at which step does the controller process the request?

A Step 2

B Step 5

C Step 3

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Check the 'Action' column in execution_table row 3.

At which step does the global middleware check if the app is in maintenance mode?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Middleware State' column in execution_table row 2.

If the middleware blocked the request at step 2, what would happen next?

A Response is generated immediately by middleware

B Controller runs anyway

C Request is sent to client without response

D Middleware runs again on response

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about middleware blocking requests before controller.

Concept Snapshot

Global middleware runs on every HTTP request in Laravel.
It is registered in app/Http/Kernel.php in the $middleware array.
Middleware runs before the controller and after response generation.
It can modify or block requests and responses.
Useful for tasks like maintenance mode checks or adding headers.

Full Transcript

Global middleware in Laravel is code that runs automatically on every HTTP request. When a request comes in, Laravel first runs all global middleware registered in the Kernel.php file. These middleware can check conditions like if the app is in maintenance mode and block the request if needed. If allowed, the request goes to the controller or route to generate a response. After the response is created, the global middleware runs again on the response to modify it if needed, such as adding headers. Finally, the response is sent back to the client. This process ensures middleware logic applies to all requests consistently.