Failed job handling in Laravel - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Failed job handling

Job dispatched

↓

Job runs

↓

Job success?

No→Job fails

↓

Job recorded in failed_jobs table

↓

Job done

↓

Admin retries or inspects

↓

Job re-dispatched or fixed

This flow shows how Laravel handles a job that fails during execution by recording it and allowing retry or inspection.

Execution Sample

Laravel

<?php
dispatch(new ProcessOrder($order));
// Job runs
// If fails, Laravel logs failure
// Admin can retry failed jobs

This code dispatches a job; if it fails, Laravel logs it for later retry or inspection.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Job Status	Database Table	Next Step
1	Job dispatched	Pending	None	Job runs
2	Job starts running	Running	None	Check success
3	Job fails during execution	Failed	failed_jobs	Record failure
4	Failure recorded in failed_jobs table	Failed	failed_jobs	Admin inspects or retries
5	Admin retries job (deletes record)	Pending	None	Job runs again
6	Job succeeds after retry	Succeeded	None	Process complete
7	No failed job record remains	Succeeded	None	Process complete

💡 Record removed from failed_jobs on retry; job succeeds, ending the failure handling cycle.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 5	Final
Job Status	Pending	Running	Failed	Pending	Succeeded
failed_jobs table	Empty	Empty	Has failure record	Empty	Empty

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the job status change to 'Failed' even though the job code is still running?

When the job encounters an error or exception, Laravel marks it as 'Failed' immediately and records it in the failed_jobs table (see execution_table step 3). This happens before the job fully stops.

What happens to the failed job record after a successful retry?

Upon retrying, Laravel removes the job record from the failed_jobs table (see execution_table step 5), then dispatches a new job instance.

Can a failed job be retried multiple times?

Yes, the admin can retry failed jobs multiple times. Each retry sets the job status back to 'Pending' and reruns it (see execution_table step 5).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the job status at step 3?

A Pending

B Running

C Failed

D Succeeded

💡 Hint

Check the 'Job Status' column at step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does Laravel record the failure in the failed_jobs table?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 5

D Step 7

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Database Table' column in the execution_table to see when failed_jobs is updated.

If the admin never retries the failed job, what will be the final job status?

A Failed

B Succeeded

C Pending

D Removed

💡 Hint

Refer to the variable_tracker for 'Job Status' after step 3 and no retry steps.

Concept Snapshot

Laravel Failed Job Handling:
- Dispatch job with dispatch(new JobClass)
- If job fails, Laravel logs it in failed_jobs table
- Admin can inspect and retry failed jobs
- Retry deletes record from failed_jobs and reruns
- Keeps app reliable by tracking failures

Full Transcript

In Laravel, when you dispatch a job, it runs in the background. If the job runs successfully, it finishes quietly. But if something goes wrong, Laravel marks the job as failed and records it in a special database table called failed_jobs. This lets you see which jobs failed and why. You can then retry these failed jobs manually or automatically. When you retry, Laravel removes the record from the failed_jobs table and dispatches the job to run again. This process helps keep your app reliable by tracking and managing background job failures.