How to Use Update in Eloquent: Laravel Guide

In Laravel Eloquent, use the update method on a model instance or query builder to modify existing records. You pass an array of column-value pairs to update, which updates the matching database rows.

Syntax

The update method accepts an associative array where keys are column names and values are the new data to save. It can be used on a model instance or a query builder.

• Model instance: Updates a single record.
• Query builder: Updates all records matching the query.

php

// Using update on a model instance
$user = User::find(1);
$user->update(['name' => 'New Name']);

// Using update on a query builder
User::where('active', false)->update(['active' => true]);

Example

This example shows updating a user's name by finding the user first, then calling update. It also shows updating multiple users at once using a query.

php

<?php
use App\Models\User;

// Update single user
$user = User::find(1);
$user->update(['name' => 'Alice']);

// Update multiple users
User::where('subscribed', false)->update(['subscribed' => true]);

Output

User with ID 1 now has name 'Alice'.
All users with subscribed = false now have subscribed = true.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include:

• Calling update on a model without first retrieving it (causes error).
• Not passing an array to update.
• Expecting update to return the updated model (it returns a boolean).

Always retrieve the model before updating if you want to update a single record.

php

// Wrong: calling update on model class directly
// User::update(['name' => 'Bob']); // Error

// Right: retrieve then update
$user = User::find(2);
$user->update(['name' => 'Bob']);

Quick Reference

Usage	Description
$model->update(['field' => 'value'])	Update single model instance
Model::where(...)->update(['field' => 'value'])	Update multiple records matching query
Returns boolean	True if update succeeded, false otherwise
Requires array	Pass an associative array of columns and values

Key Takeaways

Use update with an array of column-value pairs to modify records.

Retrieve a model instance before calling update for single record updates.

The update method returns a boolean, not the updated model.

You can update multiple records at once using query builder with where and update.

Always pass an associative array to update to avoid errors.