Clarification Needed: How is the 'can' attribute processed in Route Groups?

[AmirHkrg]

Laravel Version

12

PHP Version

8.4

Database Driver & Version

No response

Description

Hello

I'm hoping to get some clarification on the intended behavior of Route::can()->group(). I've been exploring how it works and have a question based on my observations.

I've noticed a difference in outcome when using ->can() on a single route versus using it with a group.

1. Single Route Usage (Works as I would expect)
   This code correctly triggers the Gate and blocks the request with a 403 response. This is clear and intuitive.

Gate::define('test', fn() => false);

Route::get('/test', function() {
    dd('pass');
})->can('test');

2. Route Group Usage (Behavior is unclear)
   When using a group, the Gate does not seem to be triggered, and the dd('pass') statement is reached.

Gate::define('test', fn() => false);

Route::can('test')->group(function() {
    Route::get('/test', function() {
        dd('pass');
    });
});

To understand why this happens, I examined the cached route. I found that for the group scenario, instead of adding middleware directly, a 'can' => 'test' attribute is added to the route's action array:

'action' => [
    'middleware' => ['web'],
    'can' => 'test', // The attribute is set here
    'uses' => '...',
    // ...
],

My question stems from this observation. I've tried to trace how this 'can' attribute is converted into the Authorize middleware, but I haven't been able to find the relevant code in the framework's core. It seems to be set correctly in the action array, but I'm missing the step where it gets processed.

This leads to my main question:

Could you please point me to the part of the framework that is responsible for processing the 'can' action attribute and applying the middleware, specifically when it's defined via a route group?

I'm very curious to understand the underlying mechanism. I assume this functionality exists, but I'm unable to locate it. Why is this implemented via an action attribute rather than being directly added to the middleware stack, as one might initially expect?

Why do the Route facade and RouteRegistrar provide a can() method for grouping if its only effect is to add an action attribute that is never processed?

I have tried php artisan route:clear to ensure I'm not seeing a cached result.

Steps To Reproduce

[victormoni]

Hi @AmirHkrg

When ->can() is used on a single route, Laravel applies the Authorize middleware directly. This ensures the Gate is checked properly, and if the check fails, a 403 response is returned. This behavior is clear and works as expected.

However, when ->can() is applied to a route group, it does not attach the middleware. Instead, Laravel adds a 'can' => 'permission' attribute to the route's action array. That attribute is not processed by the middleware stack, so the Gate is never triggered. As a result, the route still executes normally, which can be confusing.

The practical takeaway is: use ->can() for individual routes, but for route groups, prefer ->middleware('can:permission'). This way, all routes inside the group will be properly protected by the Gate check.

References:

• Laravel Authorization
• Laravel Middleware

[AmirHkrg]

Hi @victormoni, thanks for your reply.

The main question is: if we are supposed to use middleware for route groups, why do Route and RouteRegistrar make the can via DocBlocks?

# Support/Facades/Route
 * @method static \Illuminate\Routing\RouteRegistrar can(\UnitEnum|string $ability, array|string $models = [])

When Route facade implements something like this, one would expect Route::can to work directly.

[victormoni]

Hello @AmirHkrg

• ->can() works reliably on individual routes (it's just shorthand for attaching the Authorize middleware).
• On route groups, ->can() currently does not register the middleware for the child routes; use ->middleware('can:ability,model') instead. This behavior is tracked as an open issue upstream.

What's happening:

1) Single route

use App\Models\Post;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::put('/post/{post}', function (Post $post) {
    // ...
})->can('update', 'post'); //Attaches theAuthorize middleware

Laravel's docs show ->can() as a convenient way to attach the Authorize middleware to a single route. The middleware runs the Gate/Policy check before your closure/controller is executed.

Ref: Laravel Authorization - Via Middleware) (see the ->can('update','post') example).

2) Route group

Route::prefix('admin')
    ->can('admin')// On groups this does NOT register middleware on children
    ->group(function () {
        Route::get('/reports', ...);
        // ...
    });

When applied to a group, ->can() sets a can attribute on the group, but it is not translated into middleware on the nested routes. As a result, no Gate/Policy check runs for routes in that group.

Ref: Open framework issue confirming the behavior.

Use this instead for groups:

Route::prefix('admin')
    ->middleware('can:admin') // Registers Authorize middleware for all nested routes
    ->group(function () {
        Route::get('/reports', ...);
    });

Why does Route::can() exist on groups then?

• Laravel's Route facade forwards calls to the underlying Router / RouteRegistrar.
• Many chainable attribute's methods (e.g., prefix, name, middleware, can) are advertised via PHPDoc (@method) so IDEs can autocomplete them. That's why you see can() on Route / RouteRegistrar even if the group variant doesn't currently wire up middleware.

Refs: Route facades & dynamic methods; API entry for RouteRegistrar::can(...).

How to verify in your app:

1. Define a group with ->can('something') and another with ->middleware('can:something').
2. Run:

php artisan route:list -v

3. Check the Middleware column: only the second variant shows the can (Authorize) middleware.

Practical recommendations:

• Use ->can() for single routes.
• For groups, always use ->middleware('can:ability,model').
• After changing routes, clear cache if needed:

php artisan route:clear

References:

• https://laravel.com/docs/12.x/authorization

• https://laravel.com/docs/12.x/facades

• https://api.laravel.com/docs/12.x/Illuminate/Routing/RouteRegistrar.html

• https://laravel.com/docs/12.x/routing

Note: If the upstream issue is fixed in a future release, ->can() on groups may start registering middleware automatically. Until then, prefer the explicit ->middleware('can:...') approach for groups.