Migrations

Running migrations

php artisan admin:migrate

The command compares every admin model with the last migrated state. Unchanged models are skipped (Nothing to migrate.), changed ones print Created table or Updated table.

Option	Description
`--force`, `-f`	Migrate all models, even unchanged ones.
`--auto-drop`	Drop unknown columns without asking. A leftover `language_id` column is never dropped this way, it is only reported and asked about without the option.
`--unknown`, `-u`	With `--force`, list tables that do not belong to any admin model and ask to drop each of them.

When a column exists in the table but not in the fields, the command prints + Unknown column: name and asks whether to drop it. Use $skipDropping for columns managed elsewhere.

Output of the php artisan admin:migrate command

Creation date

$migration_date orders admin models in migrations and in the menu. Parent models, and models referenced by belongsTo, must have an earlier date than their children.

protected $migration_date = '2026-01-10 10:00:00';

Required parameter, generated by admin:model. A model without a migration date is not registered as an admin model, and two models with the same date stop the application with an error naming both models.

Automatic columns

Columns are added after the field columns in this order:

Column	Added when
`_order`	the model is sortable (default), indexed
`slug`	`$sluggable` is set
`published_at`	the model is publishable (default), indexed
`created_at`, `updated_at`	`$timestamps` (default)
`deleted_at`	`$timestamps` (default), indexed, soft deletes

protected $sortable = false;
protected $publishable = false;
public $timestamps = false;

Timestamps and soft deletes

Admin models with timestamps use soft deletes. Deleted records stay in the table and are hidden in the administration and in queries, withTrashed() shows them.

// No created_at, updated_at and deleted_at columns, records are deleted permanently
public $timestamps = false;

// Keep created_at and deleted_at, skip updated_at
const UPDATED_AT = null;

A deleted_at field enables soft deletes without timestamps:

public $timestamps = false;

public function fields()
{
    return [
        'name' => 'name:Name|required',
        'deleted_at' => 'name:Deleted at|type:datetime|invisible',
    ];
}

Remove a soft deletable record permanently with the force delete option.

Table and connection

Standard Eloquent properties are respected by migrations:

protected $table = 'shop_products';   // table created by admin:migrate and used in admin requests

protected $connection = 'warehouse';  // the table is migrated on this connection

A model without a table, e.g. a dashboard built from layouts, skips migrations:

protected $skipMigration = true;

Skipping column removal

Columns that exist in the table but are not defined in fields are offered for dropping. List columns managed outside of the admin model to keep them without asking, e.g. in a table shared with another project:

protected $skipDropping = ['external_id', 'legacy_code'];

Columns can also be added at runtime, e.g. from a migration hook:

public function beforeMigrate(Blueprint $table, $schema, $command)
{
    $this->addSkipDroppingColumn('imported_at');
}

Migration hooks

Hooks receive the Blueprint of the model table, the schema builder and the running command. Changes made on the blueprint are executed.

use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;

// Before the table is created or updated
public function beforeMigrate(Blueprint $table, $schema, $command) {}

// Only once, right after the table is created
public function onTableCreate(Blueprint $table, $schema, $command)
{
    $this->create(['name' => 'Main warehouse']);
}

// After every create or update of the table
public function afterMigrate(Blueprint $table, $schema, $command)
{
    if ( ! $schema->hasIndex($this->getTable(), ['code'], 'unique') ) {
        $table->unique('code');
    }
}

// After all admin models have been migrated
public function onMigrateEnd(Blueprint $table, $schema, $command) {}

Hooks run only when the model is migrated. Without changes in the model use php artisan admin:migrate --force.

Hooks for a missing parent id of existing rows are described in tree structured models, migration events for packages in helpers.

Getting started

Upgrade guide

Admin interface

Validation

Frontend

Website

Running migrations

Creation date

Automatic columns

Timestamps and soft deletes

Table and connection

Skipping column removal

Migration hooks

​Running migrations

​Creation date

​Automatic columns

​Timestamps and soft deletes

​Table and connection

​Skipping column removal

​Migration hooks

Running migrations

Creation date

Automatic columns

Timestamps and soft deletes

Table and connection

Skipping column removal

Migration hooks