Turn Your IDE Into a Powerhouse for Laravel Development With These Plugins for PhpStorm

Written by dkhorev | Published 2022/09/08
Tech Story Tags: laravel | phpstorm | php | productivity | programming | web-development | code-quality | learn-to-code

TLDRIn this part I will cover plugins that I use and recommend for your PhpStorm installation. For a PHP/Laravel project the added productivity is so much worth it.via the TL;DR App

In this part, I will cover the plugins that I use and recommend for your PhpStorm installation.

If you are new to PhpStorm it can be daunting to get familiar with all the controls an IDE throws at you, but for a PHP/Laravel project, the added productivity is so much worth it.

You can follow this video guide to get you started https://laracasts.com/series/how-to-be-awesome-in-phpstorm


Open “File | Settings | Plugins” (jetbrains://PhpStorm/settings?name=Plugins)

I recommend disabling anything not on the list unless you have a good understanding that you need that.

Recommended bundled plugins:

  • Database Tools and SQL
  • Docker
  • HTML Tools
  • Javascript and Typescript
  • Javascript Debugger
  • Javascript Intention Power Pack
  • Node.js
  • TSLint
  • Vue.js (if it’s your frontend tool)
  • DQL
  • Ini
  • Markdown
  • PHP Architecture
  • Shell Script
  • YAML
  • OpenAPI Specifications
  • CSS
  • Sass
  • W3C Validators
  • Blade
  • Git
  • GitHub
  • Command Line Tool
  • EditorConfig
  • File Watchers
  • IntelliLang
  • PHPStan Support
  • Shared Project Indexes
  • Terminal


Next, go to the “Marketplace” tab to search and install the following:

Extra plugins

  • Kubernetes — if you’re going to deal with Kubernetes clusters
  • Terraform and HCL — if you work with Terraform infrastructure as code
  • Key Promoter X — will help you with remembering the correct hotkeys over time and make you more productive


Next I recommend going to “File | Settings | Editor | Inspections” (jetbrains://PhpStorm/settings?name=Editor — Inspections)

Find the “PHP” folder and tick the checkbox to enable all.


When working with code if you find any inspection too annoying or not required, just disable it via the “Alt + Enter” dialog.

Or you can fix them with a couple of key presses


In the next article, we will explore must-have composer packages for Laravel developers that boost your levels even more.


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Written by dkhorev | Sharing my ideas on software development (NestJS, Laravel, System Design, DevOps for backend engineers)
Published by HackerNoon on 2022/09/08