How to Pass an Array to a GET Request in Laravel

Table Of Contents

• Problem
• Solution
• Why It Works

Problem

You need to pass multiple values or arrays as parameters in a GET request for filtering or searching functionality.

Solution

Use array notation in query parameters and Laravel will automatically parse them:

// Frontend: Send array in URL
// GET /api/users?status[]=active&status[]=pending&roles[]=admin&roles[]=user

// Controller: Receive and use arrays
public function index(Request $request)
{
    $statuses = $request->input('status', []);
    $roles = $request->input('roles', []);
    
    $users = User::query()
        ->when($statuses, fn($q) => $q->whereIn('status', $statuses))
        ->when($roles, fn($q) => $q->whereIn('role', $roles))
        ->get();
    
    return response()->json($users);
}

Using Laravel's HTTP Client to send arrays:

// Sending the request
$response = Http::get('https://api.example.com/users', [
    'status' => ['active', 'pending'],
    'roles' => ['admin', 'user'],
    'filters' => [
        'age_min' => 18,
        'age_max' => 65
    ]
]);

// This generates: ?status[]=active&status[]=pending&roles[]=admin&roles[]=user

JavaScript/Frontend example:

// Using URLSearchParams
const params = new URLSearchParams();
['active', 'pending'].forEach(status => params.append('status[]', status));
['admin', 'user'].forEach(role => params.append('roles[]', role));

fetch(`/api/users?${params.toString()}`);

// Or with Axios
axios.get('/api/users', {
  params: {
    'status[]': ['active', 'pending'],
    'roles[]': ['admin', 'user']
  }
});

Why It Works

Laravel automatically converts query parameters with array notation (param[]) into PHP arrays. The input() method handles both scalar values and arrays seamlessly. This enables complex filtering without requiring POST requests for simple data retrieval.

Advanced array handling:

public function search(Request $request)
{
    // Handle nested arrays
    $filters = $request->input('filters', []);
    // URL: ?filters[name]=john&filters[age]=25
    
    // Validate arrays
    $validated = $request->validate([
        'tags' => 'array',
        'tags.*' => 'string',
        'categories' => 'array',
        'categories.*' => 'exists:categories,id'
    ]);
    
    // Use arrays in queries
    return User::whereIn('tag', $validated['tags'] ?? [])
               ->whereIn('category_id', $validated['categories'] ?? [])
               ->get();
}

Related: Laravel Collections: Beyond Basic Array Operations | Laravel Events and Listeners: Building Decoupled Applications | Building Multi-tenant Applications with Laravel: A Comprehensive Guide | Laravel Request Lifecycle: Complete Guide with Examples 2025 | PHP Array Filter: Complete Guide with 7 Powerful Tricks