As your Laravel app grows, controller methods can start to feel cluttered. Logic for things like user registration, billing, or interacting with an external API all start piling up. That’s where service classes come in.

Service classes are plain PHP classes designed to encapsulate specific logic that doesn’t naturally belong in your controllers, models, or form requests. Think of them as dedicated workers you can call on when you need to get something done.

Why Use Service Classes?

• ✅ Separation of concerns: Keep your controllers clean and focused on routing/response.
• ♻️ Reusability: You can use the same service class in multiple places.
• 🧪 Testability: Easier to write unit tests when logic is isolated.
• 📖 Readability: Complex logic becomes easier to understand and maintain.

A Simple Example

Let’s say you have a controller method like this:

public function store(Request $request)
{
    $user = User::create([
        'name' => $request->name,
        'email' => $request->email,
        // More logic here...
    ]);

    // Generate a welcome email, sync with a CRM, etc.

    return redirect()->route('users.index');
}

This can quickly become messy.

Instead, create a service class like this:

namespace App\Services;

use App\Models\User;

class UserService
{
    public function createUser(array $data): User
    {
        $user = User::create($data);

        // Add logic like sending a welcome email, syncing CRM, etc.

        return $user;
    }
}

And update your controller:

public function store(Request $request, UserService $userService)
{
    $userService->createUser($request->all());

    return redirect()->route('users.index');
}

Where to Put Them?

Laravel doesn’t force a structure, but a common convention is placing them in app/Services.

Service classes are one of the cleanest ways to organise business logic in your TALL stack projects. Whether you're building a form-heavy Filament admin or a Livewire-driven UI, services help keep things tidy and testable.