How do I optimize eager loading queries in Laravel 11

Use Specific Columns

When eager loading relationships, specify the columns you need instead of loading all columns. This reduces the amount of data transferred from the database.

php
$posts = Post::with('comments:id,post_id,body')->get();

This will only load the `id`, `post_id`, and `body` columns from the `comments` table[1][5].

Use Eager Loading Constraints

You can add constraints to eager loaded relationships to further optimize queries. For example, to only load approved comments:

php
$posts = Post::with(['comments' => function ($query) {
    $query->where('approved', true);
}])->get();

This will only load comments where `approved` is `true`[1][5].

Use Eager Loading Counts

Use the `withCount` method to eager load relationship counts without actually loading the related models. This is useful if you only need the count and not the actual related models.

php
$posts = Post::withCount('comments')->get();

This will add a `comments_count` attribute to each post without loading the actual comments[5].

Avoid Unnecessary Eager Loading

Only eager load relationships that you actually need in your application. Eager loading too many relationships can lead to performance issues and increased memory usage[3].

Use Lazy Eager Loading

If you have multiple collections that share the same eager loaded relationships, you can use lazy eager loading to load the relationships only once:

php
$latest = Post::latest()->take(5);
$mostViewed = Post::mostViewed()->take(5);
$nearest = Post::nearest($address)->take(5);

$posts = $latest->merge($mostViewed)->merge($nearest);
$posts->load('comments', 'author');

This will only perform one query to load the `comments` and `author` relationships for all the posts[1].

By following these tips, you can optimize your eager loading queries in Laravel 11 and improve the performance of your application.