How to Create Custom Helper Functions in Laravel

Sometimes you need small reusable functions across your Laravel app—formatting data, generating slugs, or handling common logic. Custom helper functions are perfect for this.

Here’s the simplest way to create them in Laravel.

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Step 1: Create a Helper File

Create a new file:

app/Helpers/helpers.php

Add your helper functions:

<?php

if (!function_exists('format_price')) {
    function format_price($amount)
    {
        return '₹' . number_format($amount, 2);
    }
}

Step 2: Autoload the Helper File

Open composer.json and add the file under autoload → files:

"autoload": {
    "files": [
        "app/Helpers/helpers.php"
    ]
}

Then run:

composer dump-autoload

Step 3: Use the Helper Anywhere

Now you can call your helper function from anywhere in your app:

echo format_price(1500);

Output:

₹1,500.00

Optional: Organize Multiple Helpers

You can create multiple helper files like:

app/Helpers/string.php
app/Helpers/date.php
app/Helpers/common.php

And list them all in composer.json.