Supercharge Laravel Boost with Neo4j MCP 🚀

Zaeem Ul Huda Ansari — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 06:22:21 +0000

AI coding assistants have transformed the way we build software. They can understand your code, generate features, and help with debugging but they usually have no idea what's inside your database.

That's where Neo4j Laravel Boost comes in.

It integrates the official Neo4j MCP server directly into Laravel Boost, giving any MCP-compatible AI client access to your live Neo4j database and graph tooling. Instead of managing multiple MCP servers, everything is exposed through your existing Laravel Boost server.

Why Use Neo4j Laravel Boost?

Once configured, your AI assistant can:

🔍 Inspect your live Neo4j schema
📝 Execute read and write Cypher queries
🧠 Query your Laravel container dependency graph
📊 Access Graph Data Science (GDS) procedures
🤖 Work through a single Laravel Boost MCP server

Instead of relying solely on static code analysis, your AI assistant gains access to your application's graph data and architecture, making it much more capable.

Installation

Install the package using Composer.

composer require --dev neo4j/laravel-boost

Configure your Neo4j connection.

NEO4J_URI=bolt://localhost:7687
NEO4J_USERNAME=neo4j
NEO4J_PASSWORD=your-password

Run the interactive setup.

php artisan neo4j-boost:setup

The setup wizard validates your Neo4j connection, configures the package, optionally installs the official Neo4j MCP binary, and can even spin up a local Neo4j Docker instance for you.

Connect Your MCP Client

Your AI client only needs a single MCP server configuration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "laravel-boost": {
      "command": "php",
      "args": [
        "artisan",
        "boost:mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "APP_ENV": "local"
      }
    }
  }
}

Whether you're using Cursor, Claude Code, or another MCP-compatible client, Neo4j tools become available alongside your existing Laravel Boost tools.

Explore Your Laravel Dependency Graph

One of the most interesting features of Neo4j Laravel Boost is the ability to export your Laravel service container directly into Neo4j.

php artisan container:graph

Once exported, your dependency graph becomes queryable by your AI assistant.

For example:

{
  "class": "App\\Services\\FooService",
  "direction": "outbound",
  "depth": 4
}

Instead of manually tracing dependencies across dozens of files, your AI assistant can understand how your services are connected and provide much richer insights into your application's architecture.

Helpful Artisan Commands

Interactive Setup

php artisan neo4j-boost:setup

Checks your configuration, validates your Neo4j connection, and performs the initial setup.

Start a Local Neo4j Instance

php artisan neo4j-boost:start-neo4j

Starts a Docker-based Neo4j instance with the required plugins so you can start developing immediately.

Diagnose Your Installation

php artisan neo4j-boost:doctor

Runs a complete health check for your installation, transport configuration, Neo4j connection, and MCP setup.

Generate Cursor Configuration

php artisan neo4j-boost:cursor-config

Creates or updates your .cursor/mcp.json file so Cursor can immediately connect to Laravel Boost.

Export Your Laravel Container Graph

php artisan container:graph

Exports your Laravel service container into Neo4j, making it possible to visualize and query your application's dependency graph.

Flexible Transport Modes

Neo4j Laravel Boost supports multiple transport options depending on your development workflow.

Driver (Default)

Communicates directly with Neo4j over Bolt using the PHP driver.

STDIO

Launches the official Neo4j MCP binary as a subprocess.

HTTP

Connects to a remote or containerized Neo4j MCP server.

This flexibility makes it easy to integrate into local development environments, Docker setups, and remote deployments.

Why This Matters

Most AI coding assistants only understand your source code.

Neo4j Laravel Boost gives them additional context by allowing them to:

Inspect your live Neo4j schema
Execute Cypher queries
Explore relationships between your data
Understand your Laravel service container
Navigate your application's dependency graph

The result is an AI assistant that's significantly more aware of your application's structure and data model.

Final Thoughts

The MCP ecosystem is evolving quickly, and tools that connect AI assistants with live application data are becoming increasingly valuable.

Neo4j Laravel Boost is a great example of what's possible. By combining Laravel Boost with the official Neo4j MCP server, it enables your AI assistant to go beyond static code analysis and interact directly with your graph database and application architecture.

If you're already using Laravel Boost or building applications with Neo4j, this package is definitely worth checking out.

⭐ Give the project a try, explore its features, and let me know how you're using Neo4j Laravel Boost in your workflow!

DEV Community: Zaeem Ul Huda Ansari