Troubleshooting

Common questions and solutions when using Laravel Auditable.

Common Questions

Fields are not being recorded

Q: The created_by and updated_by fields are always null. Why?

A: This usually happens when:

1. No authenticated user - The fields are only populated when a user is authenticated. If running in console or without authentication, values will be null.

2. Not using Eloquent events - Auditable only works with Eloquent model events. Direct query builders won't trigger the observer.

3. Using update() on query builder - Use Model::find($id)->update() instead of Model::where(...)->update().

Custom column names not working

Q: I defined CREATED_BY constant but the trait still uses created_by.

A: Make sure the constant is defined as a class constant:

class Post extends Model
{
    use AuditableTrait;
 
    public const CREATED_BY = 'author_id'; // Not protected $createdBy = 'author_id'
}

Relationship returns default value

Q: $post->creator returns a default object instead of null.

A: The relationship uses withDefault() from config. To change this behavior, publish and modify config/auditable.php:

'defaults' => [
    'creator' => null, // Return null instead of default object
],

scopeOwned returns unexpected results

Q: Post::owned()->get() returns no records.

A: Ensure:

1. A user is authenticated (auth()->check() returns true)
2. The records have matching created_by values with the user's ID
3. You're using the correct authentication guard

Cannot use both traits together

Q: Can I use AuditableTrait and AuditableWithDeletesTrait together?

A: No, AuditableWithDeletesTrait already extends the functionality of AuditableTrait. Use only AuditableWithDeletesTrait when you need delete tracking.

Soft delete observer not firing

Q: The deleted_by field is not being set when deleting.

A: Make sure:

1. Your model uses SoftDeletes trait
2. You're calling $post->delete(), not Post::destroy($id)
3. The observer is registered (check in AppServiceProvider or model's boot method)

Debugging Tips

Check if observer is registered

// In tinker or route
$post = new Post();
$observers = $post->getObservableEvents();
dd($observers);

Verify column configuration

$post = new Post();
echo $post->getCreatedByColumn();  // Should be 'created_by' or custom
echo $post->getQualifiedUserIdColumn(); // Should be 'posts.created_by'

Test authentication

// In a route or tinker
auth()->loginUsingId(1);
$post = new Post();
$post->title = 'Test';
$post->save();
 
echo $post->created_by; // Should be 1

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here:

1. Check the GitHub Issues
2. Review the Configuration documentation
3. See the Auditable Trait API for method details