Implementing Firebase Push Notifications in Laravel

Implement Firebase push notifications in Laravel with PHP 8+ for real-time alerts. Ideal for custom web development and scalable website development services.

Key Points

90% of users consider push notifications helpful for updates.
Firebase Cloud Messaging supports 1 M+ messages per second across platforms.
Laravel powers 10% of all PHP web apps globally.

Sr. Web Developer

Sunil M.

3 min read

Passionate web developer with 4+ years of experience creating responsive and high-performing websites.

technology icons of firebase, a mobile phone with notifications and a laravel representing app development tools and services

In today’s digital era, delivering real-time updates is critical for modern applications. Whether you're running an e-commerce store, a healthcare app, or a logistics dashboard, push notifications keep users engaged and informed. In this article, we'll walk you through implementing Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) in a Laravel application using PHP 8 or later.

This solution is ideal for businesses seeking reliable website development services or looking to scale their custom web development projects.

Step 1: Set Up Firebase Project

Begin by creating a Firebase project:

Visit the Firebase Console (https://console.firebase.google.com).
Create a new project or use an existing one.
Go to Project Settings → Service accounts → Generate new private key.
Download the JSON file and save it securely at:
storage/app/firebase/firebase_credentials.json
Note your Project ID (e.g., zajel-7ceb4).

Step 2: Install Google Auth Library

To allow your Laravel app to securely interact with Firebase, install the Google Auth package:

Run the following composer command in your Laravel root directory:

composer require google/auth

This is a standard step in any custom web development project that involves third-party integrations.

Step 3: Configure the Laravel .env File

Update your Laravel environment file (.env) to include Firebase credentials:

                                        FIREBASE_CREDENTIALS=storage/app/firebase/firebase_credentials.json 
FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=zajel-7ceb4

These settings ensure your Laravel application securely authenticates with Firebase using your service account.

Step 4: Laravel Controller for Sending Notifications

Create a controller to handle Firebase messaging logic. This setup uses the Guzzle HTTP client and Google’s Auth library.

                                        <?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use GuzzleHttp\Client;
use Google\Auth\Credentials\ServiceAccountCredentials;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

class ApiController extends Controller
{
    protected $fcmUrl = 'https://fcm.googleapis.com/v1/projects/zajel-7ceb4/messages:send';
    protected $accessToken;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->accessToken = $this->getAccessToken();
    }
    // Fetch access token from Firebase service account JSON
    protected function getAccessToken(): string
    {
        $credentialsPath = storage_path('app/firebase/firebase_credentials.json');
        $scopes = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/firebase.messaging'];
        $credentials = new ServiceAccountCredentials($scopes, $credentialsPath);
        $token = $credentials->fetchAuthToken();
        return $token['access_token'];
    }

    public function testpushnotification(array $tokens, string $title, string $body): void
    {
        $client = new Client();
        $successCount = 0;
        $failureCount = 0;
        foreach ($tokens as $token) {
            try {
                if (!empty($token)) {
                    $response = $client->post($this->fcmUrl, [
                        'headers' => [
                            'Authorization' => 'Bearer ' . $this->accessToken,
                            'Content-Type'  => 'application/json',
                        ],
                        'json' => [
                            'message' => [
                                'token' => $token,
                                'notification' => [
                                    'title' => $title,
                                    'body'  => $body,
                                ],
                            ],
                        ],
                    ]);
                    $responseBody = json_decode($response->getBody(), true);
                    if (isset($responseBody['error'])) {
                        $failureCount++;
                        echo "Failed for token: $token, Error: {$responseBody['error']['message']}\n";
                    } else {
                        $successCount++;
                    }
                }
            } catch (\GuzzleHttp\Exception\ClientException $e) {
                $responseBody = json_decode($e->getResponse()->getBody(), true);
                if (isset($responseBody['error']['message'])) {
                    DB::table('device_tokens')->where('devicetoken', $token)->delete();
                }
                $failureCount++;
            }
        }
        echo "Push notifications sent: {$successCount} succeeded, {$failureCount} failed.\n";
    }
}

Step 5: Trigger Push Notification

To send notifications, you can call the controller method from anywhere in your application (job, command, controller):

                                        <?php
use App\Http\Controllers\ApiController;


public function handle()
{
    $controller = new ApiController();


    $tokens = ['token1', 'token2'];
    $controller->testpushnotification($tokens, 'CLI Push', 'Sent from command line');
}

Why Choose Laravel & Firebase?

Scalable and secure API-based notifications
Seamless integration with mobile and web apps
Efficient token management and error handling
Perfect for marketing, transactional, and system alerts

Need expert help to integrate this into your project? Hire Laravel Developers at Digittrix to get scalable, secure, and real-time features like Firebase Push implemented efficiently.

Final Words

Integrating Firebase push notifications in Laravel offers immense value for applications that require real-time communication. Whether you run a SaaS platform, mobile app backend, or a data dashboard, this functionality improves user engagement and retention.

At Digittrix, we provide full-scale website development services and custom web development solutions tailored to your business needs. Whether you're launching a new product or modernizing an existing system, our expert Laravel developers can bring your vision to life.

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