Laravel Tip: $model->refresh() vs $model->fresh()

💡 Laravel Tip: $model->fresh() vs $model->refresh()

These two Eloquent methods don’t get much attention — but they can save you from subtle bugs when working with updated models.

Imagine you have a $user model:

$user = User::find(1);
$user->update(['email' => 'new@email.com']);

Now, if you immediately check $user->email, you’ll still see the old value!
That’s because update() writes to the database, but doesn’t refresh your in-memory object.

✅ To fix this:

$user->refresh(); // reloads the same instance from DB
echo $user->email; // now shows the updated email

And if you prefer a new instance instead of modifying the current one:

$freshUser = $user->fresh();

• $model->refresh() → updates the current object with latest DB data
• $model->fresh() → returns a new instance with latest DB data

Small details like this make your code more predictable and bug-free. 🚀

#Laravel #Eloquent #PHP #WebDevelopment #CleanCode