Laravel Feature Management System (FMS)

A standalone Laravel package for flexible feature access control and management. FMS provides simple, intuitive ways to control feature access using multiple strategies: Gates/Policies, config-based, registry-based, and database lookups.

Features

• Multiple Access Control Strategies: Gates/Policies, config files, feature registry, or database
• Boolean & Resource Features: Support for simple on/off features and metered resource features
• Feature Groups: Bundle features into reusable groups (Pro plan, Enterprise, AI Beta cohort, etc.) and assign them polymorphically to any model
• Middleware Protection: Protect routes based on feature access
• Facade & Helpers: Clean API via facade and global helper functions
• Standalone Package: Zero dependencies on other packages
• Configurable schema: Override the feature_usages / subscriptions / product_features table names without forking
• Laravel 13 Compatible: Built for Laravel 13+

Installation

composer require particle-academy/laravel-fms

The package will auto-discover and register its service provider.

Configuration

Publish the configuration file:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag=fms-config

Define your features in config/fms.php:

return [
    'features' => [
        // Simple boolean feature
        'use-mcp' => [
            'name' => 'Use MCP',
            'description' => 'Access to MCP-powered assistants and tools.',
            'type' => 'boolean',
            'enabled' => true, // or callable: fn($user) => $user->isPremium()
        ],

        // Resource feature with limit
        'ai-tokens' => [
            'name' => 'AI Tokens',
            'description' => 'Metered AI token usage per billing period.',
            'type' => 'resource',
            'limit' => 10000, // or callable: fn($user, $context) => ...
            'usage' => fn($user, $context) => $user->getTokenUsage(), // optional
        ],
    ],
];

Callables and config:cache

A closure in config/fms.php breaks php artisan config:cache. Laravel serialises cached config with var_export, which cannot export a Closure. One closure anywhere in the file fails the whole command:

LogicException: Your configuration files could not be serialized because the
value at "fms.features.ai-tokens.usage" is non-serializable.
  Error: Call to undefined method Closure::__set_state()

config:cache is part of php artisan optimize and standard in production deploys, so this surfaces at deploy time rather than in development.

The examples above use closures for brevity. If you cache config — and you probably should — use one of these instead.

Option 1: a [Class::class, 'method'] callable. Serialisable and callable, so it works cached and uncached, and it keeps the logic testable:

// app/Features/TokenUsage.php
class TokenUsage
{
    public static function count($user = null, $context = null): int
    {
        return $user?->getTokenUsage() ?? 0;
    }
}

// config/fms.php
'ai-tokens' => [
    'type'  => 'resource',
    'limit' => 10000,
    'usage' => [\App\Features\TokenUsage::class, 'count'],   // not a closure
],

Option 2: register at runtime, where closures are fine because nothing is serialised — see Feature Registry:

// A service provider's boot()
app(FmsFeatureRegistry::class)->register('ai-tokens', [
    'type'  => 'resource',
    'limit' => 10000,
    'usage' => fn ($user, $context) => $user->getTokenUsage(),
]);

Config values that are plain data — enabled => true, limit => 10000, group definitions without a callable enabled — cache fine and need no change.

Usage

Using the Facade

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Facades\FMS;

// Check if feature is accessible
if (FMS::canAccess('use-mcp')) {
    // Feature is enabled
}

// Check if feature is enabled (alias)
if (FMS::isEnabled('use-mcp')) {
    // Feature is enabled
}

// Check if user has feature
if (FMS::hasFeature('use-mcp', $user)) {
    // User has access
}

// Get remaining quantity for resource features
$remaining = FMS::remaining('ai-tokens', $user);
if ($remaining > 0) {
    // Allow action
}

// Get all enabled features
$enabled = FMS::enabled($user);

Entitlement is not quota

canAccess() answers ENTITLEMENT: is this feature granted to the subject, regardless of how much of the allowance is left. A metered feature whose quota is exhausted is still entitled — the customer is still paying for it — so hiding it at the moment they are spending most would be the opposite of useful.

FMS::canAccess('ai-tokens', $user);   // entitled? (quota-blind)
FMS::isEntitled('ai-tokens', $user);  // the same question, said out loud
FMS::canConsume('ai-tokens', $user, 10); // entitled AND 10 units fit

canConsume() is a read. Between it and the write that follows, another request can take the last unit. For a metered feature backed by a subscription, gate the write with Fms::tryIncrement() — it takes a row lock and is the only variant that is not racy.

Before 0.11.0 the answer depended on where the feature was defined: registry and config features were quota-blind, while a catalog-backed one was on only while quota remained. If you were using a quota-flavoured canAccess() / Fms::can() as a consumption gate, move to canConsume() or tryIncrement() — see the 0.11.0 CHANGELOG entry.

Using Helper Functions

// Get feature manager or check feature
if (feature('use-mcp')) {
    // Feature is enabled
}

// Check feature access
if (can_access_feature('use-mcp', $user)) {
    // User has access
}

// Check if feature is enabled
if (feature_enabled('use-mcp')) {
    // Feature is enabled
}

// Get remaining quantity
$remaining = feature_remaining('ai-tokens', $user);

// Get all enabled features
$enabled = enabled_features($user);

Feature Groups

Big apps grow lots of features, and remembering which to flip on for which plan/tier becomes tedious. Feature groups bundle features under a single key, and any model that uses the HasFeatureGroups trait can be polymorphically assigned to one or more groups.

Define groups in config/fms.php

'groups' => [
    'pro-plan' => [
        'name' => 'Pro Plan',
        'features' => ['use-mcp', 'ai-tokens', 'team-sharing'],
        'overrides' => [
            'ai-tokens' => ['limit' => 50000],   // lift the base limit
        ],
    ],

    'enterprise' => [
        'name' => 'Enterprise',
        'extends' => ['pro-plan'],               // one level deep
        'features' => ['sso', 'audit-log'],
        'overrides' => [
            'ai-tokens' => ['limit' => 250000],
        ],
    ],

    'ai-beta' => [
        'name' => 'AI Beta cohort',
        'features' => ['experimental-llm'],
        'enabled' => fn ($user) => $user?->in_ai_beta === true,   // callable gate, no pivot needed
    ],
],

Make a model assignable

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Concerns\HasFeatureGroups;

class User extends Authenticatable
{
    use HasFeatureGroups;
}

Assign + check

$user->attachFeatureGroup('pro-plan');
$user->attachFeatureGroup('enterprise');

FMS::canAccess('use-mcp', $user);     // true (via pro-plan)
FMS::remaining('ai-tokens', $user);    // 250000 (max of all enabled groups)
FMS::enabledGroupsFor($user);          // ['pro-plan', 'enterprise']
FMS::explain('use-mcp', $user);        // ['source' => 'group', 'detail' => ['groups' => ['pro-plan', 'enterprise'], ...]]

Resolution semantics

A feature is enabled if any of these returns true:

1. Gate::has($feature) is defined and grants access (Gate is authoritative — also the only path that can DENY)
2. The feature's registry definition has enabled: true or its check returns true
3. Any enabled feature group containing this feature (NEW)
4. The config file has enabled: true for this feature

For resource features, the limit is the MAX across:

• All enabled groups providing an override for this feature
• The base feature's own limit

So a "Pro" plan with ai-tokens.limit = 50000 lifts the base config's 1000 to 50000 for users in that group, while users not in any group still see the base limit.

Catalog integration

LaravelCatalog\Models\Product uses HasFeatureGroups, so a Stripe Product can be tagged with feature groups directly:

$product->attachFeatureGroup('pro-plan');

The implication: a user subscribed to that product gets every feature in the group (assuming your subscription resolution layer reads Product::featureGroups()).

Debugging tools

Two artisan commands make "why is this on/off?" trivial:

php artisan fms:groups                          # list all registered groups
php artisan fms:groups pro-plan                 # inspect one group (resolved features + overrides)
php artisan fms:resolve 42                      # explain every feature for User #42
php artisan fms:resolve 42 --feature=use-mcp    # explain a single feature
php artisan fms:resolve org-7 --type=App\\Models\\Org   # any HasFeatureGroups model

fms:resolve walks every feature and reports which source resolved it (gate / registry / group / config / none) plus the structured detail (matching groups, limit overrides, etc.).

Using Middleware

Protect routes with feature requirements:

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Http\Middleware\RequireFeature;

Route::middleware(['auth', RequireFeature::class . ':use-mcp'])->group(function () {
    Route::get('/mcp', [McpController::class, 'index']);
});

// Multiple features (OR logic - user needs at least one)
Route::middleware(['auth', RequireFeature::class . ':feature1,feature2'])->group(function () {
    // Route protected by feature1 OR feature2
});

Using Gates/Policies

FMS automatically checks Laravel Gates if they exist:

// In AuthServiceProvider
Gate::define('use-mcp', function ($user) {
    return $user->subscription->plan === 'pro';
});

// FMS will automatically use this gate
if (FMS::canAccess('use-mcp')) {
    // Gate check passed
}

Feature Registry

Register features programmatically:

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Services\FmsFeatureRegistry;

app(FmsFeatureRegistry::class)->register('custom-feature', [
    'name' => 'Custom Feature',
    'type' => 'boolean',
    'enabled' => fn($user) => $user->hasPermission('custom'),
]);

Access Control Strategies

FMS checks features in this order:

0. Pre-strategies (app-registered) - Run before Gate; first non-null verdict wins
1. Gates/Policies - If a Gate exists with the feature name, it's checked first
2. Feature Registry - Checks registered features via FmsFeatureRegistry
3. Feature Groups - Any enabled group containing the feature flips it on
4. Config File - Checks config/fms.features.{feature}
5. Database - If FeatureUsage model exists, checks database (extensible)

Pre-strategies (v0.6.0+)

When you need an external system — a billing service, a remote entitlements provider, a feature flag platform — to be authoritative about access (even over a Gate), register a pre-strategy. Strategies receive (feature, user, context) and return ?bool:

• true — granted, no further checks
• false — denied, no further checks
• null — "I don't know", fall through to the next strategy / chain

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Services\FeatureManager;

// In an app service provider's boot():
app(FeatureManager::class)->registerPreStrategy('subscription', function ($feature, $user, $context): ?bool {
    if (! $user) return null;
    $sub = app(BillingService::class)->subscriptionFor($user);
    if (! $sub) return null;                       // no subscription -> fall through
    return $sub->allowsFeature($feature);          // authoritative when subscription exists
});

Strategies run in registration order, and explain() will report source: 'pre-strategy' with the strategy name so devtools can show "blocked by subscription" etc.

For resource features, register a ?int counterpart that answers remaining():

app(FeatureManager::class)->registerPreRemainingStrategy('subscription-quota', function ($feature, $user, $context): ?int {
    $sub = app(BillingService::class)->subscriptionFor($user);
    return $sub?->remainingFor($feature);          // null falls through
});

Re-registering the same name replaces the strategy. unregisterPreStrategy('subscription') and unregisterPreRemainingStrategy('subscription-quota') undo it (useful in tests).

Resource Features

Resource features support metered usage:

'api-calls' => [
    'type' => 'resource',
    'limit' => 1000,
    'usage' => fn($user, $context) => $user->apiCalls()->thisMonth()->count(),
    'remaining' => fn($user, $context) => 1000 - $user->apiCalls()->thisMonth()->count(), // optional
],

Every definition callback receives ($user, $context) — check, enabled, limit, usage and remaining alike. The feature key is not passed, because the callback is defined inside features.<key> and the key is already known where you write it.

Changed in 0.8.0. usage and remaining used to receive ($feature, $user, $context), with the key first, which never matched these docs. A callback declaring three parameters still gets the old order and raises a deprecation, so nothing breaks silently — but move it to ($user, $context); the old order goes away at 1.0.

Billable overage (v0.11.0+)

For a subscription-backed feature, product_feature_configs.overage_limit is a ceiling on billable consumption past the included quantity:

The column has existed since the first release and was read by nothing until 0.11.0 — in PHP, in Node or in Python. null means no overage precisely because of that: every row written before 0.11.0 is either null or a number somebody typed hoping it would work, so reading null as "unbounded" would turn each untouched row into an unlimited spending authority.

$fms = app(\ParticleAcademy\Fms\Services\Fms::class);

// included 1000, overage_limit 200 => the ceiling is 1200.
$fms->tryIncrement('ai-tokens', 50, $subscription);   // records the billable share
$fms->overage('ai-tokens', $subscription);            // billable units this period

Overage is recorded, not derived, in feature_usages.overage_quantity. max(0, used - included) at read time is one column cheaper and quietly wrong: a mid-period plan upgrade raises the included quantity and erases overage that was genuinely incurred — possibly after it was already reported to a billing provider. It resets with the billing period for free, because it lives on the per-period row.

Recording is in scope; invoicing is not. Listen for ParticleAcademy\Fms\Events\FeatureOverageRecorded and do the last hop yourself:

Event::listen(FeatureOverageRecorded::class, function ($event) {
    // $event->units       billable units from THIS consumption
    // $event->totalUnits  running total for the period
    // $event->subscription, $event->featureKey, $event->periodStart/End
});

Reporting metered usage to Stripe needs the subscription item id — the thing that maps a subscription to one specific price — which this package does not have, should not look up, and cannot know at all for an app metering something Stripe never bills for.

Custom table names (v0.7.0+)

The feature_usages table and the two tables its foreign keys point at are config-driven, so you don't have to fork the package or hand-edit a published migration when your schema differs. Override any of them in config/fms.php:

'tables' => [
    'feature_usages'   => 'fms_feature_usages',        // prefixed schema
    'subscriptions'    => 'subscriptions',             // your billing table
    'product_features' => 'catalog_product_features',  // laravel-catalog's table
],

Both the FeatureUsage model (getTable()) and the create migration read these values, so model and schema stay in sync from one change.

The subscription key type (v0.11.0+)

feature_usages.subscription_id was a bigint, which assumed your subscriptions are auto-incrementing. particle-academy/laravel-catalog — the package FMS is paired with — is ULIDs throughout, so in a ULID-native app the create migration did not degrade, it failed: a bigint foreign key cannot reference a char(26) primary key.

'subscription_key_type' => 'ulid',  // null = detect; 'bigint' | 'ulid' | 'uuid' | 'string'
'subscription_key' => 'id',         // the referenced column

Leave it null to detect the type from your subscriptions table — but set it explicitly if you can. SQLite reports every string column as a bare varchar with no length, so detection there can only tell an integer from a string.

Existing installs need to change nothing. If your feature_usages table exists with a bigint subscription_id, your subscriptions table is bigint too — it has to be, or the original foreign key would never have been created — so detection agrees and the reconcile migration is a no-op.

The create migration also self-skips (no error) when:

• the feature_usages table already exists (e.g. created by an older fork under a different name), or
• either FK target table (subscriptions / product_features) is missing at apply time.

The second guard means the migration can sit harmlessly early in your chronological migration order — if your subscription / product-feature tables are created later, FMS just defers, and you can build the real usages table in your own migration if you prefer.

Requirements

• PHP 8.4+
• Laravel 13+

Testing

Run tests using Pest:

pkg laravel-fms php vendor/bin/pest

Integration with Laravel Catalog

FMS integrates seamlessly with Laravel Catalog for feature-based product management. When both packages are installed, Catalog automatically configures FMS to use Catalog's ProductFeature model.

Quick Integration Setup

1. Install both packages:

composer require particle-academy/laravel-fms
composer require particle-academy/laravel-catalog

2. Configure FMS features in config/fms.php:

return [
    'features' => [
        'manage-products' => [
            'name' => 'Manage Products',
            'type' => 'boolean',
            'enabled' => fn($user) => $user->hasRole('admin'),
        ],
    ],
];

3. Use FMS in your Catalog controllers:

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Facades\FMS;
use LaravelCatalog\Models\Product;

class ProductController extends Controller
{
    public function store(Request $request)
    {
        if (!FMS::canAccess('manage-products')) {
            abort(403);
        }
        
        $product = Product::create($request->validated());
        // ...
    }
}

Product Features Integration

Catalog's ProductFeature model works with FMS to provide feature-based access control:

use LaravelCatalog\Models\Product;
use LaravelCatalog\Models\ProductFeature;

// Attach features to products
$product = Product::find($productId);
$feature = ProductFeature::where('key', 'advanced-editing')->first();

$product->productFeatures()->attach($feature->id, [
    'enabled' => true,
    'included_quantity' => 100,
]);

// Check feature access for user's subscription
if (FMS::canAccess('advanced-editing', $user)) {
    // User has access via their subscription
}

Subscription-Based Feature Access

When integrated with Catalog, you can check feature access based on user subscriptions:

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Facades\FMS;

// Check if user's subscription includes a feature
$user = auth()->user();
$subscription = $user->subscriptions()->active()->first();

if ($subscription) {
    $product = $subscription->product();
    
    // Check if product has feature and user has access
    foreach ($product->productFeatures as $feature) {
        if (FMS::canAccess($feature->key, $user)) {
            // Feature is available
        }
    }
}

Example: Feature-Gated Product Actions

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Facades\FMS;
use LaravelCatalog\Facades\Catalog;

class ProductController extends Controller
{
    public function sync(Product $product)
    {
        // Check if user can sync products
        if (!FMS::canAccess('sync-products', auth()->user())) {
            abort(403, 'You do not have permission to sync products.');
        }
        
        Catalog::syncProductAndPrices($product);
        
        return redirect()->back()->with('success', 'Product synced.');
    }
    
    public function create()
    {
        // Check remaining product creations
        $remaining = FMS::remaining('product-creations', auth()->user());
        
        if ($remaining <= 0) {
            return redirect()->back()
                ->with('error', 'Product creation limit reached.');
        }
        
        return view('admin.products.create');
    }
}

Protecting Catalog Routes

Use FMS middleware to protect catalog admin routes:

use ParticleAcademy\Fms\Http\Middleware\RequireFeature;

Route::prefix('admin')->middleware([
    'auth',
    RequireFeature::class . ':manage-products'
])->group(function () {
    Route::resource('products', ProductController::class);
});

For more detailed integration examples and patterns, see INTEGRATION.md.

License

MIT

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🤖 Note to agents

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