Backpack for Laravel now ships AI-optimized documentation that integrates directly into your AI coding agent (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, and others). When installed, your AI agent gains expert Backpack knowledge, a dedicated documentation search tool, and detailed skill guides — all versioned with your installed backpack/crud package.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| AI Guidelines | Backpack conventions and best practices injected into your agent's instruction file (AGENTS.md, .cursor/rules, CLAUDE.md, etc.). Your AI automatically follows Backpack patterns for CRUD generation, fields, columns, filters, operations, buttons, and more. |
| Agent Skills | Detailed skill guides for specific topics (fields, columns, filters, uploaders, testing, editable columns, data form modals, JavaScript API, etc.). The agent activates the relevant skill automatically based on what you're working on. |
| MCP Search Tool | A dedicated search-backpack-docs tool that searches Backpack's official documentation directly. Unlike generic web searches, this returns version-specific, structured results from the Backpack docs. |
backpack/crud — installed and configured in your Laravel application.laravel/boost — the Laravel Boost package that powers AI agent integration.If you don't have laravel/boost yet, install it:
composer require laravel/boostIf you're running backpack:install for a fresh setup, you'll be prompted to add Backpack AI guidelines automatically — just say yes and you're done.
If you already have Backpack installed, simply re-run the Boost installer to pick up the Backpack guidelines and skills:
php artisan boost:installDuring the installation, you'll see a prompt to "Select third-party AI guidelines/skills". Make sure backpack/crud is checked, then press Enter. (If you've run the installer before, backpack/crud may already be pre-selected.)
After installation, your AI agent's config file will include Backpack guidelines, and the search-backpack-docs MCP tool will be available in the laravel-boost MCP server.
The search-backpack-docs MCP tool is the primary way your AI agent accesses Backpack documentation. To get the best results:
The MCP server needs context to know which tool to use. Include the word "backpack" in your question so the agent routes to the correct search tool:
❌ "How do I add a select2 field?"
✅ "How do I add a backpack select2 field to my CRUD?"
The tool works best with Backpack-specific terms. Mention field types, operation names, or CRUD concepts:
✅ "How do I configure a backpack
select2_from_ajaxfield with a custom route?"✅ "Show me how to add a
CloneOperationto my backpack CrudController."✅ "What's the backpack syntax for
CRUD::addFilterwith a date_range?"
The tool accepts multiple search queries and returns results for all of them. Your AI agent will use this automatically when unsure of exact terminology:
search-backpack-docs(["relationship field", "select2 belongsTo", "belongsToMany"])| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| AI doesn't seem to know Backpack conventions | Re-run php artisan boost:install and ensure backpack/crud is selected for third-party packages. |
| Agent uses generic searches instead of Backpack docs | Include the word "backpack" in your prompts so the agent knows to use search-backpack-docs. |
| Missing assets or broken uploads | Run php artisan storage:link -q — the storage symlink is often missing on new setups. |
| Boost MCP tools not available | Check that laravel/boost is installed and boost:install has been run. The boost.json file in your project root should list backpack/crud under packages. |
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