Laravel Postman Collection Generator: Export Routes in 1 Command (2025 Essential)

Testing APIs is a daily grind for Laravel developers. You build routes, wire up controllers, and then spend hours manually creating Postman collections.

What if you could export all your routes into Postman with a single command?
That’s exactly what the Laravel Postman Collection Generator delivers in 2025.

🔧 Step 1: Install the Package

Run this in your project root:

composer require laravel-postman --dev

--dev ensures it’s only included in your development environment.
Once installed, Laravel automatically registers the service provider.

⚡ Step 2: Run the Export Command

Generate your Postman collection instantly:

php artisan postman:export

This will create a JSON file (usually in storage/app/postman/collection.json) containing all your routes.

👉 Import this file directly into Postman, and you’ll see every route neatly organized.

🎨 Step 3: Customize the Collection

You’re not stuck with defaults. The generator lets you:

Group routes by prefix (e.g., /api/v1/users).
Add descriptions for endpoints.
Include headers like Accept: application/json.
Rename collections for different environments.

Example config in config/postman.php:

return [
    'name' => 'My Laravel API',
    'include_headers' => true,
    'group_by_prefix' => true,
    'description' => 'Auto-generated Postman collection for testing',
];

🔐 Step 4: Integrate with Sanctum Auth

Most modern APIs require authentication. With Laravel Sanctum, you can bake this into your Postman collection:

Add a login route to generate tokens:

Route::post('/login', function (Request $request) { $user = User::where('email', $request->email)->first(); return ['token' => $user->createToken('api')->plainTextToken]; });
In Postman, set up an environment variable called API_TOKEN.
Update the generator config to include the Authorization header:

return [
    'headers' => [
        'Authorization' => 'Bearer {{API_TOKEN}}',
    ],
];

Now every exported route in Postman will automatically include Sanctum authentication.

🎯 Why This Is Essential in 2025

Saves hours of manual Postman setup.
Keeps collections in sync with your routes.
Works seamlessly with Sanctum for secure testing.
Boosts team collaboration — share collections with one command.

📖 Final Thoughts

Laravel’s Postman Collection Generator is one of those tools that feels small but delivers massive productivity gains. In 2025, when APIs are the backbone of SaaS apps, being able to export, customize, and secure your routes in minutes is essential.