Smarter Validation in Laravel 12: How :ordinal-position Improves UX for Array Inputs

Laravel 12 quietly introduced a game-changing upgrade for form validation: the :ordinal-position placeholder. While it may seem minor, this enhancement dramatically improves how array-based validation errors are communicated to end users.

🚫 The Problem with Traditional Array Errors

When validating arrays, Laravel typically returns messages like:

cart_items.1.quantity is required

To developers, this makes sense. But to users? It’s cryptic, technical, and confusing. What does “1” mean? Which item is missing a quantity?

✅ The UX-Friendly Solution

Laravel 12.30 now supports :ordinal-position, which transforms that same error into:

The quantity (at 2nd position) is required

This small shift makes a big difference. It’s readable, intuitive, and helps users correct their input without feeling lost.

🔧 How to Use It

In your validation messages, simply swap :index with :ordinal-position. For example:

'cart_items.*.quantity' => 'The quantity (at :ordinal-position position) is required.'

Laravel will automatically convert the index to a human-friendly ordinal like “1st”, “2nd”, “3rd”, etc.

🧪 Bonus: Test It with Pest or PHPUnit

Make sure your validation logic reflects this upgrade in your tests. Here’s a quick Pest snippet:

it('shows ordinal position in error message', function () {
    $response = $this->post('/checkout', [
        'cart_items' => [
            ['quantity' => ''],
        ],
    ]);

    $response->assertSessionHasErrors([
        'cart_items.0.quantity' => 'The quantity (at 1st position) is required.',
    ]);
});

🎯 Why It Matters

Improves clarity for non-technical users
Reduces support tickets and form abandonment
Shows Laravel’s commitment to thoughtful UX

Upgrade and configure in minutes for cleaner errors.
Laravel’s :ordinal-position is a small win with big impact — and it’s already making validation smarter for everyone.

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Smarter Validation in Laravel 12: How `:ordinal-position` Improves UX for Array Inputs