Laravel Boost MCP Setup on Mac: The Complete AI-Powered Development Guide

Introduction

Imagine cutting your Laravel development time in half while writing cleaner, more reliable code. For many developers, coding can feel like a cycle of boilerplate setups, bug hunts, and repetitive tasks. But what if you had an AI-powered assistant that understood your Laravel project’s context and offered meaningful, production-ready suggestions—right inside your IDE?

That’s exactly what Laravel Boost with MCP (Model Context Protocol) brings to the table. By integrating Boost into your Laravel project on Mac, you can unlock a development workflow powered by AI context-awareness—making your coding smarter, faster, and more efficient.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up Laravel Boost MCP on Mac step by step, why it matters, and how to leverage it to supercharge your Laravel projects with AI.

What is Laravel Boost MCP?

Laravel Boost is an AI-assisted development toolkit that integrates with MCP (Model Context Protocol). MCP acts as the “bridge” between your codebase and AI models like Claude or OpenAI. Instead of receiving vague AI suggestions, MCP provides precise, context-rich responses tailored to your Laravel app.

Think of MCP as a translator: it feeds AI the exact Laravel context (routes, migrations, models, configs) so that when you ask a question—like “How do I query active users?”—it responds with Laravel-specific code aligned with your actual project.

Why AI-Assisted Development Matters

• Speed: Automates repetitive coding, setup, and bug fixes.
• Accuracy: AI suggestions respect Laravel conventions and project context.
• Learning: Even junior developers can build like pros with AI guidance.
• Productivity: Frees up mental space for solving real business logic.

Prerequisites for Setup

Before diving in, make sure your Mac environment is ready:

• macOS Ventura or newer
• PHP 8.2+ installed (Herd or Brew recommended)
• Composer installed globally
• Node.js 18 or newer
• A working Laravel project
• IDE (PhpStorm, VSCode, or Cursor recommended)

Step 1: Install Laravel Boost

First, pull Boost into your Laravel project with Composer:

composer require laravel/boost --dev
php artisan boost:install

This sets up the Boost MCP server inside your Laravel app.

Step 2: Configure MCP in Your IDE

Laravel Boost connects to IDEs through MCP configuration. Supported editors include:

• PhpStorm
• VSCode
• Cursor
• Claude Code

Once Boost is installed, add MCP server details in .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "laravel-boost": {
      "command": "/Users/yourname/Library/Application Support/Herd/bin/php83",
      "args": [
        "/Users/yourname/your-project/artisan",
        "boost:mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

This tells your IDE how to run Boost and connect AI models.

Step 3: Add Your AI Guidelines

Laravel Boost shines when you define AI guidelines tailored to your project. Create a folder named .ai/guidelines/ in your root project:

mkdir -p .ai/guidelines

Inside, add guideline files:

touch .ai/guidelines/purpose.blade.php

Here, you can instruct AI:

• What your app does
• Code style preferences
• Security rules (e.g., never expose env values)

Example guideline snippet:

{{-- Purpose: Guide AI for this Laravel CRM project --}}
{{-- Rule 1: Use Eloquent for database queries --}}
{{-- Rule 2: Follow PSR-12 coding standards --}}
{{-- Rule 3: Never expose sensitive .env keys --}}

Step 4: Launch and Verify

Run:

claude

Or use your IDE’s MCP integration. If successful, you’ll see Boost connected:

Laravel-boost -> database-query (MCP)

Now you can ask:

“How many users are in my database?”

And Boost will run an actual SQL count, returning the real number.

Real-World Example

Without Boost: You’d open phpMyAdmin, write a query, or check your seeder.

With Boost: You simply type:

How many users are active this month?

And AI responds with both the query and the result.

Benefits of Laravel Boost on Mac

• Native performance: Herd makes PHP lightning fast.
• AI in the terminal: Ask project questions directly.
• Cross-IDE power: Use in PhpStorm, VSCode, or Cursor.
• Customizable AI: Tailor guidelines for your team’s coding standards.

Comparison: With vs Without Boost

| Feature | Traditional Laravel Dev | With Boost MCP | | --------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------- | | Querying data | Manual DB query | AI-powered MCP query | | Code generation | Copy-paste boilerplate | Context-aware suggestions | | Debugging | Trial and error | AI explains & fixes issues | | Documentation | Google searches | AI references project context |

Common Issues and Fixes

• Error: MCP not found → Ensure .mcp.json points to the correct PHP path.

• Claude not responding → Add funds to Anthropic account or configure OpenAI key.

• Custom AI rules not working → Check .ai/guidelines/ folder structure.

Bullet Points / Quick Takeaways

• Laravel Boost + MCP = AI that understands your project.
• Works seamlessly on Mac with Herd, Composer, and Node.js.
• Configure .mcp.json to link Laravel with your IDE.
• Add .ai/guidelines/ to customize AI responses.
• Supercharges productivity by automating repetitive tasks.

Call to Action (CTA)

Ready to unlock AI-powered Laravel development? 🚀 Set up Laravel Boost MCP on your Mac today and experience smarter coding. Share this guide with your team to future-proof your development workflow.

Optional: FAQ Section

Q: Can I use OpenAI instead of Claude? Yes. Laravel Boost works with any MCP-supported AI, including OpenAI GPT models.

Q: Is Laravel Boost free? Boost itself is free, but you’ll need API credits from Claude, OpenAI, or another MCP-compatible provider.

Q: Do I need PhpStorm? No, Boost also works with VSCode, Cursor, and Claude Code.

Q: Can Boost run queries on my production database? Yes, but you should carefully configure permissions and avoid destructive commands.