LayaPHP: Self-Hosted Text Classification for Laravel | Mohamed Said [Skip to content](#main) [ ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MH.png) Mohamed SaidLaravel Backend Engineer ](https://www.msaied.com) - [Home](https://www.msaied.com) - [Projects](https://www.msaied.com/projects) - [Articles](https://www.msaied.com/articles) - [Certificates](https://www.msaied.com/certificates) - [About](https://www.msaied.com#about) [ Contact](https://www.msaied.com#contact) Menu Menu ---- Close - [HomeStart here](https://www.msaied.com) - [ProjectsCase studies](https://www.msaied.com/projects) - [ArticlesEngineering notes](https://www.msaied.com/articles) - [CertificatesCredentials](https://www.msaied.com/certificates) - [AboutHow I work](https://www.msaied.com#about) - [ContactGet in touch](https://www.msaied.com#contact) [Start a conversation](https://www.msaied.com#contact) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/201094619204) [Email](mailto:hello@msaied.com) 1. 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Classify text into labels, yes/no answers, and scored scales without paying per-API call. ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp) [Mohamed Said](https://www.msaied.com#person) Published 5 Oct 2026 · Updated 6 Oct 2026 · 3 min read ShareCopy linkCopied ![LayaPHP: Self-Hosted Text Classification for PHP and Laravel](https://cdn.msaied.com/744/b8ac362adc9fa9e5721d6b0dadee60f1.png) On this page +1. [What Is LayaPHP?](#what-is-layaphp) 2. [Classifying a Product Review](#classifying-a-product-review) 3. [Other Question Types](#other-question-types) 4. [Installation and Setup](#installation-and-setup) 5. [Testing Without a Running Model](#testing-without-a-running-model) 6. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) What Is LayaPHP? ---------------- [Laya](https://github.com/NandhaKishorM/laya) is an open-source, non-autoregressive decision model designed for quick categorical choices and risk checks. Instead of generating conversational text, it answers three kinds of questions about any input string: - **Yes/No** — returns a probability and a boolean answer at a configurable threshold. - **Choice** — picks one label from a set you define, with a confidence score. - **Score** — maps text onto an ordered scale (e.g., "not urgent" → "blocking") and returns a numeric position. [LayaPHP](https://github.com/marcreichel/laya-php), created by Marc Reichel, is a typed PHP client that sends text to a running `laya-serve` process and returns structured PHP objects for each answer. Because Laya runs on your own infrastructure, you pay only for compute — there is no per-call API charge. Classifying a Product Review ---------------------------- A practical use case is moderating e-commerce reviews. The `predict()` method batches multiple questions into a single request: ```php use MarcReichel\Laya\Laya; use MarcReichel\Laya\Question; function classifyReview(Laya $laya, string $body): array { $result = $laya->predict($body, [ 'spam' => Question::yesNo('Is this review spam or an advertisement?'), 'abuse' => Question::yesNo('Does this review contain insults, hate speech, or threats?'), 'sentiment' => Question::choice('What is the overall sentiment of this review?', [ 'positive' => 'praises the product', 'neutral' => 'describes the product without clear praise or criticism', 'negative' => 'criticises the product', ]), ]); $spam = $result->yesNo('spam'); $abuse = $result->yesNo('abuse'); $sentiment = $result->choice('sentiment'); $needsReview = $spam->yes() || $abuse->yes() || min($spam->answerConfidence, $abuse->answerConfidence, $sentiment->answerConfidence) < 0.7; return [ 'queue' => $needsReview ? 'manual-review' : 'publish', 'sentiment' => $sentiment->choice, ]; } ``` `yes()` uses a default probability threshold of `0.5`. The separate `answerConfidence` value measures how certain the model is about each answer. Routing low-confidence results to a human reviewer is a sensible safety net — the right threshold for your application should be calibrated against decisions your moderators have already made. ### Other Question Types `Question::score()` handles ordered scales such as support-ticket urgency levels. The answer includes the most likely level and a numeric score. The `decide()` method maps questions defined with PHP attributes directly onto enum, integer, and boolean constructor properties, keeping classification logic close to your domain models. Installation and Setup ---------------------- LayaPHP requires **PHP 8.4 or newer** and a PSR-18 HTTP client: ```bash composer require marcreichel/laya-php guzzlehttp/guzzle ``` The package repository ships a Docker Compose file for `laya-serve`. Start it with: ```bash docker compose up -d --wait ``` The first classification request downloads approximately 1 GB of model weights into a Docker volume. Once the server is running at `http://localhost:8000`: 1. Add `LAYA_URL=http://localhost:8000` to your `.env` file. 2. Laravel 13 or newer auto-discovers the service provider. 3. Inject `Laya` into any job or service class. 4. Run `php artisan laya:health` to verify the server is reachable. Outside Laravel, instantiate the client directly: `new Laya('http://localhost:8000')`. ### Testing Without a Running Model `Laya::fake()` lets you write unit tests for routing and business logic without starting the model server. Testing whether Laya itself classifies text correctly still requires a live `laya-serve` instance. Key Takeaways ------------- - Laya is a self-hosted decision model — no external API fees, full data control. - LayaPHP returns typed PHP answers (yes/no, choice, score) with per-answer confidence values. - A single `predict()` call can ask multiple questions simultaneously. - PHP 8.4+ is required; Laravel 13+ auto-discovers the package. - Docker Compose setup is included; the first run downloads ~1 GB of model weights. - `Laya::fake()` enables unit testing without a live model server. --- *Source: [LayaPHP: Self-Hosted Text Classification for PHP and Laravel — Laravel News](https://laravel-news.com/laya-php-self-hosted-classification)* - [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/articles?search=Laravel) - [PHP](https://www.msaied.com/articles?search=PHP) - [Text Classification](https://www.msaied.com/articles?search=Text%20Classification) - [Machine Learning](https://www.msaied.com/articles?search=Machine%20Learning) - [Open Source](https://www.msaied.com/articles?search=Open%20Source) - [Composer Package](https://www.msaied.com/articles?search=Composer%20Package) Frequently asked questions --------------------------- Does LayaPHP require an external API subscription to classify text?No. Laya runs entirely on your own infrastructure via a `laya-serve` process. You pay only for the compute you use — there is no per-call API charge. What PHP version does LayaPHP require?LayaPHP requires PHP 8.4 or newer, along with a PSR-18 HTTP client such as Guzzle. Can I write unit tests for LayaPHP-based logic without running the model server?Yes. The built-in `Laya::fake()` helper lets you mock responses and test your routing and business logic without a live `laya-serve` instance. Testing the model's actual classification accuracy still requires a running server. ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp)About the author ---------------- [Mohamed Said](https://www.msaied.com#person)Senior Backend Engineer specializing in Laravel, scalable SaaS platforms, APIs, and cloud infrastructure. I build secure, high-performance web applications that help businesses grow. [About](https://www.msaied.com#about) [GitHub ↗](https://github.com/EG-Mohamed) [LinkedIn ↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/msaiedm/) [WhatsApp ↗](https://wa.me/201094619204) [Email Address ↗](mailto:hello@msaied.com) [My CV ↗](https://drive.google.com/file/u/0/d/1MF20IPRJyzfy32mhEutjL5EpSls0w2Q8/view) [Previous articleMySQL Full-Text Search in Laravel: Indexes, Relevance Scoring, and Boolean Mode](https://www.msaied.com/articles/mysql-full-text-search-in-laravel-indexes-relevance-scoring-and-boolean-mode) [Next articleThe Pipeline Pattern in Laravel: Custom Pipelines Beyond Middleware](https://www.msaied.com/articles/the-pipeline-pattern-in-laravel-custom-pipelines-beyond-middleware-1) On this page ------------- 1. [What Is LayaPHP?](#what-is-layaphp) 2. [Classifying a Product Review](#classifying-a-product-review) 3. [Other Question Types](#other-question-types) 4. [Installation and Setup](#installation-and-setup) 5. [Testing Without a Running Model](#testing-without-a-running-model) 6. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) ### Have a technical challenge? Tell me what you’re building. I reply within two working days. 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