Laravel Truss: Live Interactive Database ER Diagrams | Mohamed Said [Skip to content](#main) [ ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MH.png) Mohamed SaidLaravel Backend Engineer ](https://www.msaied.com/public) - [Home](https://www.msaied.com/public) - [Projects](https://www.msaied.com/public/projects) - [Articles](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles) - [Certificates](https://www.msaied.com/public/certificates) - [About](https://www.msaied.com/public#about) [ Contact](https://www.msaied.com/public#contact) Menu Menu ---- Close - [HomeStart here](https://www.msaied.com/public) - [ProjectsCase studies](https://www.msaied.com/public/projects) - [ArticlesEngineering notes](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles) - [CertificatesCredentials](https://www.msaied.com/public/certificates) - [AboutHow I work](https://www.msaied.com/public#about) - [ContactGet in touch](https://www.msaied.com/public#contact) [Start a conversation](https://www.msaied.com/public#contact) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/201094619204) [Email](mailto:hello@msaied.com) 1. [Home](https://www.msaied.com/public) 2. / 3. [Articles](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles) 4. / 5. [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=laravel) 6. / 7. Laravel Truss: Live Interactive Database ER Diagrams in the Browser [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=laravel) [Composer Pacakge](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=composer-pacakge) Laravel Truss: Live Interactive Database ER Diagrams in the Browser ==================================================================== Laravel Truss renders your database schema as a live, zoomable ER diagram in the browser. It adds focus mode, schema diffing, a schema doctor, multi-connection support, and multi-format exports — all without touching row data. ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp) [Mohamed Said](https://www.msaied.com/public#person) Published 9 Aug 2026 · Updated 11 Aug 2026 · 3 min read ShareCopy linkCopied ![Laravel Truss: Live Interactive Database ER Diagrams in the Browser](https://cdn.msaied.com/535/ebe431c90e00cd4c8eeb10aafd42aebe.png) On this page +1. [What Is Laravel Truss?](#what-is-laravel-truss) 2. [Interactive ER Diagram Dashboard](#interactive-er-diagram-dashboard) 3. [Multi-Connection Support](#multi-connection-support) 4. [Schema Diffing and Migration Tracking](#schema-diffing-and-migration-tracking) 5. [Schema Doctor Diagnostics](#schema-doctor-diagnostics) 6. [Command-Line Exports](#command-line-exports) 7. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) What Is Laravel Truss? ---------------------- [Laravel Truss](https://github.com/albertoarena/laravel-truss) is a package by Alberto Arena that renders your database structure as a live, interactive entity-relationship diagram you can open at `/truss` in the browser. It reads schema metadata only — tables, columns, keys, and indexes — and never touches row data, so there is no risk of exposing sensitive records. The package requires **PHP 8.3+** and **Laravel 12+**. Install it as a dev dependency for local use: ```bash composer require albertoarena/laravel-truss --dev ``` By default the `/truss` route is active only in the `local` environment. Install it without `--dev` and configure an authorisation gate to expose it in staging or production. --- Interactive ER Diagram Dashboard -------------------------------- Visiting `/truss` opens a map-style canvas you can pan and zoom. Click any table to enter **Focus Mode**, which centres that table alongside its foreign-key neighbours and dims everything else. A Depth control widens the visible ring one hop at a time, so you can trace relationships without losing context. Additional controls let you: - Filter tables by name. - Toggle between native SQL types and Laravel-style column labels. - Switch between light and dark blueprint themes. ### Multi-Connection Support If your application uses more than one database, list each connection in `config/truss.php`: ```php // config/truss.php 'connections' => [ 'pgsql' => [], 'analytics' => ['excluded_tables' => ['page_views', 'raw_events']], ], ``` A toolbar picker appears when two or more connections are configured. Switching connections re-renders the schema and persists the selection in the URL so you can bookmark or share a specific view. Because fonts and Mermaid assets ship with the package, the dashboard works **offline** and under strict **Content Security Policy** rules without fetching anything from a CDN. --- Schema Diffing and Migration Tracking ------------------------------------- Truss caches a structural snapshot after migrations run and compares the live database against it. The diff surfaces in a **Changes** panel in the dashboard and via Artisan: ```bash php artisan truss:diff ``` The diff covers added or dropped tables, column type changes, index adjustments, and foreign key updates. --- Schema Doctor Diagnostics ------------------------- The **Schema Doctor** runs deterministic checks against your structure and flags: - Tables with no primary key. - Foreign key columns without an index. - Duplicate or redundant index definitions. - Risky data type choices. Results appear in the dashboard's **Health** panel and can be piped into a CI pipeline: ```bash php artisan truss:doctor ``` --- Command-Line Exports -------------------- Truss can export the full schema structure from the terminal in multiple formats: ```bash php artisan truss:export --format=dbml --output=docs/schema.dbml ``` Supported formats: **DBML, JSON, CSV, Mermaid, and Markdown** data dictionary. Output is deterministic — the same schema always produces the same bytes regardless of the order the database reports its tables. That makes the `--check` flag useful in CI: it regenerates the export, compares it against the committed file, and exits non-zero when they differ. The browser dashboard also lets you export the visual diagram as **PNG or SVG**, and individual tables as JSON, CSV, or Markdown. --- Key Takeaways ------------- - Live, zoomable ER diagrams rendered with vendored Mermaid assets — no external GUI needed. - Focus Mode isolates a table and its foreign-key neighbours with a configurable depth. - Schema diffing tracks structural changes since the last migration snapshot. - Schema Doctor catches missing primary keys, unindexed foreign keys, duplicate indexes, and risky column types. - Multi-connection support with per-connection table exclusions. - Fully offline and CSP-safe; no CDN requests. - Deterministic CLI exports enable schema drift detection in CI. --- Source: [Laravel News — Laravel Truss: Live Interactive Database ER Diagrams](https://laravel-news.com/laravel-truss-database-er-diagrams) - [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Laravel) - [Database](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Database) - [ER Diagram](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=ER%20Diagram) - [Schema](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Schema) - [Developer Tools](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Developer%20Tools) Frequently asked questions --------------------------- Does Laravel Truss read actual row data from the database?No. Laravel Truss reads schema metadata only — tables, columns, keys, and indexes. It never queries row data, so no sensitive records are exposed. Can I use Laravel Truss with multiple database connections?Yes. List each connection in config/truss.php and a toolbar picker appears in the dashboard. Each connection is introspected independently, and you can exclude specific tables per connection. How can I use the schema export in a CI pipeline?Run `php artisan truss:export --format=dbml --check` to regenerate the export and compare it against a committed file. The command exits non-zero when the schema has changed without the file being updated, failing the build. ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp)About the author ---------------- [Mohamed Said](https://www.msaied.com/public#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/public#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 articlePostgreSQL JSONB in Laravel: Indexing, Querying, and Casting Without the Bloat](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles/postgresql-jsonb-in-laravel-indexing-querying-and-casting-without-the-bloat-2) [Next articleLaravel Discount: Coupon Codes, Usage Limits, and Stacking](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles/laravel-discount-coupon-codes-usage-limits-and-stacking) On this page ------------- 1. [What Is Laravel Truss?](#what-is-laravel-truss) 2. [Interactive ER Diagram Dashboard](#interactive-er-diagram-dashboard) 3. [Multi-Connection Support](#multi-connection-support) 4. [Schema Diffing and Migration Tracking](#schema-diffing-and-migration-tracking) 5. [Schema Doctor Diagnostics](#schema-doctor-diagnostics) 6. [Command-Line Exports](#command-line-exports) 7. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) ### Have a technical challenge? Tell me what you’re building. I reply within two working days. 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