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[Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=laravel) 6. / 7. whereBinary(): How to Run Case-Sensitive MySQL Queries in Laravel 13.27 [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=laravel) [Tips & Tricks](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?category=tips-tricks) whereBinary(): How to Run Case-Sensitive MySQL Queries in Laravel 13.27 ======================================================================== Laravel 13.27 adds whereBinary(), orWhereBinary(), whereNotBinary(), and orWhereNotBinary() — clean query-builder methods for byte-exact MySQL comparisons without dropping down to whereRaw(). ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp) [Mohamed Said](https://www.msaied.com/public#person) Published 26 Aug 2026 · Updated 27 Aug 2026 · 4 min read ShareCopy linkCopied ![whereBinary(): How to Run Case-Sensitive MySQL Queries in Laravel 13.27](https://cdn.msaied.com/600/0c7655400b43d3b85d1d1e9d0f4c8094.png) On this page +1. [The Problem with Laravel's Default MySQL Collation](#the-problem-with-laravels-default-mysql-collation) 2. [Introducing whereBinary() in Laravel 13.27](#introducing-wherebinary-in-laravel-1327) 3. [What "Binary" Actually Changes](#what-quotbinaryquot-actually-changes) 4. [Engine Support and Test-Suite Implications](#engine-support-and-test-suite-implications) 5. [The Index Caveat — and How to Handle It](#the-index-caveat-and-how-to-handle-it) 6. [Related: Case-Sensitive LIKE](#related-case-sensitive-like) 7. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) The Problem with Laravel's Default MySQL Collation -------------------------------------------------- MySQL string comparisons in Laravel run through the default `utf8mb4_unicode_ci` collation, which treats several differences as irrelevant: case, accents, trailing whitespace, and some Unicode normalization variants. That is exactly what you want for a display-name search, and exactly what you do not want for a token, a slug, or any value where the bytes themselves are the identity. This query silently matches `A7f3B9`, `a7f3b9`, `A7F3B9`, and even `A7f3B9 ` (note the trailing space): ```php DB::table('invites')->where('token', $request->token)->first(); ``` The traditional escape hatch was `whereRaw()`: ```php DB::table('invites')->whereRaw('token = BINARY ?', [$request->token])->first(); ``` That works, but it steps outside the query builder, making the clause harder to compose with scopes, `when()` calls, and other conditions. Introducing whereBinary() in Laravel 13.27 ------------------------------------------ Laravel 13.27 ships four new query-builder methods that wrap the `BINARY` cast cleanly: ```php // Exact equality DB::table('invites')->whereBinary('token', $request->token)->first(); // select * from `invites` where `token` = binary ? // Negation DB::table('users')->whereNotBinary('username', $username)->get(); // select * from `users` where `username` != binary ? // OR variants DB::table('users') ->where('id', $id) ->orWhereBinary('username', $username) ->get(); // select * from `users` where `id` = ? or `username` = binary ? ``` Values are still bound as parameters, so parameterization is identical to the `whereRaw()` approach. The difference is that the clause stays inside the builder and composes naturally with everything else. Eloquent models work the same way: ```php $invite = Invite::query() ->whereBinary('token', $request->token) ->where('expires_at', '>', now()) ->firstOrFail(); ``` What "Binary" Actually Changes ------------------------------ The `BINARY` keyword casts the operand to a binary string, forcing a byte-for-byte comparison. Four categories of difference start mattering: - **Case** — `Ada` no longer equals `ada`. - **Accents** — `resume` no longer matches `résumé`. - **Trailing whitespace** — `'ada'` and `'ada '` are different byte lengths and no longer compare equal. - **Unicode normalization** — `é` as one code point versus `e` plus a combining accent are distinct byte sequences. The trailing-whitespace and normalization cases are the ones most likely to cause silent bugs, because they produce false positives rather than obvious failures. Engine Support and Test-Suite Implications ------------------------------------------ MySQL and MariaDB support `whereBinary()`. Every other engine throws: ```yaml RuntimeException: This database engine does not support binary comparison operations. ``` This is intentional. PostgreSQL and SQLite already compare strings case-sensitively by default, so a `BINARY` cast would either be a no-op or make a promise the driver cannot keep. If your test suite runs on SQLite but production runs on MySQL, any test covering a `whereBinary()` clause needs a MySQL-backed connection. The Index Caveat — and How to Handle It --------------------------------------- An index built on a `_ci` column cannot be used to satisfy a `BINARY` comparison, because the collations differ. On large tables, the recommended pattern is to let the index narrow the result set first, then apply the binary filter: ```php DB::table('invites') ->where('token', $request->token) // uses the index ->whereBinary('token', $request->token) // filters to byte-exact matches ->first(); ``` The better long-term fix for columns that should always be compared byte-exactly is to declare the right collation in the migration: ```php $table->string('token')->collation('utf8mb4_bin')->unique(); ``` This also solves something `whereBinary()` cannot: a unique index on a `_ci` column will reject `Ada` when `ada` already exists regardless of how you query. `whereBinary()` is a read-side tool; uniqueness enforcement is determined by the column's collation. Related: Case-Sensitive LIKE ---------------------------- For pattern matching with wildcards, `whereLike()` already accepts a `caseSensitive` argument that compiles to `like binary` on MySQL: ```php DB::table('users')->whereLike('username', 'ada%', caseSensitive: true); ``` Use `whereBinary()` for equality checks and `whereLike(..., caseSensitive: true)` for pattern matching — the query planner has more optimization options for `=` than for `LIKE`. Key Takeaways ------------- - `whereBinary()` was added in Laravel 13.27 alongside `orWhereBinary()`, `whereNotBinary()`, and `orWhereNotBinary()`. - It replaces `whereRaw('column = BINARY ?', [...])` while keeping the query fully composable. - Only MySQL and MariaDB are supported; other engines throw a `RuntimeException`. - Binary comparisons bypass column indexes — use the double-condition pattern on large tables or set the column collation to `utf8mb4_bin`. - `whereBinary()` is a read-side tool; unique constraint enforcement still depends on the column's collation. *Source: [whereBinary(): Case-Sensitive MySQL Queries in Laravel — Laravel News](https://laravel-news.com/laravel-where-binary)* - [Laravel](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Laravel) - [MySQL](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=MySQL) - [Query Builder](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Query%20Builder) - [Laravel 13](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Laravel%2013) - [Eloquent](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles?search=Eloquent) Frequently asked questions --------------------------- Does whereBinary() work with Eloquent models, or only the DB facade?It works with both. You can call whereBinary() on an Eloquent query builder just as you would on a DB::table() query, and it composes with other conditions like where(), when(), and query scopes. Will whereBinary() use my existing index on the column?Generally no. An index built under a \_ci collation cannot satisfy a BINARY comparison. On large tables, chain a regular where() first to let the index narrow the rows, then add whereBinary() to filter to byte-exact matches. For columns that are always compared byte-exactly, setting the column collation to utf8mb4\_bin in the migration is the better permanent fix. What happens if I use whereBinary() with a SQLite or PostgreSQL test database?Laravel throws a RuntimeException because those engines are not supported. If your test suite runs on SQLite but production uses MySQL, any test that exercises a whereBinary() clause needs to run against a MySQL-backed connection. ![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 articleCompile PHP to Native Binaries with TypePHP](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles/compile-php-to-native-binaries-with-typephp) [Next articleMask Query Bindings in Laravel Exception Messages](https://www.msaied.com/public/articles/mask-query-bindings-in-laravel-exception-messages) On this page ------------- 1. [The Problem with Laravel's Default MySQL Collation](#the-problem-with-laravels-default-mysql-collation) 2. [Introducing whereBinary() in Laravel 13.27](#introducing-wherebinary-in-laravel-1327) 3. [What "Binary" Actually Changes](#what-quotbinaryquot-actually-changes) 4. [Engine Support and Test-Suite Implications](#engine-support-and-test-suite-implications) 5. [The Index Caveat — and How to Handle It](#the-index-caveat-and-how-to-handle-it) 6. [Related: Case-Sensitive LIKE](#related-case-sensitive-like) 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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