How to Build a Real-time Follow Button in Laravel with AJAX

Learn how to implement a real-time `Follow` button in Laravel using AJAX for smooth user interactions without page refreshes.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68602924/ asked by the user 'Praise Adeala' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13329893/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68603008/ provided by the user 'Arash' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/952083/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Introduction

If you've ever dealt with user interaction in web applications, you're probably aware of how essential Follow and Unfollow functionalities are for social media platforms and user management features. However, many developers encounter a common problem: updating the user interface dynamically when a button is clicked without requiring a page refresh.

In this post, we'll explore how to build a Follow button in Laravel using AJAX that updates in real-time. Specifically, we'll solve the issue where clicking the Follow button has no immediate effect, forcing users to manually refresh the page to see changes.
Understanding the Problem

In traditional form submission processes, clicking a Follow button might initiate a request to the server, but without AJAX, this would require the page to refresh to reflect any changes in user following status. This can lead to a poor user experience.

Common Scenario

User clicks on the Follow button.

The button doesn't change instantly to Unfollow.

User must refresh the page to see the updated status.
Building the AJAX Follow Button

Step 1: Blade Template Modification

First, we'll start with our Blade view where the Follow button is rendered. Ensure your button has the necessary data attributes and classes.

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Step 2: JavaScript AJAX Setup

Next, let's add the AJAX functionality that will handle button clicks without refreshing the page.

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Key Features of the Script

AJAX Setup: Sets the CSRF token for security.

Button Click Event: Gathers user ID and initiates an AJAX request on button click.

Success Notification: Changes the button text and updates the follower count dynamically based on the user's following status.

Step 3: Controller Logic

Now let's ensure our controller processes the request and returns the correct response.

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What Happens Here?

This function retrieves the user to be followed and toggles the follow status.

Finally, it returns a JSON response indicating whether the user is currently following the target user or not.
Conclusion

With these steps, you've built a Follow button in Laravel that updates instantly, enhancing user experience significantly. Users can now follow or unfollow others seamlessly without needing to refresh the page, thanks to AJAX handling.

Implementing this feature not only makes your application more interactive but also maintains user engagement much more effectively.

Now go ahead, implement this in your Laravel project, and watch your application come to life!

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