Unused Global Middleware Analyzer

Analyzer ID	Category	Severity	Time To Fix
unused-global-middleware	⚡ Performance	Low	10 minutes

What This Checks

Detects global middleware that runs on every request but may not be needed, impacting performance.

Why It Matters

• Performance: Unnecessary middleware adds latency to every request
• Efficiency: Dead code wastes CPU cycles
• Maintenance: Clutters middleware stack

Global middleware executes on every single request. Unused middleware wastes resources without providing value.

How to Fix

Quick Fix (5 minutes)

Remove unused middleware:

// app/Http/Kernel.php
protected $middleware = [
    // Remove if not using these features
    // \Illuminate\Http\Middleware\TrustProxies::class,
    // \Fruitcake\Cors\HandleCors::class,
];

Proper Fix (10 minutes)

Audit Middleware:

1. Review each global middleware
2. Move route-specific middleware to route groups
3. Remove truly unused middleware

Convert Global to Route:

// Instead of global
Route::middleware(['auth', 'verified'])->group(function () {
    // Routes requiring auth
});

References

• Laravel Middleware

Related Analyzers

• Route Caching Analyzer - Ensures route caching is properly configured