---
title: "Testing — Likes for Laravel | Roundly"
description: "Likes::fake() records every like, unlike and reaction while still writing rows — plus acting-actor helpers, Pest matchers and a Like factory."
url: https://roundly-consulting.com/open-source/docs/likes-for-laravel/testing
language: en
---

[All packages](https://roundly-consulting.com/open-source.md)

[Likes for Laravel](https://roundly-consulting.com/open-source/docs/likes-for-laravel.md)

# Testing

Likes::fake() swaps the manager — for the facade and for injected LikeManagers — with a recording fake and returns it. The fake still performs every operation, so has(), for() and your own queries see real rows. A write the package refuses — an unknown reaction type, no resolvable actor — throws and is not recorded, so an assertion never passes over a write that didn’t happen:

```php
use RoundlyConsulting\Likes\Facades\Likes;

$fake = Likes::fake();

$user->like($post);
Likes::actor($user)->unlike($comment);
Likes::actor($user)->as('love')->react($photo);

$fake->assertLiked($post);                    // optionally a type: an untyped like matches the default type
$fake->assertLikedBy($user, $post);
$fake->assertNotLiked($other);
$fake->assertLikedCount(1);
$fake->assertLikedTimes($post, 1);
$fake->assertUnliked($comment, by: $user);
$fake->assertReacted($photo, 'love');
```

## Fake assertions

| Assertion | Passes when |
| --- | --- |
| `assertLiked($model, ?$type)` | A like was recorded for the model (optionally of that type). |
| `assertLikedBy($actor, $model, ?$type)` | That actor liked the model (optionally with that type). |
| `assertNotLiked($model)` | No like was recorded for the model. |
| `assertNothingLiked()` | No likes were recorded at all. |
| `assertLikedCount($count)` | Exactly that many likes were recorded. |
| `assertLikedTimes($model, $count)` | The model was liked exactly that many times. |
| `assertUnliked($model, ?$type, ?$by)` | An unlike was recorded for the model (optionally of that type, by that actor). |
| `assertNothingUnliked()` | No unlikes were recorded at all. |
| `assertReacted($model, ?$type, ?$by)` | A react() was recorded for the model (optionally of that type, by that actor). |
| `assertNothingReacted()` | No reactions were recorded at all. |

The negative assertions prove a request wrote nothing:

```php
$fake = Likes::fake();

$this->get('/posts');                         // a read-only page

$fake->assertNothingLiked();
$fake->assertNothingUnliked();
$fake->assertNothingReacted();
```

## What the fake records

- Every completed write, whichever way it was made — the facade, the actor()/as() builder, an injected LikeManager, the GivesLikes trait and the InteractsWithLikes helpers.
- Bulk likeMany() / unlikeMany() record one entry per model.
- A toggle is recorded as the like or unlike it performed; react() is recorded as a reaction — assert it with assertReacted(), not assertLiked().
- A type filter matches the reaction written: an untyped like matches default\_reaction.
- Calls are recorded as made, so an idempotent repeat still counts towards assertLikedCount() and assertLikedTimes().

## Acting-actor helpers

The InteractsWithLikes trait adds acting-actor helpers. They go through the manager, so a Likes::fake() in the same test records them too:

```php
uses(RoundlyConsulting\Likes\Testing\InteractsWithLikes::class);

$this->actingAsLiker($user);
$this->likeAs($post, 'love');
$this->unlikeAs($post);
$this->toggleAs($post);
$this->likeAs($post, null, $otherUser);   // a one-off actor
```

likeAs(), unlikeAs() and toggleAs() take (model, ?type, ?actor). Without an actor argument or a prior actingAsLiker() call they throw a RuntimeException.

## Pest matchers

Register the matchers once in tests/Pest.php:

```php
// tests/Pest.php
RoundlyConsulting\Likes\Testing\LikeExpectations::register();

// in a test
expect($post)->toBeLikedBy($user);
expect($post)->toBeLikedBy($user, 'love');
expect($post)->toHaveReaction('love');
```

The matchers are guarded by function\_exists('expect'), so Pest is never pulled into your runtime.

## Factory

Seed likes directly with the model factory:

```php
use RoundlyConsulting\Likes\Models\Like;

Like::factory()
    ->forActor($user)
    ->forLikeable($post)
    ->ofType('love')
    ->create();
```

Like::factory() builds the model set in likes.model, generates actor\_id / likeable\_id of the configured key\_type and defaults type to default\_reaction; forActor(), forLikeable() and ofType() set the rest. It writes rows directly — no package events, no allowlist check — which makes it ideal for arranging state before the behaviour you test.

## A full example

```php
use RoundlyConsulting\Likes\Facades\Likes;

it('lets a reader love a post', function () {
    config()->set('likes.reactions', ['like', 'love']);

    $fake = Likes::fake();
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    $post = Post::factory()->create();

    Likes::actor($user)->as('love')->like($post);

    $fake->assertLikedBy($user, $post, 'love');
    expect($post)->toBeLikedBy($user, 'love')      // LikeExpectations::register() in Pest.php
        ->and($post->reactionSummary()->top)->toBe('love');
});
```

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