route('example.index') helper not available in fresh laravel + react project

[pastel pelican]

Hey everyone,

I recently started a new project using Laravel 12 + Inertia (React), and I noticed something different compared to a project I built a few months ago.

In my previous setup, I was able to use the route('trainees.index') helper directly inside React components — for example:
<Link href={route('trainees.index')}>Trainees</Link>

However, in this new project (fresh Laravel 12 installation with Inertia starter kit), the route() helper isn’t available anymore.

Did something change recently in how Inertia integrates with Laravel routes?
Was the route() helper previously provided automatically via Ziggy or some other package that’s no longer included by default?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

[paper pivot]

Starter kits used Ziggy, now they use Wayfinder

[pastel pelican]

I wasn’t aware of the change from Ziggy to Wayfinder, that makes total sense now.

[pastel pelican]

Out of curiosity, would you say it’s better to stick with Wayfinder going forward? I’m wondering what the main advantages are compared to Ziggy. Is it mostly about performance and bundle size, or does it bring something more in terms of flexibility or maintainability?

[paper pivot]

I’m probably not the right person to ask that, I always hated working with Ziggy 😂 and I think Wayfinder isn’t particularly the way forward either lol

[pastel pelican]

Haha well... Thanks for the clarification!

[paper pivot]

At least Wayfinder is maintained and it doesn’t treeshaking, so you only end up with routes in your bundle that are actually used

[ruby narwhal]

Huh, think you meant it is treeshakeable. It's Ziggy that's not able to be treeshakeable with how it creates a JSON blob of route info.

[paper pivot]

Meant “does” 😅

[ruby narwhal]

I'll tag that it's in Laravel's plans to rework Wayfinder on Laravel Ranger sometime. Ranger is not yet released, but the promise from Laracon US 2025 is a lot more type info for the front end, with defined page props types and request types coming from the backend code. It's very much a wait and see sort of thing, as no one has access to Ranger yet.

It's demoed in a ~15m chunk of this keynote: https://youtu.be/CJv5Y7im3Ws?t=1575