Updating Timestamps with the touch() Method
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Most database tables managed by Laravel Eloquent feature two standard timestamp columns: created_at and updated_at. Normally, Laravel updates the updated_at column automatically whenever you modify an attribute on a model and call $model->save().
But what if you need to update a model’s updated_at timestamp without changing any of its attributes? Or what if a child record changes (like a user adding a new comment), and you want the parent record (the blog post) to reflect that fresh activity?
That is where Laravel’s touch() method shines.
Here is a simple, step-by-step guide on how touch() works, why it is necessary, and how to use it automatically across relationships.
What Does touch() Do?
The touch() method updates a model’s updated_at timestamp in the database to the current date and time (NOW()), without needing to modify any other fields on the model.
$post = Post::find(1);
// Updates 'updated_at' to current timestamp and saves to DB immediately
$post->touch();
Under the hood, Laravel executes a minimal, efficient update query.
UPDATE `posts`
SET `updated_at` = '2026-08-10 17:44:20'
WHERE `id` = 1;
Use Case: Parent-Child Relationship Touching ($touches)
This is one of the most powerful feature of touch().
Imagine a blog system where a Post has many Comment models.
If a user posts a new comment on an old article from 2024, the Post record itself hasn't changed its title or content. However, in terms of activity, that post was just updated. If you sort your blog feed by updated_at DESC, that post will stay buried at the bottom unless you touch the parent post.
Instead of manually writing $comment->post->touch() every time a comment is added, updated, or deleted, you can tell Eloquent to do it automatically using the $touches property!
Step-by-Step Setup:
In your child model (Comment), add a $touches array containing the names of the relationships you want to update whenever the child is saved or deleted:
namespace App\Models;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsTo;
class Comment extends Model
{
// Tell Eloquent to "touch" the parent 'post' whenever a comment changes
protected $touches = ['post'];
public function post(): BelongsTo
{
return $this->belongsTo(Post::class);
}
}
Now, watch what happens when you create a new comment:
$post = Post::find(1); // Assume that Currently updated_at = 2024-01-01
$comment = new Comment(['body' => 'Great article!']);
$post->comments()->save($comment);
// Both $comment AND $post now have updated_at set to NOW().
Whenever a Comment is created, saved, updated, or deleted, Eloquent will automatically trigger a touch() on the associated Post model in the background.
Touching Specific Custom Columns
What if your table has a custom timestamp column (for example, last_login_at or last_activity_at) that isn't named updated_at?
You can pass the column name directly into touch():
$user = User::find(1);
// Updates 'last_activity_at' to NOW() without changing 'updated_at'
$user->touch('last_activity_at');
Key Takeaways:
- $model->touch() updates the updated_at column to the current timestamp immediately in MySQL.
- Custom Timestamps: You can pass a specific column name like $model->touch('last_seen_at').
- Automatic Parent Updates: Use protected $touches = ['parentRelation']; on child models to keep parent models updated whenever child records change.
- Great for Caching: Perfect for invalidating timestamp-based cache keys without altering model data.
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