Gate::before not working Laravel 8 - PHP

If you are experiencing issues with Laravel 8's Gate::before middleware not working, there are a few things you can check to solve the problem.

Check Your Policy and Ability

Make sure that you have defined a policy and ability for the Gate to check against. The policy file should be located in the app/Policies directory and should extend Illuminate\Auth\Access\HandlesAuthorization.

class UserPolicy
{
    use HandlesAuthorization;

    public function view(User $user, User $model)
    {
        return $user->id === $model->id;
    }
}

Update Your Middleware

Laravel 8 introduced a new way of writing middleware. If you are still using the old middleware syntax, your code may not work as expected. You can update your middleware by using the make:middleware Artisan command.

php artisan make:middleware MyMiddleware

Then, use the new middleware syntax to define your middleware.

class MyMiddleware
{
    public function handle(Request $request, Closure $next)
    {
        // Your middleware code here
        return $next($request);
    }
}

Check Your Controller and Route

Make sure that you are using the correct middleware in your controller and route. If you are using the auth middleware, your Gate::before middleware may not work as expected.

Route::get('/users/{user}', [UserController::class, 'show'])->middleware('can:view,user');

Conclusion

In conclusion, if your Gate::before middleware is not working in Laravel 8, make sure that your policy and ability are defined correctly, update your middleware syntax, and check your controller and route for the correct middleware usage.