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Introduction

WireChat is configured through Panel Providers that extend the base PanelProvider class. Each panel represents an independent chat instance with its own configuration, routes, and behavior.

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Configuration File

WireChat includes a global configuration file that controls database and storage settings: 
// config/wirechat.php
return [
    /*
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Use UUIDs for Conversations
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    |
    | Determines the primary key type for the conversations table and related
    | relationships. When enabled, UUIDs (version 7 if supported, otherwise
    | version 4) will be used during initial migrations.
    |
    | ⚠️ This setting is intended for **new applications only** and does not
    | affect how new conversations are created at runtime.
    |
    */
    'uses_uuid_for_conversations' => false,

    /*
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Table Prefix
    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    |
    | This value will be prefixed to all Wirechat-related database tables.
    | Useful if you're sharing a database with other apps or packages.
    | ⚠️ This setting is intended for **new applications only**
    |
    */
    'table_prefix' => 'wirechat_',

    /*
     |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     | Storage
     |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     |
     | Global configuration for Wirechat file storage. Defines the disk,
     | directory, and visibility used for saving attachments.
     |
     */
    'storage' => [
        'disk' => 'public',
        'visibility' => 'public',
        'directories' => [
            'attachments' => 'attachments',
        ],
    ],
];
The uses_uuid_for_conversations and table_prefix settings only affect initial migrations and cannot be changed after running migrations.

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Creating a Panel Provider

Panel Providers are the primary way to configure WireChat. Create a new provider class that extends PanelProvider: 
namespace App\Providers\Wirechat;

use Wirechat\Wirechat\Panel;
use Wirechat\Wirechat\PanelProvider;

class AdminPanelProvider extends PanelProvider
{
    public function panel(Panel $panel): Panel
    {
        return $panel
            ->id('admin')
            ->path('admin')
            ->default()
            ->middleware(['web', 'auth'])
            ->guards(['web']);
    }
}

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Registering Panel Providers

Register your panel provider in config/app.php: 
'providers' => [
    // ...
    App\Providers\Wirechat\AdminPanelProvider::class,
],

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Core Panel Configuration

Every panel requires a few essential configuration methods:
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id
string
required
Unique identifier for the panel. Used in routes and broadcasting channels.
$panel->id('admin')
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path
string
required
Base path for the panel’s routes. Panel will be accessible at /path.
$panel->path('admin')
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default
bool
default:"false"
Marks this panel as the default panel. Only one panel can be default.
$panel->default()
​
middleware
array
default:"['auth']"
Middleware applied to all panel routes.
$panel->middleware(['web', 'auth', 'verified'])
​
guards
array
default:"['web']"
Authentication guards used for the panel.
$panel->guards(['web', 'admin'])

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Layout Configuration

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layout
string|Closure
default:"'wirechat::layouts.app'"
Custom layout view for the panel.
$panel->layout('layouts.chat')
​
homeUrl
string|Closure
Home URL to redirect users when needed.
$panel->homeUrl('/dashboard')

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Route Configuration

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registerRoutes
bool|Closure
default:"true"
Enable or disable automatic route registration.
$panel->registerRoutes(false)
​
routes
Closure
Register custom routes for the panel.
$panel->routes(function ($panel) {
    Route::get('/custom', CustomController::class);
})

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Multiple Panels

You can create multiple panels for different user types or contexts: 
// Admin Panel
class AdminPanelProvider extends PanelProvider
{
    public function panel(Panel $panel): Panel
    {
        return $panel
            ->id('admin')
            ->path('admin')
            ->default()
            ->guards(['admin'])
            ->middleware(['web', 'auth:admin']);
    }
}

// Customer Support Panel
class SupportPanelProvider extends PanelProvider
{
    public function panel(Panel $panel): Panel
    {
        return $panel
            ->id('support')
            ->path('support')
            ->guards(['web'])
            ->middleware(['web', 'auth']);
    }
}
Only one panel can be marked as default(). Attempting to mark multiple panels as default will throw an exception.

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Generated Routes

Each panel automatically generates two main routes:
  • Chats Index: wirechat.{panelId}.chats - Lists all conversations
  • Chat Show: wirechat.{panelId}.chat - Shows a specific conversation
You can generate URLs using the panel’s route methods: 
use Wirechat\Wirechat\Facades\Wirechat;

$panel = Wirechat::getPanel('admin');

// Generate chats index URL
$chatsUrl = $panel->chatsRoute();

// Generate specific chat URL
$chatUrl = $panel->chatRoute($conversationId);

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Next Steps

Panel Configuration

Learn about all available panel configuration options

Colors

Customize panel colors and themes

Storage

Configure file storage for attachments

Broadcasting

Set up real-time message broadcasting