Laravel API Route Error: 'Target Class [AuthController] Does Not Exist'

Below are several steps you can follow to troubleshoot the error "Target Class [AuthController] does not exist" when accessing your route.

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1. Verify File Placement and Namespace

• File Location: Make sure your AuthController.php file is located in the app/Http/Controllers directory.

• Namespace Check: Confirm that the namespace declared in AuthController.php matches its location:

  PHPCopied
  namespace App\Http\Controllers;

• Class Name: Ensure the class name is correctly spelled and exactly matches the file name:

  PHPCopied
  class AuthController extends Controller { ... }

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2. Clear Cached Files

Laravel sometimes caches routes or compiled files which might lead to this error even after you fix the issue. Run the following commands from your project root:

BASHCopied
php artisan route:clear
php artisan cache:clear
php artisan optimize:clear
composer dump-autoload

This clears any stale caches and refreshes your autoloader.

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3. Check the Route Definition

Since you are using the correct syntax, verify that your use statement in api.php points to the right path:

PHPCopied
use App\Http\Controllers\AuthController;

Route::get("/welcome", [AuthController::class, "helloWorld"]);

Even a small typo or misplacement here could lead to Laravel not being able to find your controller.

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4. Confirm Composer Autoloading

Make sure your composer.json file contains the correct PSR-4 autoload configuration. Typically, it looks like this:

JSONCopied
"autoload": {
  "psr-4": {
    "App\\": "app/"
  }
}

After making any changes or just to be sure, run:

BASHCopied
composer dump-autoload

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5. Double-Check Controller Inheritance

Ensure that your AuthController is extending the correct base Controller (and that this base file is in the proper location). Your file should look similar to:

PHPCopied
namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class AuthController extends Controller
{
    public function helloWorld(Request $request)
    {
        return response()->json([
            "message" => "Hello World",
        ]);
    }
}

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Summary

• Confirm correct file location and namespace.
• Clear cached routes and autoloader.
• Verify your routes file and Composer's autoload settings.
• Ensure your controller class name and inheritance are correct.

Following these steps usually resolves the error. Let me know if you need any more help with this!