🔗 10 efficient (and fun) ways to seed your database

Seeders allow us to quickly fill our database with records to test our application. Let's say that you need a couple of users to test your authentication system—you could create them manually using your app's register page or Tinker, but running a command to generate them is much faster.

That's where seeders come in: they quickly populate the database with realistic data, streamlining development, testing, and debugging. A well-structured seeder mirrors real scenarios, helps catch issues early, and makes onboarding new team members much easier.

In this article, we'll explore 10 efficient and fun ways to seed your database, from classic PHP arrays to importing CSVs and using AI to generate random, realistic data. Ready for the ride? Let's go!