Graphify before you refactor: how I map a Laravel codebase in 10 minutes

Short answer: Before a multi-file Laravel refactor, I run Graphify (graphify update .) and read graphify-out/GRAPH_REPORT.md for god nodes and communities—then I know which controllers, writers, and tests must move together.

What is Graphify? explains the concept; this is my weekly habit on aviwebsquad.in.

When I run it

• Before Rector upgrades across app/
• Before splitting a fat BlogController
• After adding MCP writers (BlogPostMcpWriter, PageMcpWriter)
• When Cursor agents touch >3 files in one task

What I look for in GRAPH_REPORT.md

1. God nodes — classes with fan-in/fan-out spikes (BlogPost, SeoSettings, route files)
2. Communities — Filament vs HTTP vs MCP API clusters should stay separated
3. Surprise edges — e.g., SEO logic leaking into models

If Graphify shows FaqJsonLdBuilder only connected to three controllers, I know exactly where to add tests when changing JSON-LD.

Pairing with automated refactors

Rector is fast and blind. Graphify is slow-ish and sees structure. Order:

graphify update .
rector process --dry-run
pest --filter=Seo

MCP agents read the same graph

Project rules tell agents to read Graphify output before architecture answers—reduces “edit the wrong file” failures when using secure MCP APIs.

FAQ

Cost?

AST-only Graphify updates are local—no API spend on this project.

Replace static analysis?

No—combine with Larastan. Graphify answers relationships, Larastan answers types.

Too small a repo?

Under ~20 PHP files, ripgrep is enough. Aviwebsquad crossed the threshold when Filament + MCP landed.

Maintenance note (Sep 2026)

Re-validated internal links and examples against the live aviwebsquad.in CMS after the Hostinger migration; guidance in this article still matches production.