MERU Laravel SDK: The Best Way to Handle Inbound Email in PHP

Laravel developers building features like reply-by-email, support tickets, or email automation face a common problem: most email providers treat inbound email as an afterthought. Complex DNS setup, raw MIME parsing, and security concerns slow down development.

MERU is the first inbound-only email API designed specifically for developers. Our Laravel SDK provides type-safe, structured JSON payloads with zero configuration complexity.

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Why Laravel Developers Choose MERU Over Competitors

”How do I get inbound emails into my Laravel app without DNS complexity?”

Most providers (SendGrid, Mailgun, AWS SES) require complex DNS configuration, MX records, and routing rules. MERU provides instant provisioning:

// One line creates a working inbound address
$address = Meru::addresses()->create('https://myapp.com/webhook');
echo $address->address; // ready immediately: user123@inbound.meruhook.com

“Can I avoid parsing raw MIME messages in PHP?”

Yes. While other services send raw email data requiring complex parsing libraries, MERU delivers structured JSON to your Laravel routes:

// Other services: raw MIME parsing nightmare
$mime = new \Zend\Mail\Storage\Message($rawEmail);
$subject = $mime->getHeader('subject'); // Complex parsing needed

// MERU: Clean JSON automatically
$email = $request->json()->all();
$subject = $email['headers']['subject']; // Already parsed
$attachments = $email['attachments']; // Base64 ready

“Is inbound email processing secure and compliant?”

MERU is SOC 2 Type II compliant from day one:

• No long-term storage of email content (stream-and-purge)
• HMAC webhook verification built into SDK
• Automatic spam filtering pipeline
• Enterprise-grade security without the complexity

// Security handled automatically
$verified = Meru::webhooks()->verify($request); // Built-in HMAC

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Installation & Setup (2 Minutes)

# Install via Composer
composer require meruhook/meruhook-sdk

# Publish config (optional)
php artisan vendor:publish --tag="meru-config"

Add to .env:

MERU_API_TOKEN=your_token_here

That’s it. No DNS changes, no MX records, no complex routing rules.

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Common Laravel Use Cases

Customer Support Tickets via Email

// Generate unique address per customer
$supportEmail = Meru::addresses()->create(
    "https://myapp.com/support/{$customer->id}"
);

// Route in Laravel
Route::post('/support/{customer}', function (Request $request, Customer $customer) {
    $email = $request->json()->all();
    
    // Create support ticket automatically
    $customer->tickets()->create([
        'subject' => $email['headers']['subject'],
        'content' => $email['text'],
        'from_email' => $email['envelope']['mail_from'],
        'attachments' => collect($email['attachments'])->pluck('filename')
    ]);
    
    return response('OK');
});

Reply-by-Email for SaaS Applications

// Each user gets unique reply address
$replyEmail = Meru::addresses()->create(
    "https://api.myapp.com/replies/user/{$user->id}"
);

// Handle replies in Laravel
Route::post('/replies/user/{user}', function (Request $request, User $user) {
    $reply = $request->json()->all();
    
    // Find original conversation from subject
    $conversation = Conversation::whereJsonContains(
        'metadata->subject', 
        $reply['headers']['subject']
    )->first();
    
    // Add reply to conversation
    $conversation->messages()->create([
        'from_user_id' => $user->id,
        'content' => $reply['text'],
        'type' => 'email_reply'
    ]);
    
    return response('OK');
});

Email-to-Database Automation

// Process invoices sent via email
Route::post('/invoices/process', function (Request $request) {
    $email = $request->json()->all();
    
    // Extract invoice data from structured JSON
    $invoice = Invoice::create([
        'sender' => $email['headers']['from'],
        'subject' => $email['headers']['subject'],
        'received_at' => now(),
        'attachments_count' => count($email['attachments'])
    ]);
    
    // Process attachments (PDF invoices, etc.)
    foreach ($email['attachments'] as $attachment) {
        Storage::put(
            "invoices/{$invoice->id}/{$attachment['filename']}",
            base64_decode($attachment['content'])
        );
    }
    
    return response('OK');
});

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MERU vs Other Email Services for Laravel

Challenge	Other Services	MERU
Setup Complexity	DNS records + routing rules	One API call
Data Format	Raw MIME messages	Structured JSON
Address Provisioning	Static domains only	Dynamic via API
Laravel Integration	Custom parsing needed	Native SDK with facades
Security & Compliance	Manual implementation	SOC 2 built-in
Webhook Verification	Basic signatures	HMAC + replay protection

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Powerful Laravel Integration Features

Type-Safe Data Transfer Objects

// Every response is strongly typed
$address = Meru::addresses()->create($webhookUrl);

// IDE autocompletion and type safety
$address->id;              // string
$address->address;         // string (email@example.com)
$address->webhookUrl;      // ?string
$address->isEnabled;       // bool
$address->isPermanent;     // bool
$address->expiresAt;       // ?Carbon
$address->emailCount;      // int
$address->createdAt;       // Carbon

Laravel Facade Integration

use Meruhook\MeruhookSDK\Facades\Meru;

// Clean, expressive API
$address = Meru::addresses()->create('https://myapp.com/webhook');
$usage = Meru::usage()->get();
$billing = Meru::billing()->get();

// Perfect Laravel developer experience

Dependency Injection Support

// Clean architecture with DI
class EmailProcessingService
{
    public function __construct(
        private MeruConnector $meru
    ) {}
    
    public function createUserEmailAddress(User $user): Address
    {
        return $this->meru->addresses()->create(
            "https://api.myapp.com/users/{$user->id}/emails"
        );
    }
}

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Usage Analytics & Cost Control

Built-in Laravel Monitoring

// Monitor usage in your Laravel dashboard
$usage = Meru::usage()->get();

return view('admin.email-stats', [
    'total_emails' => $usage->totalEmails,
    'success_rate' => $usage->successRate,
    'cost_this_month' => Meru::billing()->get()->currentCost
]);

Transparent, predictable pricing: $10/month for 1,300 inbound emails. No surprises, no bundled features you don’t need.

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Developer Questions We Solve

”How fast can I set up inbound email in Laravel?”

2 minutes. Install composer package, add API token, start receiving emails. No DNS changes or complex setup.

”Can I create unique email addresses for each user/customer?”

Yes. Generate unlimited addresses via API. Each maps to its own webhook URL.

// Per-customer email addresses
$customerEmail = Meru::addresses()->create(
    "https://myapp.com/customer/{$customer->id}/support"
);

”Is the data format Laravel-friendly?”

Absolutely. Structured JSON with type-safe DTOs. No MIME parsing libraries needed.

// Clean, predictable data structure
$email = $request->json()->all();
$email['headers']['subject'];     // Always a string
$email['attachments'];            // Always an array
$email['spam']['verdict'];        // 'spam' or 'not_spam'

”What about security and compliance?”

SOC 2 Type II certified. Built-in HMAC verification, no long-term storage, enterprise-grade security.

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Advanced Laravel Features

Comprehensive Error Handling

try {
    $address = Meru::addresses()->create($webhookUrl);
} catch (ValidationException $e) {
    // Laravel-friendly error handling
    return back()->withErrors(['email' => $e->getMessage()]);
} catch (AuthenticationException $e) {
    // Handle auth errors
    Log::error('MERU auth failed', ['error' => $e->getMessage()]);
}

Queue Integration for High Volume

// Process emails in Laravel queues
class ProcessInboundEmail implements ShouldQueue
{
    use Queueable;
    
    public function handle()
    {
        // Heavy processing in background
        $this->analyzeEmailContent();
        $this->extractDataPoints();
        $this->sendNotifications();
    }
}

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Why Choose MERU for Laravel Inbound Email?

✅ Developer Experience

• 2-minute setup - No DNS complexity
• Laravel-native SDK with facades and DI
• Type-safe DTOs with IDE autocompletion
• Structured JSON - no MIME parsing needed

✅ Enterprise Ready

• SOC 2 Type II compliant from day one
• No long-term storage (stream-and-purge)
• Built-in spam filtering and security
• HMAC webhook verification included

✅ Scalable & Cost-Effective

• Dynamic address provisioning via API
• Predictable pricing - $10/month for 1,300 emails
• Laravel queue integration for high volume
• Real-time usage analytics built-in

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Start Building with MERU

# Get started in under 2 minutes
composer require meruhook/meruhook-sdk

Requirements: PHP 8.2+, Laravel 10-12

👉 Get API Token - Start free
👉 Full Documentation - Complete guide
👉 Laravel Examples - Code samples

Ready to eliminate inbound email complexity in your Laravel apps? Join hundreds of developers who chose MERU for reliable, secure, developer-friendly inbound email processing.