Take Survey Fingerprinting

In this episode of Laravel: The Pragmatic Way, we explore how to generate a unique “fingerprint” for survey participants using a combination of PHP and JavaScript signals.

You’ll learn what fingerprinting is, why it matters, the ethical considerations, and how to integrate a JavaScript fingerprinting library into your Laravel workflow.

🧠 What You’ll Learn
- A method of producing a unique identifier using user “signals.”
- Why fingerprinting must be handled with caution — privacy, consent, regulation concerns.
- Which data you can access server-side vs client-side.
- Including adding routes, generating fingerprints, and pre-filling survey responses.

🪪 Example Signals
- PHP Signals (server-side): IP address, User-Agent, Accept-Language, Accept headers, Referer header, Cookies
- JavaScript Signals (client-side): Everything PHP offers plus installed fonts, plugins/extensions, platform info, screen resolution, OS, touch capabilities, GPU/audio/video data, and more.

🛠️ Survey Workflow Changes
1. Install the JS Fingerprinting Library: https://github.com/jackspirou/clientjs

2. Update the route /s/{survey:hash}
- No longer shows questions directly
- Generates the fingerprint
- Provides a “Take Survey” link: /s/{survey:hash}/{fingerprint}

3. Create the route /s/{survey:hash}/{fingerprint}
- Ensures a SurveyResponse record exists
- Passes SurveyResponse + SurveyResponseAnswers to the view
- Pre-fills previous answers automatically

💥 About the Series:
Pragmatic Laravel focuses on building real applications with Laravel — emphasizing clarity, maintainability, and thoughtful design decisions instead of shortcuts or magic.

#Laravel #PHP #WebDevelopment #Fingerprinting #Security #Controllers #Forms #JavaScript #FullStackDevelopment #TekCasts #LearnLaravel #Routes #SurveyApp