wasChanged() vs wasRecentlyCreated

Let's start with a simple model like this:

class MyModel extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = [
        'name'
    ];

    protected static function booted(): void
    {
        static::created(function ($model) {
            $model->dumpEvent('CREATED');
        });

        static::updated(function ($model) {
            $model->dumpEvent('UPDATED');
        });

        static::saved(function ($model) {
            $model->dumpEvent('SAVED');
        });
    }

    public function dumpEvent(string $event): void
    {
        dump([
            'event' => $event,
            'wasChanged()' => $this->wasChanged(),
            'wasRecentlyCreated' => $this->wasRecentlyCreated
        ]);
    }
}

Let’s create a new model:

$model = MyModel::create(['name' => 'ABC']);

We get:

array:3 [ // app/Models/MyModel.php:30
  "event" => "CREATED"
  "wasChanged()" => false      // <-- ❗
  "wasRecentlyCreated" => true
]
array:3 [ // app/Models/MyModel.php:30
  "event" => "SAVED"
  "wasChanged()" => false      // <-- ❗
  "wasRecentlyCreated" => true
]

NOTE:

❗wasChanged() is false

If we call save() without changes on the same model instance:

// $model = MyModel::create(['name' => 'ABC']);
// ...
// ... no changes on `$model` fields

$model->save();

We get:

array:3 [ // app/Models/MyModel.php:30
  "event" => "SAVED"
  "wasChanged()" => false
  "wasRecentlyCreated" => true
]

NOTE:

it will be triggered the saved() event
but it will not be triggered the updated() event
wasRecentlyCreated is still true (remember: it’s the same $model instance)

Now, let’s make some changes, always on the same model instance:

// $model = MyModel::create(['name' => 'ABC']);
// ...

$model->name = 'ABC new';
$model->save();

We get:

array:3 [ // app/Models/MyModel.php:30
  "event" => "UPDATED"
  "wasChanged()" => true
  "wasRecentlyCreated" => true // <-- ❗
]
array:3 [ // app/Models/MyModel.php:30
  "event" => "SAVED"
  "wasChanged()" => true
  "wasRecentlyCreated" => true // <-- ❗
]

NOTE:

wasChanged() is true (OK, we expected it to be)
❗wasRecentlyCreated is still true (remember: it’s the same $model instance)

What happens after a refresh()?

// $model = MyModel::create(['name' => 'ABC']);
// ...

// $model->name = 'ABC new';
// $model->save();

$model->refresh();
$model->save();

We get again:

array:3 [ // app/Models/MyModel.php:30
  "event" => "SAVED"
  "wasChanged()" => true       // <-- ❗
  "wasRecentlyCreated" => true // <-- ❗
]

So even after a refresh(), it doesn’t change the internal status for the wasChanged() or wasRecentlyCreated!

Conclusion

In general, between different requests, reloading a model from the DB does not generate problems. But the behavior of wasChanged() and wasRecentlyCreated can become bizarre in the same request, i.e. on the same instance of the newly created model, especially if the model is configured to trigger events in the saved() method, when something has actually changed, for example:

protected static function booted(): void
{
    static::saved(function ($model) {
        if (! $model->wasChanged() && ! $model->wasRecentlyCreated) {
            return; // no changes and no new record
        }

        event(new MyCustomEvent(
            $model->wasRecentlyCreated ? 'mymodel.new' : 'mymodel.updated'),
            $model
        );
    });
}