laravel/framework · error · InvalidArgumentException

Unsupported driver [ ].

Error message

Unsupported driver [{$driver}].

What it means

Thrown by ConnectionFactory::createConnection() in the match default arm. Unlike createConnector, this checks Connection::getResolver($driver) first (custom resolvers registered via Connection::resolveUsing), then falls through to the known match list (mysql/mariadb/pgsql/sqlite/sqlsrv). If neither matches, the driver cannot be mapped to a Connection class.

Solutions

1. Register a Connection resolver for the driver: \Illuminate\Database\Connection::resolveUsing('mydriver', fn ($connection, $database, $prefix, $config) => new MyConnection($connection, $database, $prefix, $config)).
2. Confirm the driver name matches one of the built-ins if you did not intend a custom connection.
3. If a third-party package provides the driver, ensure both its connector binding and Connection resolver are registered (check its ServiceProvider boot).
4. Upgrade/align package versions so mariadb/other drivers are supported by your framework version.

Example fix

// before
$this->app->bind('db.connector.mydriver', MyConnector::class);
// Connection resolver never registered -> createConnection() throws

// after
$this->app->bind('db.connector.mydriver', MyConnector::class);
\Illuminate\Database\Connection::resolveUsing('mydriver', fn ($c, $db, $prefix, $config) => new MyConnection($c, $db, $prefix, $config));

$driver = $config['driver'] ?? null;
$supported = ['mysql', 'mariadb', 'pgsql', 'sqlite', 'sqlsrv'];
if (! in_array($driver, $supported, true)
    && \Illuminate\Database\Connection::getResolver($driver) === null) {
    \Illuminate\Database\Connection::resolveUsing($driver, fn ($c, $db, $p, $cfg) => new MyConnection($c, $db, $p, $cfg));
}

function hasConnectionResolver(string $driver): bool {
    return \Illuminate\Database\Connection::getResolver($driver) !== null
        || in_array($driver, ['mysql', 'mariadb', 'pgsql', 'sqlite', 'sqlsrv'], true);
}

When it happens

Trigger: A connector was successfully resolved (e.g. via a container binding db.connector.<driver>) but no corresponding Connection class/resolver exists. Typical when a package registers a connector but forgets to register a Connection via Connection::resolveUsing, or when a custom driver name passes the connector step but not the connection step.

Common situations: Building a custom database driver: connector is bound but the Connection resolver is not; version mismatch between a package and framework where a driver was renamed (e.g. 'mariadb' support added later); typos after binding only one half.

Related errors

• A driver must be specified.
• Database hosts array is empty.
• Lost connection and no reconnector available.
• Unsupported driver [ ].
• Auth driver [ ] for guard [ ] is not defined.

AI-assisted analysis of laravel/framework@e0f6eb3518 (2026-08-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/821b159748adc5e0. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Illuminate/Database/Connectors/ConnectionFactory.php:314

     * @param  string  $prefix
     * @param  array  $config
     * @return \Illuminate\Database\Connection
     *
     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
     */
    protected function createConnection($driver, $connection, $database, $prefix = '', array $config = [])
    {
        if ($resolver = Connection::getResolver($driver)) {
            return $resolver($connection, $database, $prefix, $config);
        }

        return match ($driver) {
            'mysql' => new MySqlConnection($connection, $database, $prefix, $config),
            'mariadb' => new MariaDbConnection($connection, $database, $prefix, $config),
            'pgsql' => new PostgresConnection($connection, $database, $prefix, $config),
            'sqlite' => new SQLiteConnection($connection, $database, $prefix, $config),
            'sqlsrv' => new SqlServerConnection($connection, $database, $prefix, $config),
            default => throw new InvalidArgumentException("Unsupported driver [{$driver}]."),
        };
    }
}

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