Implement Verified Author Logic for Publishing Without Review (#1276)

app/Http/Controllers/Admin/UsersController.php

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 use App\Jobs\DeleteUser;
 use App\Jobs\DeleteUserThreads;
 use App\Jobs\UnbanUser;
+use App\Jobs\UnVerifyAuthor;
+use App\Jobs\VerifyAuthor;
 use App\Models\User;
 use App\Policies\UserPolicy;
 use App\Queries\SearchUsers;
@@ -60,6 +62,29 @@ public function unban(User $user): RedirectResponse
         return redirect()->route('profile', $user->username());
     }
 
+    public function verifyAuthor(User $user)
+    {
+        $this->authorize(UserPolicy::VERIFY_AUTHOR, $user);
+
+        $this->dispatchSync(new VerifyAuthor($user));
+
+        $this->success($user->name() . ' was verified!');
+
+        return redirect()->route('admin.users');
+    }
+
+    public function unverifyAuthor(User $user)
+
+    {
+        $this->authorize(UserPolicy::VERIFY_AUTHOR, $user);
+
+        $this->dispatchSync(new UnverifyAuthor($user));
+
+        $this->success($user->name() . ' was unverified!');
+
+        return redirect()->route('admin.users');
+    }
+
     public function delete(User $user): RedirectResponse
     {
         $this->authorize(UserPolicy::DELETE, $user);

app/Http/Controllers/Articles/ArticlesController.php

@@ -115,11 +115,7 @@ public function store(ArticleRequest $request)
 
         $article = Article::findByUuidOrFail($uuid);
 
-        $this->success(
-            $request->shouldBeSubmitted()
-                ? 'Thank you for submitting, unfortunately we can\'t accept every submission. You\'ll only hear back from us when we accept your article.'
-                : 'Article successfully created!'
-        );
+        $this->maybeFlashSuccessMessage($article, $request);
 
         return $request->wantsJson()
             ? ArticleResource::make($article)
@@ -176,4 +172,15 @@ public function delete(Request $request, Article $article)
             ? response()->json([], Response::HTTP_NO_CONTENT)
             : redirect()->route('articles');
     }
+
+    private function maybeFlashSuccessMessage(Article $article, ArticleRequest $request): void
+    {
+        if ($article->isNotApproved()) {
+            $this->success(
+                $request->shouldBeSubmitted()
+                    ? 'Thank you for submitting, unfortunately we can\'t accept every submission. You\'ll only hear back from us when we accept your article.'
+                    : 'Article successfully created!'
+            );
+        }
+    }
 }

app/Jobs/CreateArticle.php

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ public function handle(): void
             'original_url' => $this->originalUrl,
             'slug' => $this->title,
             'submitted_at' => $this->shouldBeSubmitted ? now() : null,
+            'approved_at' => $this->canBeAutoApproved() ? now() : null,
         ]);
         $article->authoredBy($this->author);
         $article->syncTags($this->tags);
@@ -58,4 +59,9 @@ public function handle(): void
             event(new ArticleWasSubmittedForApproval($article));
         }
     }
+
+    private function canBeAutoApproved(): bool
+    {
+        return $this->shouldBeSubmitted && $this->author->verifiedAuthorCanPublishMoreToday();
+    }
 }

app/Jobs/UnVerifyAuthor.php

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Jobs;
+
+use App\Models\User;
+use Illuminate\Contracts\Queue\ShouldQueue;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Queue\Queueable;
+
+class UnVerifyAuthor implements ShouldQueue
+{
+    use Queueable;
+
+    /**
+     * Create a new job instance.
+     */
+    public function __construct(private User $user)
+    {
+        //
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Execute the job.
+     */
+    public function handle(): void
+    {
+        $this->user->unverifyAuthor();
+    }
+}

app/Jobs/VerifyAuthor.php

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Jobs;
+
+use App\Models\User;
+use Illuminate\Contracts\Queue\ShouldQueue;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Queue\Queueable;
+
+class VerifyAuthor implements ShouldQueue
+{
+    use Queueable;
+
+    /**
+     * Create a new job instance.
+     */
+    public function __construct(private User $user)
+    {
+        //
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Execute the job.
+     */
+    public function handle(): void
+    {
+        $this->user->verifyAuthor();
+    }
+}

app/Models/Article.php

@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ public function isShared(): bool
 
     public function isAwaitingApproval(): bool
     {
-        return $this->isSubmitted() && $this->isNotApproved() && $this->isNotDeclined();
+        return $this->isSubmitted() && $this->isNotApproved() && $this->isNotDeclined() && ! $this->author()->verifiedAuthorCanPublishMoreToday();
     }
 
     public function isNotAwaitingApproval(): bool

app/Models/User.php

@@ -300,6 +300,54 @@ public function delete()
         parent::delete();
     }
 
+    // === Verified Author ===
+
+    public function isVerifiedAuthor(): bool
+    {
+        return !is_null($this->verified_author_at);
+    }
+
+    public function isNotVerifiedAuthor(): bool
+    {
+        return !$this->isVerifiedAuthor();
+    }
+
+    public function verifyAuthor(): void
+    {
+        $this->verified_author_at = now();
+        $this->save();
+    }
+
+
+    public function unverifyAuthor(): void
+    {
+        $this->verified_author_at = null;
+        $this->save();
+    }
+
+    /**
+    * Check if the verified author can publish more articles today.
+    *
+    * Verified authors are allowed to publish up to 2 articles per day,
+    * but will start count from the moment they are verified.
+    *
+    * @return bool True if under the daily limit, false otherwise
+    */
+
+    public function verifiedAuthorCanPublishMoreToday(): bool
+    {
+        $limit = 2; // Default limit for verified authors
+        if ($this->isNotVerifiedAuthor()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        $publishedTodayCount = $this->articles()
+            ->whereDate('submitted_at', today())
+            ->where('submitted_at', '>', $this->verified_author_at)->count(); // to ensure we only count articles published after verify the author
+        return $publishedTodayCount < $limit;
+    }
+
+    // === End Verified Author ===
+
     public function countSolutions(): int
     {
         return $this->replyAble()->isSolution()->count();

app/Policies/UserPolicy.php

@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ final class UserPolicy
 
     const DELETE = 'delete';
 
+    const VERIFY_AUTHOR = 'verifyAuthor';
+
+
     public function admin(User $user): bool
     {
         return $user->isAdmin() || $user->isModerator();
@@ -25,6 +28,12 @@ public function ban(User $user, User $subject): bool
             ($user->isModerator() && ! $subject->isAdmin() && ! $subject->isModerator());
     }
 
+    public function verifyAuthor(User $user, User $subject): bool
+    {
+        return ($user->isAdmin() && ! $subject->isAdmin()) ||
+            ($user->isModerator() && ! $subject->isAdmin() && ! $subject->isModerator());
+    }
+
     public function block(User $user, User $subject): bool
     {
         return ! $user->is($subject) && ! $subject->isModerator() && ! $subject->isAdmin();

database/migrations/2025_06_14_222049_add_verified_author_at_to_users_table.php

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->timestamp('verified_author_at')
+                ->nullable()
+                ->after('email_verified_at')
+                ->comment('Indicates if the user is a verified author');
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     */
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropColumn('verified_author_at');
+        });
+    }
+};

resources/views/admin/users.blade.php

@@ -90,6 +90,37 @@
                                                     <p>All the threads from this user will be deleted. This cannot be undone.</p>
                                                 </x-modal>
                                             @endcan
+
+                                            {{-- Toggle Verified Author --}}
+                                            @can(App\Policies\UserPolicy::VERIFY_AUTHOR, $user)
+                                                @if ($user->isVerifiedAuthor())
+                                                    <button title="Unverify {{ $user->name() }} as author"
+                                                        @click="activeModal = 'unverifyAuthor{{ $user->getKey() }}'"
+                                                        class="text-yellow-600 hover:text-yellow-800">
+                                                        <x-heroicon-o-x-circle class="w-5 h-5 inline" />
+                                                    </button>
+                                                    <x-modal type="update" identifier="unverifyAuthor{{ $user->getKey() }}"
+                                                        :action="route(
+                                                            'admin.users.unverify-author',
+                                                            $user->username(),
+                                                        )" title="Unverify {{ $user->username() }} as Author">
+                                                        <p>This will remove the verified author status from this user.</p>
+                                                    </x-modal>
+                                                @else
+                                                    <button title="Verify {{ $user->name() }} as author"
+                                                        @click="activeModal = 'verifyAuthor{{ $user->getKey() }}'"
+                                                        class="text-green-600 hover:text-green-800">
+                                                        <x-heroicon-o-check-circle class="w-5 h-5 inline" />
+                                                    </button>
+                                                    <x-modal type="update" identifier="verifyAuthor{{ $user->getKey() }}"
+                                                        :action="route(
+                                                            'admin.users.verify-author',
+                                                            $user->username(),
+                                                        )" title="Verify {{ $user->username() }} as Author">
+                                                        <p>This will mark this user as a verified author.</p>
+                                                    </x-modal>
+                                                @endif
+                                            @endcan
                                         </x-tables.table-data>
                                     </tr>
                                 @endforeach

routes/web.php

@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@
     Route::get('users', [UsersController::class, 'index'])->name('.users');
     Route::put('users/{username}/ban', [UsersController::class, 'ban'])->name('.users.ban');
     Route::put('users/{username}/unban', [UsersController::class, 'unban'])->name('.users.unban');
+    Route::put('users/{username}/verify-author', [UsersController::class, 'verifyAuthor'])->name('.users.verify-author');
+    Route::put('users/{username}/unverify-author', [UsersController::class, 'unverifyAuthor'])->name('.users.unverify-author');
     Route::delete('users/{username}', [UsersController::class, 'delete'])->name('.users.delete');
 
     Route::delete('users/{username}/threads', [UsersController::class, 'deleteThreads'])->name('.users.threads.delete');

tests/CreatesUsers.php

@@ -40,4 +40,12 @@ protected function createUser(array $attributes = []): User
             'github_username' => 'johndoe',
         ], $attributes));
     }
+
+    protected function createVerifiedAuthor(array $attributes = []): User
+    {
+        return $this->createUser(array_merge($attributes, [
+        'verified_author_at' => now(),
+        ]));
+    }
+
 }

tests/Feature/ArticleTest.php

@@ -576,3 +576,32 @@
         ->assertSee('My First Article')
         ->assertSee('10 views');
 });
+
+test('verified authors can publish two articles per day with no approval needed', function () {
+    $author = $this->createVerifiedAuthor();
+
+    Article::factory()->count(2)->create([
+        'author_id' => $author->id,
+        'submitted_at' => now()->addMinutes(1), // after verification
+    ]);
+
+    expect($author->verifiedAuthorCanPublishMoreToday())->toBeFalse();
+});
+
+test('verified authors skip the approval message when submitting new article', function () {
+
+    $author = $this->createVerifiedAuthor();
+    $this->loginAs($author);
+
+    $response = $this->post('/articles', [
+        'title' => 'Using database migrations',
+        'body' => 'This article will go into depth on working with database migrations.',
+        'tags' => [],
+        'submitted' => '1',
+    ]);
+
+    $response
+    ->assertRedirect('/articles/using-database-migrations')
+    ->assertSessionMissing('success');
+
+});