[Feature Request] Add Tagged Cache support for the file cache driver

[charescape]

Description

I would like to propose adding support for Tagged Cache to the file cache driver. Currently, as documented in the official Laravel documentation, cache tags are not supported when using the file, dynamodb, or database cache drivers. Calling Cache::tags(...) with the file driver results in a BadMethodCallException stating "This cache store does not support tagging".

Background

• Current behavior: The file driver (Illuminate\Cache\FileStore) does not extend TaggableStore, and therefore lacks any tagging capabilities.
• Impact: Many developers use the file driver during local development or in smaller applications where setting up Redis/Memcached is unnecessary overhead. The lack of tag support forces them to either:
  1. Switch to a different driver (Redis, Memcached, etc.) just for tagging, which adds complexity and external dependencies.
  2. Abandon tagging entirely, losing the ability to group and invalidate related cache items efficiently.
  3. Rely on third-party packages that implement file-based tagging (see examples below), but these are not official and may have maintenance or compatibility issues.

Motivation

• Developer experience: Tagging is a powerful and convenient feature for organizing and invalidating cached data. Extending it to the file driver would improve the out-of-the-box experience, especially for local development and simpler applications.
• Parity across drivers: While file may not offer the same performance or atomicity as Redis/Memcached, it is still a valid persistent cache store. Providing tagging support would reduce the functional gap between drivers.
• Community demand: The existence of multiple third-party packages that add tagging to the file driver indicates a clear community need. Examples include:
  • erjon/laravel-cache-groups: Provides cache()->groups() as a drop-in replacement for tags, working with all drivers including file and database.
  • rodrigopedra/file-tagged-cache: A custom file driver that supports cache tags.
  • microweber-packages/laravel-tagged-file-cache: A taggable file cache driver for Laravel.
  • kargnas/alternative-laravel-cache: Full-featured replacements for Redis and file cache stores with proper tagging support.

Proposed Implementation Approach

A file-based tagging implementation could maintain a "tag index" file (or files) that maps tags to cache keys. For example:

1. Tag-to-Key Mapping: When a cache item is stored with tags, the driver writes the serialized item to the filesystem as usual, and additionally updates an index file (e.g., JSON or PHP serialized array) that associates each tag with the set of keys that belong to it.
2. Flush by Tag: When Cache::tags(['some-tag'])->flush() is called, the driver reads the index, retrieves all keys associated with that tag, and deletes the corresponding cache files.
3. Concurrency Considerations: Since file operations are not atomic like Redis commands, careful use of file locking (flock) would be required to prevent race conditions when multiple processes modify the tag index simultaneously.
4. Performance Considerations:
   • The index file could become large in high-volume applications. An alternative approach is to store tag metadata within each cache file (e.g., as a header), but this would require scanning all files to flush by tag — inefficient for large caches.
   • A hybrid approach (e.g., per-tag directory structures or SQLite-based index) could be explored.

This is similar to how third-party packages have implemented the feature. For instance, rodrigopedra/file-tagged-cache maintains tag mappings and flushes associated files when tags are cleared.

Potential Concerns

1. Performance: The file driver is inherently slower than in-memory stores. Adding tag index management may introduce additional I/O overhead, especially under high concurrency.
2. Race Conditions: Without atomic operations, concurrent tag flushes or writes could lead to inconsistent state. This would need to be mitigated with proper file locking.
3. Complexity: Implementing tagging for file adds non-trivial complexity to what is currently a very simple driver.

If these concerns are deemed too significant for core inclusion, an alternative could be to officially document or recommend a blessed community package for file-based tagging.

Additional Context

• Laravel version: 13.x (current as of 2026)
• The dynamodb and database drivers are also currently unsupported for tagging; this issue focuses specifically on the file driver as a first step, but the same approach could potentially be adapted for those drivers in the future.
• The Laravel documentation currently states: "Cache tags are not supported when using the file, dynamodb, or database cache drivers".

References

• Laravel Documentation – Cache Tags: https://laravel.com/docs/13.x/cache#cache-tags
• Example third-party implementation: rodrigopedra/file-tagged-cache
• Example third-party implementation: erjon/laravel-cache-groups

Closing

Thank you for considering this feature request. I believe adding tagging support to the file driver would be a valuable enhancement to the Laravel caching system, improving the developer experience for a large segment of the community.

[sunchayn]

@charescape I've released this drop-in replacement (strata) with cache tagging support. I share similar needs as the people from the original issue and this discussion. I have it working on my website now the way I wanted it. Give it a try and let me know if it answers your needs as well.

[sunchayn]

Why a package? Pushing this to the main framework might take time or back and forth, or be declined. So I have this package with idiomatic cache tagging (evicts similarly to TTL) and with L12+ support.