Install required server software including Nginx, PHP 8.1 , Composer, and database; 2. Upload Laravel app via Git or SFTP and run composer install --optimize-autoloader --no-dev; 3. Configure .env with production settings, generate app key, and set proper permissions using chown and chmod; 4. Point Nginx to public directory with correct server block and reload configuration; 5. Run php artisan migrate --force and cache config, route, and view files; 6. Set up queue workers with Supervisor and schedule cron job for php artisan schedule:run; always disable APP_DEBUG, use caching, monitor logs, and back up databases to ensure a secure, optimized production environment.
Deploying a Laravel application to a server involves several key steps to ensure your app runs smoothly in a production environment. Here’s a practical guide to help you get it done right.

1. Prepare Your Server Environment
Before uploading your Laravel app, make sure your server has the required software installed:
- Web Server: Apache or Nginx (Nginx is recommended for Laravel)
- PHP: Version 8.1 or higher (check Laravel’s version requirements)
- Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite
- Composer: For installing PHP dependencies
- Git (optional, but helpful for deployment)
- SSL/TLS (via Let’s Encrypt, for HTTPS)
For example, on Ubuntu with Nginx:

sudo apt update sudo apt install nginx php-fpm php-mysql php-curl php-mbstring php-xml php-zip composer
Also, ensure mod_rewrite
is enabled if using Apache.
2. Upload Your Laravel Application
There are a few ways to get your code on the server:

Git clone (recommended for production):
git clone your-repo-url.git /var/www/your-site
SFTP/SCP: Upload files directly from your local machine.
Once files are on the server, go to your app’s root directory and install dependencies:
composer install --optimize-autoloader --no-dev
The --no-dev
flag skips development packages, which improves performance and security.
3. Configure Environment & Permissions
Laravel uses a .env
file for environment-specific settings.
Copy
.env.example
to.env
:cp .env.example .env
Edit
.env
with your production settings:APP_ENV=production APP_DEBUG=false APP_URL=https://yourdomain.com DB_DATABASE=your_db_name DB_USERNAME=your_db_user DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password
Generate the application key:
php artisan key:generate
Set proper file permissions:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/your-site sudo chmod -R 755 storage bootstrap/cache
4. Set Up the Web Server (Nginx Example)
Point your web server to Laravel’s public
directory.
Create an Nginx config file:
server { listen 80; server_name yourdomain.com; root /var/www/your-site/public; index index.php index.html; location / { try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string; } location ~ \.php$ { fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock; fastcgi_index index.php; fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name; include fastcgi_params; } }
Enable the site and reload Nginx:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-site /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
5. Run Migrations and Optimize
Run your database migrations:
php artisan migrate --force
The --force
flag is needed in production to prevent accidental prompts.
Optimize the app for performance:
php artisan config:cache php artisan route:cache php artisan view:cache
Avoid running storage:link
if you’re not using symbolic links for uploads.
6. Set Up Queue Workers and Scheduler (Optional)
If your app uses queues (e.g., with Redis or database driver), run a queue worker:
php artisan queue:work --daemon
Use Supervisor to keep it running:
[program:laravel-worker] command=php /var/www/your-site/artisan queue:work --sleep=3 --tries=3 user=www-data autostart=true autorestart=true
For scheduled tasks, add this to your crontab:
* * * * * cd /var/www/your-site && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1
Final Notes
- Always set
APP_DEBUG=false
in production. - Use a CDN and caching (Redis, Memcached) for better performance.
- Monitor logs:
storage/logs/laravel.log
- Back up your database regularly.
Basically, it’s about getting the code on the server, setting the right config, securing the environment, and optimizing for production. Not complicated, but easy to miss a step.
The above is the detailed content of How to deploy a Laravel application to a server?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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