Create a .github/workflows/ci-cd.yml file to define workflows, trigger conditions to push to or merge to main branch, and configure MySQL services; 2. Check out code in test tasks, set up PHP environment, install dependencies, generate application keys, configure .env files, run migrations and execute phpunit tests; 3. Optional but recommended to add tools such as PHPStan for code quality check; 4. Use appleboy/ssh-action to deploy to the server through SSH, run only after the main branch is pushed and the test is passed, and manage sensitive information through GitHub Secrets; 5. All sensitive configurations use environment variables and GitHub Secrets injection to avoid hard coding; 6. It is recommended to use actions/cache to cache Composer dependencies to improve performance. This process enables automated testing and continuous deployment of Laravel applications, ensuring code quality and improving release efficiency.

Setting up a CI/CD pipeline for a Laravel application using GitHub Actions is straightforward and powerful. It helps automated testing, linting, and deployment workflows every time you push or merge code. Here's how to do it step by step.

? 1. Create the GitHub Actions Workflow File

Start by creating a .github/workflows/ci-cd.yml file in your Laravel project. This defines your CI/CD pipeline.

 name: Laravel CI/CD

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    services:
      mysql:
        image: mysql:8.0
        env:
          MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpassword
          MYSQL_DATABASE: homestead
          MYSQL_USER: homestead
          MYSQL_PASSWORD: secret
        Ports:
          - 3306:3306
        options: --health-start-period=20s --health-interval=10s

This configures the workflow to run on every push or PR to main , and sets up a MySQL service for testing.

? 2. Set Up the Environment and Run Tests

Inside the test job, install dependencies and run Laravel's test suite.

 Steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup PHP
        uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
        with:
          php-version: '8.2'
          extensions: mbstring, dom, pdo, sqlite, pdo_sqlite, mysql, zip
          coverage: none

      - name: Validate composer.json and composer.lock
        run: composer validate --strict

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: composer install -q --no-ansi --no-interaction --no-scripts --no-progress

      - name: Generate application key
        run: php artisan key:generate

      - name: Create Laravel .env file
        run: cp .env.example .env

      - name: Run Laravel migrations
        run: php artisan migrate --database=mysql --force
        env:
          DB_CONNECTION: mysql
          DB_HOST: 127.0.0.1
          DB_PORT: 3306
          DB_DATABASE: homestead
          DB_USERNAME: homestead
          DB_PASSWORD: secret

      - name: Execute tests (phpunit)
        run: vendor/bin/phpunit

? This ensures your Laravel app boots up, connects to the database, migrates, and runs unit/feature tests.

? 3. Add Code Linting (Optional but Recommended)

You can include PHP_CodeSniffer or PHPStan for code quality checks.

 - name: Install dev dependencies
        run: composer install -q

      - name: Run PHPStan
        run: vendor/bin/phpstan analyze app --level=7

Make sure phpstan/phpstan is in require-dev .

? 4. Set Up Deployment (CD) via SSH or Deployers

For continuous deployment (eg, to a VPS), you can use tools like appleboy/ssh-action .

?? Store credentials in GitHub Secrets ( DEPLOY_HOST , DEPLOY_USER , SSH_PRIVATE_KEY , etc.)

 deploy:
    needs: test
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && github.event_name == 'push'

    Steps:
      - name: Deploy to production server
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v1.0.1
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.DEPLOY_HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.DEPLOY_USER }}
          key: ${{ secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}
          script: |
            cd /var/www/your-laravel-app
            git pull origin main
            composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader
            php artisan migrate --force
            php artisan config:cache
            php artisan route:cache
            php artisan view:cache
            sudo systemctl reload nginx

This step only runs on pushes to main after tests pass.

? 5. Environment Variables & Secrets

Never hardcode credentials. Use:

• .env.example for template
• GitHub Secrets for sensitive values in workflows

In your workflow, inject secrets as environment variables where needed.

? Summary of Key Points

• ? Use ubuntu-latest runner with PHP and MySQL services
• ? Run composer install , migrate , and phpunit
• ? Keep deployment separate and conditional
• ? Use GitHub Secrets for SSH keys and DB credentials
• ? Cache dependencies (optional for speed):

 - name: Cache Composer packages
        uses: actions/cache@v3
        with:
          path: vendor
          key: composer-${{ hashFiles('composer.lock') }}

That's it. Your Laravel app now has automated testing on every change and automatic deployment to production when code lands on main . It's not magic — just consistent, reliable automation.

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