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Laravel is a PHP framework for building full-stack web applications and APIs. It gives a project a conventional structure and reusable tools for routing, middleware, database access, validation, background work, testing, and deployment, so you can focus on the application’s behavior. Laravel 13 is the current documented major branch; its 13.x changelog sets PHP 8.3 as the minimum version. Check the current release and package requirements before starting or upgrading, because version compatibility changes over time.
What Laravel is—and what it does for you
Laravel is a framework, not a language: applications are written in PHP and assembled using Laravel’s conventions and services. Its documentation describes it as a web application framework with expressive syntax. In practice, it gives developers connected building blocks for handling HTTP requests, validating input, reading and writing data, rendering pages or returning API responses, and running work outside the request cycle.
A Laravel project can serve traditional server-rendered pages, interactive interfaces, or API endpoints. The framework does not require every application to use the same frontend architecture. You can begin with ordinary views and add richer interaction or a separate JavaScript client only if the product needs it.
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- You want established conventions and an integrated set of application services rather than assembling every layer yourself.
- Your team is comfortable with PHP and benefits from a shared project structure.
- You expect to use common web-app concerns such as database migrations, validation, queues, scheduled jobs, automated tests, and deployment tooling.
Questions to settle before choosing it
- Which Laravel major version and PHP version can your hosting environment support?
- Do your required Composer packages support that Laravel version?
- Will the interface be rendered on the server, built with a JavaScript frontend, or split between an application and an API?
- Who will operate the database, queue workers, scheduler, logs, and deployments?
Laravel’s feature set can reduce the amount of infrastructure code an application team writes, but it does not remove the need to understand PHP, HTTP, databases, security, or production operations.
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Laravel 13 requirements and installation
Laravel 13 is the current documented major branch in the version information available for this guide. Its 13.x framework changelog lists PHP 8.3 as the minimum. Treat that as a minimum, not a recommendation that every package or hosting platform will automatically be compatible. Confirm PHP, Composer, database, and package constraints for the exact release you intend to run.
Create a project with Composer
With a compatible PHP runtime and Composer installed, create a project from the Laravel application template:
composer create-project laravel/laravel example-app
cd example-appAlternatively, use Laravel’s installer if you already have it available:
laravel new example-app
cd example-appThen install the project’s dependencies if needed, configure the environment, generate an application key, and start the local development server:
composer install
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate
php artisan serveOpen the local address printed by Artisan in your browser. The exact setup prompts and environment requirements can vary with installer version and project choices. On Windows, use the equivalent environment-file copy command for your shell if cp is unavailable.
Configure the environment and database
Laravel keeps environment-specific settings in .env during local development. Set the database connection and credentials for a database that exists, then create the schema using migrations:
php artisan migrateDo not commit credentials or production secrets to source control. Keep the committed example environment file free of real secrets, and supply production configuration through the deployment environment. A successful migration means the configured database was reachable and Laravel applied its pending schema changes; it does not prove that every application query or relationship is correct.
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How a Laravel application is organized
A standard project separates application code from bootstrap and configuration, route definitions, persistent or generated files, tests, and Composer dependencies. Learning where a request travels is more useful than memorizing every directory at once.
| Area | What belongs there | How to think about it |
|---|---|---|
routes |
HTTP and console entry points | Maps a request or command to application behavior. |
| Application code | Controllers, middleware, form requests, jobs, models, and other classes | Contains the behavior that routes call and the reusable parts that support it. |
| Bootstrap and configuration | Application startup and configuration files | Defines how the app is assembled and configured. |
storage |
Logs, compiled Blade templates, file sessions, caches, and generated files | Runtime output, not a substitute for source-controlled application code. |
tests |
Automated tests, including example Pest or PHPUnit tests | Documents and checks expected behavior. |
vendor |
Composer-installed dependencies | Generated from dependency declarations; do not edit packages here as application code. |
Trace one request from route to response
- A request matches a route declared in the route files.
- Middleware can inspect or transform the request, enforce access rules, or prepare the response pipeline.
- A controller or route handler validates input and coordinates the work.
- An Eloquent model can read or write database records; a view can render HTML, or the handler can return an API response.
- Laravel sends the response. Slow or deferred work can instead be dispatched to a queue.
This route-to-response path is a practical first exercise: follow one page or endpoint through each layer rather than trying to learn all framework features in isolation.
Choosing Blade, Livewire, React, or Vue
Choose a rendering approach based on the interface, the team’s skills, and how much client-side interaction the product needs. Laravel supports a progression from server-rendered Blade pages to Livewire components or a JavaScript frontend such as React or Vue; it also supports stateless APIs.
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| Approach | Useful when | Trade-off to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Blade | Pages can be rendered on the server and the team wants to keep most application behavior in Laravel. | Highly interactive client-side behavior may require additional JavaScript. |
| Livewire | You want component-like interactivity while working within a Laravel-oriented application. | Assess component behavior and package compatibility against the Laravel version you deploy. |
| React or Vue | The application needs a JavaScript-driven interface or the team already works effectively with that frontend. | There is a distinct frontend layer to build, test, and maintain alongside Laravel. |
| Stateless API | Laravel should provide data or actions to a separate client, with API-appropriate authentication. | Plan the API contract and token-authentication approach rather than assuming browser session behavior. |
Session-authenticated web routes and stateless API routes solve different problems. Do not choose an API architecture simply because the app has JavaScript, or choose server rendering solely to avoid learning a frontend tool. Let the product and team constraints decide.
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Eloquent is Laravel’s Active Record-style ORM: models represent application records and provide a framework-integrated way to query and persist them. Migrations describe database schema changes in versionable code. Together, they let a team evolve application data structures without treating the database as an undocumented manual setup step.
A sensible learning sequence is to create a migration for a small entity, define its model, validate incoming data before saving, and then query that model to render a page or return a response. Add relationships when the domain requires them, and verify their behavior with tests. No particular database engine or package is mandatory here, so check the database and driver supported by your chosen environment.
Keep responsibilities clear
- Use routes to define entry points, not to accumulate every business rule.
- Use controllers to coordinate request handling; use form requests where structured validation belongs there.
- Use Eloquent for application data access, while keeping schema changes in migrations.
- Validate and authorize before accepting writes; authentication alone does not establish permission to modify a particular record.
Queues, scheduled tasks, events, and notifications
Not every operation belongs in the user’s request. Queueable jobs represent work that can run in the background; scheduled tasks run according to a defined schedule. Laravel treats queues and scheduled jobs as core workflow features, alongside events and notifications.
Use a queue for work that should not hold a web response open, such as longer-running processing. A scheduled task is appropriate when work should recur or run at a planned time. Events can separate a meaningful application occurrence from the listeners that react to it, while notifications provide a delivery mechanism for user-facing updates.
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Testing a Laravel application
Laravel projects include a tests directory and example tests using Pest or PHPUnit. Run the test suite with:
php artisan testStart testing early. A useful first set checks a route’s expected response, validation behavior, and important database interactions. Add unit tests for isolated logic and feature tests for behavior across the request path as appropriate. Test names should express what the application promises, not merely repeat the method being called.
Tests are also a practical upgrade check: run them after changing framework or package versions, alongside checking each dependency’s compatibility. A passing test suite improves confidence in covered behavior but cannot establish correctness for paths the suite does not exercise.
Deployment options: Cloud, Forge, Vapor, or self-managed
Laravel’s ecosystem includes multiple deployment choices. Laravel Cloud is presented as a first-party deployment product, Forge as a deployment and server-management option, and Vapor as a Laravel-focused AWS serverless deployment product. You can also manage infrastructure yourself. The right choice depends on operating expertise, infrastructure preferences, workload, and support requirements.
| Option | Positioning | Evaluate before committing |
|---|---|---|
| Laravel Cloud | First-party deployment product | Current regions, pricing, supported services, and operational fit. |
| Forge | Laravel ecosystem option for deployment and server management | How much server control you want and which infrastructure you will operate. |
| Vapor | Laravel-focused AWS serverless deployment product | AWS fit, application compatibility, and serverless operating considerations. |
| Self-managed infrastructure | Your team selects and operates the deployment stack | Responsibility for PHP runtime, web server, database, queues, scheduling, backups, monitoring, and upgrades. |
Product pricing, service availability, support terms, and regional coverage can change; confirm them directly before deciding. Whichever route you choose, production readiness includes environment secrets, database migrations, queue and scheduler processes where used, logs, backups, and a tested rollback or recovery plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Tools and ecosystem around Laravel
The wider ecosystem includes products and packages for administration, billing, browser testing, broadcasting, queues, authentication, diagnostics, and deployment. Examples named in Laravel’s ecosystem include Envoyer, Nova, Cashier, Dusk, Echo, Horizon, Sanctum, and Telescope. Treat these as options, not a checklist: use a package when its capability fits your application and verify that it supports your Laravel major version.
For editing, Laravel’s official VS Code extension provides Blade highlighting, Eloquent autocompletion, links to routes, configuration, and middleware, plus diagnostics. PhpStorm documents Laravel-aware support for Blade, Eloquent, routes, views, translations, components, code generation, and navigation. Select an IDE based on the workflow and features your team values; editor assistance complements, rather than replaces, understanding the framework.
Website screenshots in a Laravel workflow
If a Laravel application needs to capture a website for a content workflow, report, or internal tool, a screenshot API can keep browser installation and rendering code outside the PHP application. ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. It accepts a URL in one GET request and returns PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF output; see ScreenshotNeo for the product and its API documentation.
Or skip the browser setup
For a quick command-line capture, replace the example target URL with the page you need and save the response as an image:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://laravel.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server offers AI agents tools for screenshots, page information, and PDF capture. The free plan includes 1,000 shots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
Sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card required.
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Quick Recap
A practical path for learning Laravel
- Get comfortable with PHP, Composer, and environment configuration, then create a Laravel 13 project on a compatible PHP runtime.
- Build one small request path: route, middleware, controller, validation, model, and Blade view or API response.
- Add a migration and Eloquent relationships only as the data model requires; test changes against your configured database.
- Introduce authentication and authorization before exposing user-specific or write operations.
- Add queues, scheduled work, notifications, and events in response to concrete application needs; include the processes they require in deployment.
- Write feature and unit tests early and run them with
php artisan test. - Before release, check framework, PHP, database, and package compatibility, then choose an operating model your team can support.
Common problems and fixes
- Composer reports a PHP platform conflict: The active PHP runtime or platform configuration may be below a dependency’s requirement. Check the CLI PHP version and compare it with Laravel 13’s PHP 8.3 minimum and the package constraints.
- The app cannot connect to its database: Confirm the database exists, the selected connection and credentials in
.envare correct, and the database service is reachable; then retryphp artisan migrate. - Application key errors appear: For a new local project, generate the key with
php artisan key:generateafter configuring the environment file. - A route returns an unexpected result: Trace route matching, middleware, validation, controller behavior, and the returned view or response in order; test the route’s expected behavior.
- A queued job never runs: A job can be dispatched without a worker processing it. Check the configured queue driver and ensure the deployment runs the worker process.
- Scheduled work does not execute: A scheduled definition needs the deployment’s scheduler mechanism to invoke it. Verify that operational setup as well as the task definition.
- A package breaks after a framework upgrade: Check package compatibility with the target Laravel major and PHP version, then run the test suite to find application behavior affected by the change.
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