Deploying a Laravel application shouldn't mean wrestling with SSH commands, forgotten environment variables, or crossed fingers on every `git push`.

> **Looking for a broader overview?** See our [complete Laravel deployment guide](https://www.deployhq.com/blog/how-to-deploy-laravel-zero-downtime-build-pipelines-and-best-practices) comparing Forge, Cloud, [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com), and Deployer — with a zero-downtime walkthrough and deployment checklist. This guide walks through setting up a complete automated deployment pipeline for Laravel applications using [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) — from build steps and migrations to zero-downtime releases.

We'll use [FortRabbit](https://www.fortrabbit.com) as the hosting target, but the [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) configuration works with any server that accepts SFTP/SSH deployments: DigitalOcean, Hetzner, AWS EC2, [shared hosting](https://www.deployhq.com/blog/5-signs-youve-outgrown-shared-hosting-and-what-to-do-next), or your own VPS.

## Prerequisites

Before starting, you'll need:

- A Laravel application ready for deployment (with or without a React/Vue frontend)
- A Git repository hosted on [GitHub](https://www.deployhq.com/deploy-from-github), [GitLab](https://www.deployhq.com/deploy-from-gitlab), or Bitbucket
- A hosting server with SSH/SFTP access (we use FortRabbit here, but any host works)
- A [DeployHQ account](https://www.deployhq.com/signup) (free trial available)

## 1. Preparing Your Laravel Application

Ensure your project follows the standard Laravel directory structure:

```
your-project/
├── app/
├── resources/
│ ├── js/ # React, Vue, or vanilla JS
│ │ ├── components/
│ │ └── app.js
├── public/
├── package.json
├── composer.json
└── .env
```

If you're using Vite for frontend asset compilation (Laravel's default since v9), your `package.json` should include:

```
{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "vite",
    "build": "vite build"
  }
}
```

**Tip** : Run `npm run build` locally first and verify `public/build/` is generated correctly before setting up automated deployments. Debugging build failures is much easier on your own machine.

## 2. Setting Up Your Hosting Server

### FortRabbit Setup

1. Log in to your FortRabbit dashboard
2. Create a new App with PHP 8.2+ and your preferred region
3. Configure the MySQL database under your app settings
4. Set up your domain and enable SSL
5. Note your SFTP credentials — you'll need the host, username, and password for [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com)

For SFTP details, see [FortRabbit's SFTP documentation](https://help.fortrabbit.com/sftp-uni).

### Other Hosts

For a VPS or cloud server (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, AWS), make sure:

- SSH access is configured with key-based authentication
- PHP 8.1+ and Composer are installed on the server
- A web server (Nginx or Apache) points to your Laravel `public/` directory
- MySQL/PostgreSQL is accessible from the application

## 3. Configuring DeployHQ

### Creating a New Project

1. Log in to [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com)
2. Click **New Project**
3. Connect your Git repository (DeployHQ supports GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and [self-hosted repos](https://www.deployhq.com/support/projects-and-deployments/repositories))
4. Name your project (e.g., My Laravel App)

### Adding Your Server

1. Go to **Servers** in your project
2. Click **New Server**
3. Select **SFTP** or **SSH** as the protocol
4. Enter your server credentials:
  - **Hostname** : Your server's IP or domain
  - **Username** : Your SSH/SFTP user
  - **Authentication** : Password or SSH key

5. Set the deployment path:

```
/srv/app/htdocs
```

For non-FortRabbit servers, this is typically `/var/www/your-app` or wherever your web root lives.

## 4. Build Pipeline Configuration

This is where [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) shines for Laravel projects. Navigate to **Project Settings \> Build Pipeline** and add two build commands:

### Step 1: Build Frontend Assets

- **Name** : Build Frontend Assets
- **Runtime** : Node.js LTS
- **Commands** :

```
npm ci
npm run build
```

`npm ci` installs exact versions from `package-lock.json`, which is faster and more reliable than `npm install` in CI/CD environments. The compiled assets in `public/build/` are then deployed alongside your PHP code.

### Step 2: Install PHP Dependencies

- **Name** : Install PHP Dependencies
- **Runtime** : PHP 8.3
- **Commands** :

```
composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader
```

`--no-dev` excludes development packages (PHPUnit, Laravel Telescope, etc.) from production, and `--optimize-autoloader` generates an optimised class map for faster autoloading.

## 5. SSH Commands

Under **Servers \> SSH Commands** , configure commands that run directly on your server after files are deployed:

### Before Deployment Commands

```
php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache
php artisan view:cache
```

These pre-cache your configuration, routes, and views so Laravel doesn't parse them on every request.

### After Deployment Commands

```
php artisan migrate --force
```

The `--force` flag is required in production to confirm destructive migrations without interactive prompts.

## 6. Environment Configuration

In [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com), go to **Servers \> Config Files** and create a `.env` file:

```
APP_ENV=production
APP_KEY=base64:your-generated-key
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_URL=https://your-domain.com

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=your-database-host
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=your-database
DB_USERNAME=your-username
DB_PASSWORD=your-password
```

[DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) deploys this file to your server on every deployment, so your secrets never need to live in version control. You can manage different `.env` files per server if you have staging and production environments.

## 7. Automatic Deployments

Go to **Project Settings \> Automatic Deployments** :

1. Enable automatic deployments for your `main` branch
2. Map branches to servers:
  - `main` → Production server
  - `staging` → Staging server (if you have one)

Every push to `main` now triggers a full build-and-deploy cycle automatically. [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) only transfers files that changed since the last deployment, so subsequent deploys are fast.

### Notifications

Set up Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email notifications under **Project Settings \> Notifications** so your team knows when deployments succeed or fail.

## 8. Your First Deployment

1. Push a commit to your `main` branch (or click **Deploy Now** in DeployHQ)
2. Watch the deployment log — you'll see each build step execute in sequence
3. Once complete, verify your application:
  - Homepage loads correctly
  - Frontend assets are compiled (check browser DevTools for `public/build/` paths)
  - Database migrations ran (`php artisan migrate:status` on the server)
  - API endpoints respond as expected

## 9. Maintenance Best Practices

### Zero-Downtime Approach

For applications that can't afford any downtime, add maintenance mode to your SSH commands:

```
# Before deployment
php artisan down --render="maintenance" --retry=60

# After deployment
php artisan up
```

The `--retry=60` header tells clients to check back in 60 seconds, which is useful for health checks and load balancers.

### Cache Management

After deploying new code, clear and rebuild caches:

```
php artisan optimize:clear
php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache
php artisan view:cache
php artisan event:cache
```

Add these as after-deployment SSH commands in [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) to automate cache management.

### Rollbacks

If a deployment introduces a bug, [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) lets you redeploy any previous revision instantly. Go to **Deployments** , find the last known-good deployment, and click **Deploy this revision**. No need to revert commits or hotfix under pressure.

## Troubleshooting Common Issues

### Build Failures

| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `npm ci` fails | Lock file mismatch | Run `npm install` locally, commit `package-lock.json` |
| `composer install` fails | PHP version mismatch | Match the build pipeline PHP version to your `composer.json` requirement |
| Vite build fails | Missing env vars | Add `VITE_*` variables to your build environment |

### Deployment Failures

**Permission errors** on `storage/` or `bootstrap/cache/`:

```
chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap/cache
chown -R www-data:www-data storage bootstrap/cache
```

**Composer memory limit** :

```
COMPOSER_MEMORY_LIMIT=-1 composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader
```

**Node.js memory limit** (large frontend builds):

```
NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=4096 npm run build
```

## What's Next

Once your pipeline is running smoothly:

- Set up a **staging environment** to test changes before production — [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com) supports [multiple servers per project](https://www.deployhq.com/features)
- Add **database backups** before migrations using a pre-deployment script
- Explore DeployHQ's [build pipeline features](https://www.deployhq.com/features) for more advanced workflows like running tests before deployment
- Read about [continuous deployment best practices](https://www.deployhq.com/blog/continuous-deployment-with-deployhq) for teams

* * *

Ready to automate your Laravel deployments? [Sign up for DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com/signup) and have your first deployment running in minutes.

For help, reach out at [support@deployhq.com](mailto:support@deployhq.com) or find us on [X/Twitter](https://x.com/deployhq).