Nginx Laravel Deployment Guide

Deploying a Laravel application efficiently requires the right server setup and configuration. One popular choice among developers is using Nginx as the web server, combined with Laravel's powerful features. In this guide, we will walk through the essential steps to deploy Laravel applications using Nginx, ensuring your site runs smoothly and securely.

Setting Up Nginx for Laravel

First, you need to install and configure Nginx. Creating a proper server block (similar to a virtual host) is critical. Here's a typical configuration snippet:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;
    root /path/to/laravel/public;

    index index.php index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ \.htaccess$ {
        deny all;
    }
}

Ensure your root points to Laravel's public directory, as this is where Laravel's front controller resides.

Deploying Laravel

After configuring your server, it's vital to prepare your Laravel app for deployment. This includes setting permissions for the writable directories, setting environment variables, and optimizing caches:

php artisan cache:clear
php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache
php artisan view:cache

Make sure your environment file (.env) is properly configured for production, especially the 'APP_ENV' and database credentials.

Running Your Laravel App

Once everything is configured, restart Nginx to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Your Laravel application should now be accessible through your domain, hosted efficiently with Nginx performance optimizations.

For maintenance and updates, always ensure your server is secure and your application is backed up regularly.