Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Laravel 12 Project (2025)

Whether you’re a seasoned Laravel developer or just getting started, setting up a Laravel 12 project the right way is crucial. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the complete process step-by-step.

🛠 Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure your system has:

• PHP 8.2+
• Composer
• MySQL or PostgreSQL
• Node.js & NPM (for frontend assets)
• Optional: Laravel Valet, XAMPP, Docker, or Homestead

Step 1: Install Laravel via Composer

Open your terminal and run:

composer create-project laravel/laravel my-laravel-app

Replace my-laravel-app with your desired project folder name.

Step 2: Set File Permissions (Linux/Mac)

cd my-laravel-app
chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap/cache

Step 3: Configure Environment

Copy the example .env file and configure your environment:

cp .env.example .env

Generate the application key:

php artisan key:generate

Update your .env with DB credentials:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=laravel_db
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=secret

Step 4: Run Laravel’s Built-In Server

You can run the local server using:

php artisan serve

Visit: http://127.0.0.1:8000

Step 5: Setup Database & Migrate

Create a database manually or via CLI, then run:

php artisan migrate

This will set up the default tables.

Step 6: Install Frontend Dependencies (Optional)

If you’re using Laravel Vite (default since Laravel 9+), run:

npm install
npm run dev

For production assets:

npm run build

Step 7: Git Ignore & Version Control

Initialize Git (if not done):

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial Laravel 12 setup"

Ensure .env, node_modules, and vendor folders are in .gitignore.

Step 8: Serve Using Valet (Optional for macOS)

valet link
valet secure

Access via https://my-laravel-app.test

Step 9: Testing the Setup

// routes/web.php
Route::get('/test', fn () => 'Laravel 12 is working!');

Navigate to http://localhost:8000/test to see the message.

Final Thoughts

You now have a fully functioning Laravel 12 project ready for development. You can extend this setup with:

• Authentication: php artisan make:auth (Jetstream/Breeze)
• API: Laravel Sanctum or Passport
• Docker: Laravel Sail

Conclusion

Setting up Laravel 12 doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Follow these steps and you’ll have a clean foundation for any kind of web application.

If you found this helpful, please leave a 💚 or comment below.

Let me know if you’d like a Markdown version, code formatting for Medium, or want to include extras like Sail, Docker, or Jetstream setup.