Next Steps After Installing Laravel 12

Next Steps After Installing Laravel 12 (2025)

You’ve installed Laravel 12 — now what? Let’s walk through the essential steps to configure, structure, and scale your project with practical, real-world tips you can implement immediately.

Laravel 12 PHP 8.3+ Updated: 2025

Installing Laravel 12 is just the beginning. The real journey starts when you configure your app, connect your database, and prepare it for actual development. Below are the next steps every developer should take after installation — with examples and shortcuts that save time.

1. Configure Your Environment

First, duplicate the sample environment file and generate your application key:

cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate

Edit .env to set APP_NAME, APP_URL, and your database credentials. This ensures your project behaves correctly across local, staging, and production environments.

Time-saving tip: Keep a reusable .env.example template with sane defaults (cache, queue, mail). New teammates can be up in minutes.

2. Set Up Database & Migrations

Run default migrations:

php artisan migrate

Create your first custom table:

php artisan make:migration create_posts_table --create=posts

3. Build Models & Controllers

Models are your Eloquent ORM entry point. For example:

php artisan make:model Post -m

Create a controller to manage business logic:

php artisan make:controller PostController

Then add a route in routes/web.php:

Route::get('/posts', [PostController::class, 'index']);

4. Add Views with Blade

Blade templates let you build clean UI with minimal syntax:

@foreach ($posts as $post)
  <h2>{{ $post->title }}</h2>
  <p>{{ $post->body }}</p>
@endforeach

5. Authentication (Optional but Common)

Laravel Breeze provides quick auth scaffolding:

composer require laravel/breeze --dev
php artisan breeze:install blade
npm install && npm run dev
php artisan migrate

Now you have login, registration, and password reset flows ready in minutes.

6. Manage Assets with Vite

Laravel 12 ships with Vite. Compile CSS and JS like this:

npm install
npm run dev    # for development
npm run build  # for production

Add in your Blade layout:

@vite(['resources/css/app.css', 'resources/js/app.js'])

7. Optimize for Performance

Before deploying, cache configs and routes:

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

8. Explore Advanced Features

• Queues: Offload heavy jobs (php artisan make:job SendEmailJob).
• Events & Listeners: Build decoupled logic.
• Policies & Gates: Secure authorization.
• Scheduler: Automate tasks with CRON (* * * * * php artisan schedule:run).

9. Testing Your Application

Use Laravel’s built-in testing tools:

php artisan test

Create your first test:

php artisan make:test PostTest

10. Ready for Production

When deploying Laravel 12:

• Set APP_ENV=production, APP_DEBUG=false
• Run php artisan optimize for better performance
• Use Supervisor to manage queue workers
• Ensure correct file permissions for storage and bootstrap/cache

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Laravel 12 makes modern PHP development faster than ever. By following these steps, you’ll transform a fresh installation into a fully configured, production-ready project in record time.