{"id":16117,"date":"2026-09-26T23:27:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T22:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T23:27:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T22:27:44","slug":"how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Host a Laravel Application on Shared Hosting"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#How_to_Host_a_Laravel_Application_on_Shared_Hosting\" >How to Host a Laravel Application on Shared Hosting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Why_Host_Laravel_on_Shared_Hosting\" >Why Host Laravel on Shared Hosting?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Prerequisites_Before_You_Begin\" >Prerequisites Before You Begin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Understanding_the_Laravel_Directory_Structure_for_Shared_Hosting\" >Understanding the Laravel Directory Structure for Shared Hosting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#The_Recommended_Folder_Structure\" >The Recommended Folder Structure<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step-by-Step_Guide_to_Deploying_Laravel_on_Shared_Hosting\" >Step-by-Step Guide to Deploying Laravel on Shared Hosting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_1_Upload_Your_Laravel_Files\" >Step 1: Upload Your Laravel Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_2_Move_the_Public_Folder_Contents\" >Step 2: Move the Public Folder Contents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_3_Update_the_indexphp_File\" >Step 3: Update the index.php File<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_4_Configure_Your_env_File\" >Step 4: Configure Your .env File<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_5_Install_Dependencies_via_Composer\" >Step 5: Install Dependencies via Composer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_6_Set_the_Application_Key\" >Step 6: Set the Application Key<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_7_Run_Database_Migrations\" >Step 7: Run Database Migrations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Step_8_Set_File_Permissions\" >Step 8: Set File Permissions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Common_Issues_with_Laravel_Shared_Hosting\" >Common Issues with Laravel Shared Hosting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#500_Internal_Server_Error\" >500 Internal Server Error<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Composer_or_PHP_Version_Conflicts\" >Composer or PHP Version Conflicts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Missing_htaccess_File\" >Missing .htaccess File<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Tips_for_Optimising_Your_Laravel_Application_on_Shared_Hosting\" >Tips for Optimising Your Laravel Application on Shared Hosting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/how-to-host-a-laravel-application-on-shared-hosting\/#Final_Thoughts\" >Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><html><br \/>\n<head><br \/>\n<title>How to Host a Laravel Application on Shared Hosting<\/title><br \/>\n<\/head><br \/>\n<body><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Host_a_Laravel_Application_on_Shared_Hosting\"><\/span>How to Host a Laravel Application on Shared Hosting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks in the world, renowned for its elegant syntax, robust features, and developer-friendly tooling. However, many developers encounter a common challenge: deploying a Laravel application to a shared hosting environment. Unlike a VPS or dedicated server, shared hosting comes with certain restrictions that can make the process feel daunting. The good news is that <strong>Laravel shared hosting<\/strong> deployment is entirely achievable with the right approach. In this guide, we will walk you through every step of the process clearly and methodically.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Host_Laravel_on_Shared_Hosting\"><\/span>Why Host Laravel on Shared Hosting?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Shared hosting is often the most affordable entry point for individuals and small businesses looking to get their web applications online. Whilst a VPS offers more control, shared hosting plans from providers such as Hostinger, SiteGround, or Bluehost are significantly cheaper and require far less server administration knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>The trade-off is that shared hosting environments are more restrictive. You typically do not have root access, and you may not be able to install software globally. Nevertheless, most modern shared hosting providers support PHP 8.x, MySQL, and even SSH access, which is all you really need to run a Laravel application successfully.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prerequisites_Before_You_Begin\"><\/span>Prerequisites Before You Begin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before diving into the deployment process, make sure you have the following in place:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A shared hosting account with PHP 8.0 or higher support<\/li>\n<li>SSH access enabled on your hosting account (strongly recommended)<\/li>\n<li>A MySQL database created via your hosting control panel (cPanel or equivalent)<\/li>\n<li>Composer installed or accessible on the server<\/li>\n<li>Your Laravel project ready and tested locally<\/li>\n<li>An FTP client such as FileZilla, or access to a file manager<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If your hosting provider does not support SSH access, the process becomes more manual, but it is still possible. We will cover both scenarios below.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_the_Laravel_Directory_Structure_for_Shared_Hosting\"><\/span>Understanding the Laravel Directory Structure for Shared Hosting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the most important things to understand about <strong>Laravel shared hosting<\/strong> deployment is how the directory structure works. Laravel has a <code>public<\/code> folder that serves as the web root. Your shared hosting account will typically have a <code>public_html<\/code> folder (or similar) where all publicly accessible files must reside.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge is that the rest of your Laravel application \u2014 including your <code>.env<\/code> file, <code>app<\/code> directory, <code>config<\/code> folder, and other sensitive files \u2014 should never be publicly accessible. This requires a specific setup to ensure security and functionality.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Recommended_Folder_Structure\"><\/span>The Recommended Folder Structure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The cleanest approach is to upload your entire Laravel project one level above the <code>public_html<\/code> directory, and then point the <code>public_html<\/code> folder to Laravel&#8217;s <code>public<\/code> directory. Here is how the structure should look on your server:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><code>home\/yourusername\/laravel-app\/<\/code> \u2014 Your full Laravel project lives here<\/li>\n<li><code>home\/yourusername\/public_html\/<\/code> \u2014 This should contain the contents of Laravel&#8217;s <code>public<\/code> folder<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By keeping the application files outside the web root, you protect sensitive configuration data from being accessed directly via a browser.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step-by-Step_Guide_to_Deploying_Laravel_on_Shared_Hosting\"><\/span>Step-by-Step Guide to Deploying Laravel on Shared Hosting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Upload_Your_Laravel_Files\"><\/span>Step 1: Upload Your Laravel Files<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Using an FTP client or your hosting provider&#8217;s file manager, upload your entire Laravel project to a directory outside of <code>public_html<\/code>. You can name this folder something like <code>laravel<\/code> or <code>myapp<\/code>. Ensure all files and folders are transferred, including hidden files like <code>.env<\/code>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Move_the_Public_Folder_Contents\"><\/span>Step 2: Move the Public Folder Contents<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Next, copy the contents of your Laravel <code>public<\/code> folder into the <code>public_html<\/code> directory. Do not move the entire folder \u2014 just its contents, including <code>index.php<\/code>, the <code>.htaccess<\/code> file, and any compiled assets.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Update_the_indexphp_File\"><\/span>Step 3: Update the index.php File<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once the contents of the <code>public<\/code> folder are inside <code>public_html<\/code>, you need to update the paths in <code>index.php<\/code> so that Laravel can locate the rest of the application. Open the <code>index.php<\/code> file and update the following lines:<\/p>\n<p>Change:<\/p>\n<pre>\nrequire __DIR__.'\/..\/vendor\/autoload.php';\n$app = require_once __DIR__.'\/..\/bootstrap\/app.php';\n<\/pre>\n<p>To reflect the actual path to your Laravel project:<\/p>\n<pre>\nrequire __DIR__.'\/..\/laravel\/vendor\/autoload.php';\n$app = require_once __DIR__.'\/..\/laravel\/bootstrap\/app.php';\n<\/pre>\n<p>Make sure the path matches exactly where you uploaded your Laravel files on the server.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Configure_Your_env_File\"><\/span>Step 4: Configure Your .env File<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Your <code>.env<\/code> file contains all the critical configuration for your application, including database credentials, application key, and environment settings. Update the following values to match your shared hosting setup:<\/p>\n<pre>\nAPP_ENV=production\nAPP_DEBUG=false\nAPP_URL=https:\/\/yourdomain.co.uk\n\nDB_CONNECTION=mysql\nDB_HOST=localhost\nDB_PORT=3306\nDB_DATABASE=your_database_name\nDB_USERNAME=your_database_user\nDB_PASSWORD=your_database_password\n<\/pre>\n<p>Ensure <code>APP_DEBUG<\/code> is set to <code>false<\/code> in a production environment to prevent sensitive error information from being displayed publicly.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Install_Dependencies_via_Composer\"><\/span>Step 5: Install Dependencies via Composer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your hosting provider allows SSH access, connect to your server and navigate to your Laravel project directory. Run the following command to install all dependencies:<\/p>\n<pre>composer install --optimize-autoloader --no-dev<\/pre>\n<p>If SSH is not available, you will need to run <code>composer install<\/code> locally and upload the entire <code>vendor<\/code> folder via FTP. This is not ideal due to the large number of files, but it works as a last resort.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Set_the_Application_Key\"><\/span>Step 6: Set the Application Key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you have not already generated an application key, do so via SSH with:<\/p>\n<pre>php artisan key:generate<\/pre>\n<p>This will automatically update your <code>.env<\/code> file with a unique key. If you cannot use SSH, generate the key locally and manually copy the value into your <code>.env<\/code> file on the server.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_7_Run_Database_Migrations\"><\/span>Step 7: Run Database Migrations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>With SSH access, you can run your migrations directly:<\/p>\n<pre>php artisan migrate --force<\/pre>\n<p>Without SSH, you will need to use a tool like phpMyAdmin to manually import your database schema using an SQL export from your local environment.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_8_Set_File_Permissions\"><\/span>Step 8: Set File Permissions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Laravel requires write access to certain directories. Using SSH or your file manager, set the appropriate permissions:<\/p>\n<pre>chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap\/cache<\/pre>\n<p>This ensures Laravel can write logs, cache files, and session data without encountering permission errors.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Issues_with_Laravel_Shared_Hosting\"><\/span>Common Issues with Laravel Shared Hosting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"500_Internal_Server_Error\"><\/span>500 Internal Server Error<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is one of the most common errors encountered during deployment. It is usually caused by incorrect file paths in <code>index.php<\/code>, missing <code>.env<\/code> file, or incorrect file permissions. Enable temporary debugging by setting <code>APP_DEBUG=true<\/code> to identify the root cause, then disable it once resolved.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Composer_or_PHP_Version_Conflicts\"><\/span>Composer or PHP Version Conflicts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Some shared hosting providers run older versions of PHP by default. Check your hosting control panel for PHP version switcher options and ensure you are running at least PHP 8.0. For further reading on managing hosting environments and tools, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\" target=\"_blank\">da-manager.com\/blog<\/a> for helpful guides and resources.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Missing_htaccess_File\"><\/span>Missing .htaccess File<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If your URLs are not working correctly, it is likely that the <code>.htaccess<\/code> file is missing from <code>public_html<\/code>. Ensure it has been transferred correctly and that <code>mod_rewrite<\/code> is enabled on your server. You can confirm this with your hosting provider&#8217;s support team.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_Optimising_Your_Laravel_Application_on_Shared_Hosting\"><\/span>Tips for Optimising Your Laravel Application on Shared Hosting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once your application is live, consider running the following Artisan commands to improve performance:<\/p>\n<pre>\nphp artisan config:cache\nphp artisan route:cache\nphp artisan view:cache\n<\/pre>\n<p>These commands cache your configuration, routes, and views, reducing the number of file reads on each request and noticeably improving response times in a shared hosting environment.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span>Final Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Deploying a Laravel application to shared hosting requires careful planning and a clear understanding of how the framework&#8217;s directory structure interacts with your server&#8217;s web root. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully get your <strong>Laravel shared hosting<\/strong> deployment up and running without needing an expensive VPS or dedicated server.<\/p>\n<p>Whilst shared hosting does have its limitations, it remains a perfectly viable option for small to medium-sized Laravel applications, especially during the early stages of a project. With the right configuration, your application will be secure, functional, and ready to serve your users reliably.<\/p>\n<p><\/body><br \/>\n<\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Host a Laravel Application on Shared Hosting<\/p>\n<p>How to Host a Laravel Application on Shared Hosting<\/p>\n<p>Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks in the world, renowned for its elegant syntax, robust features, and developer-friendly tooling. However, many developers encounter a common <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mbp_gutenberg_autopost":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16117\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/da-manager.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}