Just cloned a Laravel project from GitHub or GitLab and wondering what’s next? Laravel projects need a few essential steps before they can run locally or on a server. This post walks you through everything — from installing dependencies to running artisan commands and configuring .env.

📁 1. Clone the Repository

Use Git to clone the Laravel project.

git clone https://github.com/username/project.git
cd project

🧱 2. Install PHP Dependencies with Composer

Laravel uses Composer for PHP package management. Run this to install all backend dependencies:

composer install

🧠 Tip: If you see a missing PHP extension error (like pdo, mbstring), install it via your OS package manager or XAMPP settings.

🧑‍🎨 3. Install Frontend Assets with NPM

If the project uses Laravel Mix (for CSS/JS), install frontend dependencies:

npm install

Then compile the assets:

npm run dev

⚡ For production:

npm run build

🗝️ 4. Copy the .env File

The .env file contains project-specific environment variables (DB, APP_URL, etc.).

cp .env.example .env

Edit it and update:

APP_NAME=MyLaravelApp
APP_URL=http://localhost:8000

DB_DATABASE=your_db_name
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

🔑 5. Generate Application Key

Laravel uses an application key for security (cookie encryption, etc.). Generate it using artisan:

php artisan key:generate

🔐 This will automatically update your .env with a new APP_KEY.

🛠️ 6. Run Migrations and Seeders (If Available)

Create your database and run the migrations:

php artisan migrate

If seeders are available (to populate dummy data):

php artisan db:seed

🧪 Alternatively, to run both in one step:

php artisan migrate:fresh --seed

🧪 7. Serve the Laravel App Locally

Start the local development server:

php artisan serve

Visit: http://127.0.0.1:8000

🔁 8. (Optional) Clear Caches

Sometimes old configs cause errors. Run these artisan commands to clear and rebuild caches:

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

⚙️ Troubleshooting Tips

• 500 Server Error? → Check your .env file and permissions.
• Missing vendor folder? → You forgot to run composer install.
• Frontend assets not working? → Run npm install && npm run dev.

📌 Final Thoughts

Once you understand this Laravel setup workflow, cloning and running any Laravel project becomes a breeze. Bookmark this post for future use and share it with your team!