Deploying a Laravel project on Vercel

Deploying a Laravel project on Vercel requires some specific steps to ensure that the PHP environment and Laravel framework are properly configured. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you deploy your Laravel project on Vercel.

Step 1: Prepare Your Laravel Project

1. Clean Up Your Project: Ensure your Laravel project is working correctly on your local machine.
2. Version Control: Make sure your project is in a Git repository.

Step 2: Install Vercel CLI

1. Install Vercel CLI: If you haven't already, install the Vercel CLI on your local machine.

   bash
   
   

npm install -g vercel

Login to Vercel: Log in to your Vercel account.

bash

2. vercel login
   

Step 3: Configure Vercel for Laravel

1. Create a vercel.json File: In the root of your Laravel project, create a vercel.json file with the following configuration:

   json
   

1. {
     "version": 2,
     "builds": [
       {
         "src": "api/index.php",
         "use": "@vercel/php"
       }
     ],
     "routes": [
       {
         "src": "/(.*)",
         "dest": "/api/index.php"
       }
     ]
   }
   

2. Create an api Directory: Move your entire Laravel project into a subdirectory named api.

Step 4: Configure Laravel for Vercel

1. Environment Variables: Ensure that your environment variables are set correctly. Vercel allows you to configure environment variables through their dashboard.
2. Database Configuration: If your project uses a database, make sure to configure the database connection settings in the .env file. Vercel does not provide databases, so you may need to use an external service like AWS RDS, DigitalOcean, or another provider.

Step 5: Deploy to Vercel

1. Deploy Using Vercel CLI: Run the deploy command from your project root.

   bash
   

1. vercel
   

   Follow the prompts to deploy your project. Vercel will automatically detect the configuration from the vercel.json file and deploy your Laravel application.

Step 6: Post-Deployment

1. Verify Deployment: Once the deployment is complete, Vercel will provide you with a URL where your Laravel application is hosted.
2. Environment Variables on Vercel: Set up any necessary environment variables in the Vercel dashboard under the project settings.

Additional Tips

• Static Assets: If you have static assets (CSS, JS, images), consider placing them in a public directory and configure Vercel to serve these assets correctly.
• Logging and Debugging: Use Vercel’s logs feature to debug any issues that arise during deployment.
• Persistent Storage: Vercel’s serverless environment means that you don't have persistent storage. Use a database or external storage service for any persistent data needs.