Configure Laravel file permissions

When installing Laravel, whether on a server or on your local machine, you often need to configure proper file permissions to ensure the application runs smoothly.

If file permissions are not configured correctly:

• Too restrictive → the application may fail to run.
• Too permissive → can expose security vulnerabilities.

With the right configuration, Laravel can run properly without limiting developers’ flexibility to modify files.

1. Change ownership to the active user

sudo chown -R $USER:www-data .

2. Apply proper permissions to all files and folders

sudo find . -type f -exec chmod 664 {} \;
sudo find . -type d -exec chmod 775 {} \;

3. Set special permissions for storage and cache

sudo chgrp -R www-data storage bootstrap/cache
sudo chmod -R ug+rwx storage bootstrap/cache

With this configuration, Laravel will have sufficient permissions to run properly while maintaining security best practices.