Deploy PHP & Laravel on HestiaCP – How It Works

In this useful article, I guide you on how to deploy a PHP & Laravel Website on HestiaCP (Step-by-Step Guide). If you are a developer or website owner looking for an easy and efficient way to host a PHP or Laravel website, Hestia Control Panel (HestiaCP) is one of the best free options. 

It offers a clean dashboard, strong security, and full server management features like web hosting, email, databases, SSL, and DNS. In this guide, we will walk you through the complete process of deploying a PHP or Laravel website on HestiaCP.

Why Choose HestiaCP for PHP & Laravel Hosting?

HestiaCP is a free and open-source control panel designed for VPS hosting. It supports multiple PHP versions and provides easy management of:

• Nginx + Apache
• PHP-FPM
• MySQL / MariaDB
• SSL (Let’s Encrypt)
• FTP & SFTP
• DNS and Mail

If you want a fast, secure, and user-friendly environment for Laravel or PHP, HestiaCP is an excellent choice. For a more detailed article, read also this article on installing Hestia CPanel on VPS.

Prerequisites Before Deploying Laravel

Before deploying your PHP or Laravel website, make sure you have:

• A VPS server with HestiaCP installed
• Root access to the server
• A registered domain name
• SSH access
• PHP 8.x installed (recommended)
• Composer installed (for Laravel)
• Database (MySQL/MariaDB)

Watch Video Support - Deploying PHP & Laravel on HestiaCP 

Step 1: Add Your Domain in HestiaCP

1. Log in to your HestiaCP dashboard:

https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8083

2. Go to WEB → Add Domain and enter your domain name:

Domain: yourdomain.com

Web Template: default

3. PHP Version: PHP 8.2 (recommended)

Click Save.

Step 2: Create a Database for Laravel

Laravel requires a database. Create a new database in HestiaCP:

1. Go to DB → Add Database.

2. Enter the database name, username, and password.

3. Save the database

You will use these details in the .env file later.

Step 3: Upload Your Laravel Project

There are two common methods to upload Laravel:

Method 1: Upload via FTP

1. Go to WEB → yourdomain.com → F.TP.

2. Create an FTP user

3. Use FileZilla to upload your Laravel files to:

/home/admin/web/yourdomain.com/public_html

Method 2: Upload via Git (Recommended)

If you have your project on GitHub:

1. Connect via SSH

2. Go to the domain folder:

cd /home/admin/web/yourdomain.com/public_html

3. Clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/yourlaravelproject.git

Step 4: Install Composer Dependencies

1. After uploading, install Laravel dependencies using Composer:

cd /home/admin/web/yourdomain.com/public_html

composer install

2. This will download all required packages.

Step 5: Set Correct Folder Permissions

Laravel needs proper folder permissions for:

• storage
• bootstrap/cache

Run:

• chmod -R 775 storage
• chmod -R 775 bootstrap/cache
• chown -R admin: admin storage bootstrap/cache
• Step 6: Configure Environment (.env)
• Open your .env file and configure:

• APP_NAME=Laravel
• APP_ENV=production
• APP_DEBUG=false
• APP_URL=https://yourdomain.com
• DB_CONNECTION=mysql
• DB_HOST=localhost
• DB_PORT=3306
• DB_DATABASE=your_db_name
• DB_USERNAME=your_db_user
• DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password
• Save the file.

Step 7: Generate Application Key

Run:

• php artisan key: generate
• This will generate your application key and save it in .env.

Step 8: Run Laravel Migrations

To create database tables, run:

php artisan migrate

If you face errors, make sure the database credentials are correct.

Step 9: Configure Web Server (Nginx + Apache)

HestiaCP uses Nginx as a reverse proxy and Apache as a backend. For Laravel, we need to make sure the document root points to the public folder.

Go to:

WEB → yourdomain.com → Configure → Web Template

Make sure the root directory is:

/home/admin/web/yourdomain.com/public_html/public

If it is not, update it.

Step 10: Install SSL (Let’s Encrypt)

SSL is important for security and SEO. In HestiaCP:

1. Go to WEB → yourdomain.com → SSL.

2. Enable Let’s Encrypt

3. Click Save

Now your website will run on HTTPS.

Step 11: Clear Cache and Optimize

Run these commands for performance:

• php artisan config:: cache
• php artisan route: cache
• php artisan view: cache
• This optimizes Laravel for production.

Step 12: Test Your Website

Open your browser and visit:

• https://yourdomain.com
• If everything is configured correctly, your Laravel website should be live.

Conclusion

Deploying a PHP or Laravel website on HestiaCP is simple and fast. HestiaCP provides a clean interface, multiple PHP versions, built-in SSL, database management, and strong security features. Whether you are hosting a small PHP website or a large Laravel application, HestiaCP is a great choice for VPS hosting. For more articles and the best blog posts, visit our website, WebDecky.