Laravel Folder Structure Explained

Introduction

Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks used for building modern web applications. One of the reasons developers love Laravel is its clean and well-organized project structure.

When you create a new Laravel project, the framework automatically generates several folders and files. For beginners, this structure can look confusing at first.

Understanding the Laravel folder structure is important because it helps you know where to place your controllers, models, routes, views, and other application files.

If you have not installed Laravel yet, follow our guide first:

Setting Up Laravel on Windows

This article explains the main directories inside a Laravel project and what they are used for.

Creating a Laravel Project

You can create a new Laravel project using Composer.

Run the following command in your terminal:

composer create-project laravel/laravel myproject

After installation, the project directory will look something like this:

myproject
│
├── app
├── bootstrap
├── config
├── database
├── public
├── resources
├── routes
├── storage
├── tests
├── vendor
└── artisan

Each folder has a specific purpose in the Laravel ecosystem.

You can learn more about Laravel from the official documentation:

https://laravel.com/docs

app Directory

The app directory contains the core logic of your application.

This is where most of your development work happens.

Important files inside this directory include:

app
│
├── Http
│   ├── Controllers
│   └── Middleware
├── Models
└── Providers

Common usage:

Controllers – handle application logic

Models – interact with the database

Middleware – filter HTTP requests

For example, controllers are usually created inside:

app/Http/Controllers

bootstrap Directory

The bootstrap folder is responsible for bootstrapping the Laravel framework.

It contains files that initialize the application and load configurations.

Important content inside this folder:

bootstrap
│
└── cache

The cache folder stores optimized framework files to improve performance.

In most cases, developers do not modify this directory directly.

config Directory

The config folder contains configuration files for different parts of the application.

Example files include:

config
│
├── app.php
├── database.php
├── cache.php
├── mail.php
└── session.php

These files allow you to configure application behavior such as:

Application name

Timezone

Database connection settings

Mail configuration

Environment-specific settings are stored in the .env file located in the root directory.

database Directory

The database directory stores files related to database structure.

It contains:

database
│
├── factories
├── migrations
└── seeders

Migrations allow you to define database tables using PHP code.

Example migration command:

php artisan make:migration create_users_table

If you are new to databases, you may also want to read:

How to Install MySQL on Windows, Linux, and macOS

public Directory

The public directory is the entry point of a Laravel application.

It contains the index.php file that handles all incoming requests.

Typical structure:

public
│
├── index.php
├── css
├── js
└── images

All publicly accessible assets such as CSS, JavaScript, and images are stored here.

When a user visits your Laravel website, the request is handled by public/index.php.

resources Directory

The resources directory contains frontend files used by your application.

Typical structure:

resources
│
├── views
├── css
└── js

Important folders include:

views – Blade templates for displaying HTML

css – Stylesheets

js – JavaScript files

Laravel uses the Blade templating engine for creating dynamic HTML views.

Example Blade file:

resources/views/home.blade.php

routes Directory

The routes directory defines all application routes.

Typical structure:

routes
│
├── web.php
├── api.php
├── console.php
└── channels.php

The most commonly used file is:

routes/web.php

Example route:

Route::get('/', function () {
    return view('welcome');
});

Routes determine how URLs are handled in your application.

storage Directory

The storage directory stores generated files created by the application.

Example structure:

storage
│
├── app
├── framework
└── logs

Common uses:

Application logs

File uploads

Cache files

Session data

Laravel automatically manages most files inside this directory.

tests Directory

The tests directory contains automated tests for your application.

Typical structure:

tests
│
├── Feature
└── Unit

Feature tests simulate user interactions with the application.

Unit tests check individual components of the code.

Testing helps maintain code reliability as the application grows.

vendor Directory

The vendor directory contains all dependencies installed through Composer.

This includes:

Laravel framework files

Third-party libraries

PHP packages used by the application

Example:

vendor
│
├── laravel
├── symfony
└── composer

You should never modify files inside this directory manually.

Composer manages everything inside it.

If you want to learn how Composer works, read:

How to Install Composer on Windows, Linux, and macOS

artisan File

Laravel includes a powerful command-line tool called Artisan.

The artisan file located in the root directory provides access to many useful commands.

Example commands:

php artisan serve
php artisan make:controller
php artisan make:model
php artisan migrate

Artisan simplifies many development tasks such as creating controllers, models, and migrations.