The Laravel application you launched two or three years ago may still be working — but that doesn’t mean it’s working well, or safely. If it’s built on Laravel 7, 6, or even 5.8, it has quietly slipped outside the support window. PHP compatibility has changed. Package maintainers have moved on. Features you once relied on are now deprecated, and emerging technologies no longer integrate without friction.
Laravel 12 is not just a version jump. It’s a foundational shift. The framework now supports typed routes, native health check endpoints, structured job batching, and performance acceleration through Laravel Octane. These upgrades are not just syntactic improvements. They reduce technical debt, simplify long-term maintenance, and unlock modern development workflows that older versions simply cannot support.
Many teams delay upgrades because they fear breaking existing logic or interrupting users. That concern is valid — but so is the risk of staying still. We’ve seen businesses lose weeks of development time because their apps could not run on PHP 8.2, or because a package update broke production features. Others struggled to implement new features because their core Laravel version couldn’t support modern tools like Vite, Inertia, or typed API controllers.
This guide was created to solve those exact problems. At Acquaint Softtech, we’ve helped agencies, B2B platforms, and product teams upgrade Laravel safely, often without a minute of downtime. We’ve built internal tools, checklists, and automation pipelines that remove the guesswork. Whether you’re upgrading from Laravel 5 or Laravel 10, this guide will show you what matters, what breaks, and what to do next — clearly, step by step.
Every Laravel version has an expiration date. Once a release crosses that threshold, it stops receiving security updates, bug fixes, and PHP compatibility patches. This section helps you understand exactly where your app stands — and why continuing on Laravel 5 through 8 is more risky now than ever before.
The table below outlines Laravel’s official support periods, based on Laravel’s release policy:
Laravel Version | Release Year | Bug Fixes Ended | Security Fixes Ended | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5.8 | 2019 | March 2020 | September 2020 | ❌ Unsupported |
6.x (LTS) | 2019 | September 2021 | September 2022 | ❌ Unsupported |
7.x | 2020 | October 2020 | March 2021 | ❌ Unsupported |
8.x | 2020 | July 2022 | January 2023 | ❌ Unsupported |
9.x (LTS) | 2022 | August 2023 | February 2024 | ⚠️ Limited Support |
10.x | 2023 | Until August 2024 | Until February 2025 | ✅ Active |
12.x | 2024 | Until August 2025 | Until February 2026 | ✅ Active |
Frameworks that are unsupported no longer receive critical security patches, and upgrading becomes increasingly difficult the longer the delay.
Laravel Version | Compatible PHP Versions |
|---|---|
5.8 | 7.1 |
6.x | 7.2, 7.3 |
7.x | 7.2, 7.4 |
8.x | 7.3, 7.4, 8.0 |
9.x | 8.0, 8.1 |
10.x | 8.1, 8.2 |
12.x | 8.2, 8.3 |
If your Laravel app cannot run on PHP 8.2+, you are already at risk of incompatibility with new servers, security features, and ecosystem tooling.
Laravel LTS versions — like 6 and 9 — offer extended security support, but they still expire after a fixed window. Many teams mistakenly believe that LTS means “indefinite coverage.” That’s not the case. Once LTS versions end their lifecycle, only upgrading keeps you protected.
Community versions move faster and give access to the latest features, but require more frequent upgrades. Laravel 12 follows this model, delivering performance, security, and framework improvements — but without the illusion of endless backward compatibility.
You need to plan an upgrade immediately if:
You are on Laravel 8 or below
You run PHP 7.x in any environment
Your hosting provider has started pushing PHP 8.2+
Composer shows multiple deprecated or unsupported packages
You are blocked from using modern tools like Octane, Vite, or typed routes
Your dev team is forced to patch third-party packages manually
Upgrading is not just a technical task. It is a risk management decision — and Laravel 12 is where modern PHP development has moved.
Security patches are gone. PHP support is fading. And the longer you delay, the more complex your upgrade becomes. Let us show you what’s no longer supported — and how to get current without breaking your app.
Before starting any Laravel upgrade, you need a clear understanding of what your application is running on — not just the version number, but also the underlying packages, architecture, and potential risks hiding in legacy code. This technical snapshot will help guide how complex or smooth your upgrade path will be.
To check your current Laravel version, run the following Artisan command:
php artisan --versionNext, confirm your PHP version using:
php -vFinally, list your Composer dependencies with:
composer showThese three commands reveal your base framework, language support, and how far you are from Laravel 12 compatibility. If your Laravel version is below 9 or your PHP version is below 8.1, your app is already in a legacy state.
Most older Laravel apps have fragments of legacy code that will not survive the upgrade without breaking. Common red flags include:
Auth::routes() still being used for authentication
Blade templates containing inline logic or raw PHP
jQuery-based UI or Laravel UI scaffolding
Custom macros or global helpers that rely on deprecated internals
Any of these patterns will require cleanup or replacement during the upgrade.
Laravel-specific tools can save you hours by scanning for issues automatically:
Laravel Shift Upgrade Checker: Finds outdated syntax and unsupported features
Rector PHP: Refactors your codebase for compatibility and modernization
PHPStan: Detects type safety issues and edge-case bugs
Enlightn: Security and performance audits tailored for Laravel
Run these tools in a staging branch to avoid disrupting production. Their reports will help you estimate upgrade effort and plan each version jump with clarity.
Upgrading from Laravel 5 or 6 to version 12 cannot be done in a single step. Each major release introduces changes that affect routing, authentication, packages, and core structure. Skipping versions can lead to broken deployments and unresolvable conflicts. This section outlines the safe, proven upgrade ladder your team should follow.
Jumping straight from Laravel 5.8 to 12 may seem efficient, but it often results in cascading failures. Each version removed or refactored key features like Blade components, model factories, helper functions, and queue behavior. Trying to resolve all of those changes at once increases upgrade time, blocks testing, and complicates debugging. Version-by-version progression allows you to manage breaking changes incrementally and run tests at each stage.
Current Version | Next Step | Reason to Stop Here |
|---|---|---|
5.8 | 6.x | Begin using class-based factories, start LTS base |
6.x | 7.x | Refactor Blade components, prepare for UI changes |
7.x | 8.x | Convert old factory classes, update route structure |
8.x | 10.x | Skip 9, clean deprecated helpers, adjust tests |
10.x | 12.x | Finalize typed routes, enable Octane, polish syntax |
Each stop lets you resolve changes progressively without codebase fatigue or test failures stacking up across layers.
Across these jumps, expect to review or rewrite:
Authentication: Auth::routes() is no longer supported
Routes: Typed closures become the default
Factories: Legacy factories are replaced with class-based ones
Helpers: Global helper functions are removed or moved into packages
Blade: Layout and component rendering logic has been modernized
Jobs and Queues: Signature and behavior changes require inspection
Attempting to address these all at once from Laravel 5.8 to 12 will stretch testing cycles and risk feature regressions in production.
Legacy code, outdated packages, and missing tests can make upgrades feel overwhelming. We’ll help you identify exactly where your app stands and guide you through a safe, step-by-step Laravel upgrade path.
Laravel 12 introduces structural improvements that make apps faster, safer, and more maintainable. But these improvements also break assumptions baked into older versions. This section outlines the most disruptive changes so you can plan your upgrade with full awareness of what needs to be rewritten, replaced, or retired.
In Laravel 12, route closures and controller methods are expected to use strict type declarations. This improves performance and safety, but it also breaks older routes that use dynamic or loosely typed parameters. If your application has closures like this:
PHP
Route::get('/user/{id}', function($id) {
// logic
});You’ll need to rewrite them using proper type hints and, in many cases, controller-based routing for better control.
Laravel 12 supports route attributes, which allow routes to be defined directly above controller methods. This changes how teams manage routing at scale. If your application depends heavily on centralized web.php or api.php files with conditional logic, you’ll need to refactor that into a more modular structure.
Laravel 12 introduced enhancements to job batching, retry behavior, and failure detection. While this strengthens background processing, older job classes may break due to method signature changes or removed traits. If you use chained or queued jobs, test them closely after the upgrade to ensure delays, retries, and events function as expected.
The Artisan CLI has been modernized in Laravel 12. Outputs are cleaner and more structured, but certain legacy commands may behave differently or require new flags. If you rely on custom scripts, CI pipelines, or deployment tooling that calls Artisan, test those flows carefully. Default debugging behavior may also change depending on your use of dd() or dump() functions in pipelines or middleware.
Use extra caution if your Laravel app contains:
Custom authentication flows built on Auth::routes()
Inline Blade logic or raw PHP in templates
Deprecated helpers like str_slug(), array_pluck()
Factory definitions not using class-based structure
Old route middleware registered manually in Kernel.php
Each of these will trigger errors or behavior changes if left unaddressed.
Before running a single command, your Laravel upgrade must be planned like a production launch. Rushing without preparation can lead to lost data, broken features, or downtime. This section outlines the proven steps Acquaint Softtech follows to upgrade Laravel applications safely and confidently.
Yes — a full code freeze is critical. No new features or commits should be pushed to the main branch once the upgrade plan begins. Create a staging branch from a stable production release and lock all Composer dependencies. This prevents version conflicts and ensures that what you’re testing is what will be deployed.
Before making any upgrade changes:
Take a full database snapshot, including relational and NoSQL stores if applicable
Export all .env files and queue configurations
Run a complete file system backup (public assets, storage files, logs)
If your app uses cloud-based storage, confirm your backup strategy includes object references (e.g., S3 buckets, image links). If you’re on shared hosting, validate that you can roll back quickly in case of failure.
Absolutely. Never test upgrades in production. Set up a staging environment that mirrors your live infrastructure, including:
Same PHP version and extensions
Identical queue and cache drivers
Matching database engine and config
Apply the upgrade process here first. This lets you detect failures, check compatibility, and refine the sequence before touching the live system.
A rehearsal run of the full upgrade is a must. In staging, simulate everything from database migration to queue restarts. Check if jobs run, if users can log in, and if sessions persist. Run your test suite (if available) and manually review key user flows like:
Checkout
Onboarding
Email delivery
Report generation
Admin permissions
This gives your team clear visibility into what will happen when the upgrade goes live.
Before deployment, hold a final review with project leads, stakeholders, or clients. Review the test results, note remaining risks, and confirm the deployment window. Align all teams — especially support and QA — for post-deploy validation. Acquaint Softtech typically uses a sign-off milestone to trigger final execution only when everything has been verified and approved.
bash
# Create new staging branch
git checkout -b upgrade/laravel-12
# Export full composer dependency versions
composer show --format=json > packages-lock.json
# Dump current env for backup
php artisan env > .env.backup
# Create a Laravel-specific DB dump
php artisan db:export --tables --all --output=db_backup.sqlLaravel 12 brings powerful improvements — but it also breaks older routes, jobs, and Blade logic. Our pre-upgrade blueprint helps you catch what’s incompatible before it ever reaches production.
Third-party packages are often the hidden blockers in Laravel upgrades. Some are no longer maintained. Others introduce breaking changes at version shifts. And a few might not support Laravel 12 or PHP 8.3 at all. This section shows you how to handle Composer updates safely, avoid abandoned dependencies, and modernize your package stack without surprises.
Start with a snapshot of your current dependency list using this command:
bash
composer outdatedThen, inspect version constraints and known compatibility issues for each package. You can search for laravel 12 or php 8.3 in GitHub issues or the composer.json files on Packagist.
For critical packages like laravelcollective/html, jenssegers/mongodb, or older maatwebsite/excel versions, check if they have been updated recently. If not, they must be replaced or patched.
You can streamline this part of the upgrade using tools like:
Laravel Shift Upgrade Checker – Scans your codebase for package incompatibilities
Rector Laravel Set – Automatically updates package usage patterns and refactors syntax
RenovateBot or Dependabot – Auto-detect outdated packages and suggest compatible upgrades
If a package has not been updated in the last 12–18 months and shows unresolved Laravel 12 issues, it’s time to replace it.
For packages that are abandoned or incompatible, you have three options:
Find a modern, actively maintained alternative
Fork the package and apply Laravel 12 compatibility updates yourself
Temporarily comment out the dependency if it’s not critical
If you choose to fork, update your composer.json like this:
jSon
"repositories": [
{
"type": "vcs",
"url": "https://github.com/your-org/forked-package"
}
],
"require": {
"vendor/package-name": "dev-main"
}Then run:
bash
composer update vendor/package-nameThis lets you take control of the upgrade without waiting for the original maintainer.
Yes. Before you do the full Laravel upgrade, lock all working dependencies using:
bash
composer update --lockThis avoids accidental version mismatches during testing. Once the upgrade is verified, you can fine-tune versions and unlock where needed.
Authentication is one of the most sensitive parts of any Laravel upgrade. Laravel 12 removes or restructures several features that older apps depend on, especially those still using Auth::routes() or custom session guards. Middleware is also more modular now, with improved route-level control. This section breaks down how to refactor your auth and access logic safely.
No. Auth::routes() is deprecated and unsupported in Laravel 12. If your app still uses this method, you’ll need to migrate to a modern starter like Laravel Breeze, Jetstream, or Fortify.
For example, to install Breeze:
bash
composer require laravel/breeze --dev
php artisan breeze:install
npm install && npm run build
php artisan migrateThis gives you clean, extendable authentication views and logic compatible with Laravel 12 and modern frontend stacks.
If you use multiple guards or token-based authentication (e.g., sanctum, passport), check your config/auth.php setup. Laravel 12 expects clearer separation between web and API guards. You may also need to adjust session timeouts or cookie drivers for compatibility with cross-origin setups.
Things to double-check:
That your default guard is defined clearly
Session handling works across tenants or subdomains
Token expiry policies align with new Laravel middleware defaults
Middleware in Laravel 12 is more streamlined. Route-based middleware is now preferred over global declarations. Instead of stacking everything inside app/Http/Kernel.php, define middleware in controller routes or use attributes.
Old approach (Kernel.php):
PHP
protected $routeMiddleware = [
'admin' => \App\Http\Middleware\AdminAccess::class,
];New approach (Controller):
PHP
#[Middleware('admin')]
public function dashboard() {
// ...
}This reduces overhead and gives more precise access control.
Make sure your upgrade includes:
Removal of old auth.php settings that no longer apply
Re-testing of login/logout/session expiry flows
Adjustment of middleware order, especially around CSRF and CORS logic
Token-based login compatibility for SPAs or mobile apps
Old packages and deprecated auth logic are the top causes of upgrade failure. We’ll help you refactor safely — replacing unsupported packages and modernizing your authentication layer for Laravel 12.
Laravel’s frontend layer has advanced rapidly. If your app still uses Laravel Mix, Vue 2, or legacy Blade templates, it will feel dated, heavy, or hard to scale. Laravel 12 pairs cleanly with Vite, Vue 3, Inertia.js, and modern Blade components — all designed to deliver faster rendering, better maintainability, and improved developer speed.
Yes — Vite is now the official frontend bundler for Laravel. It replaces Laravel Mix, offering:
Faster dev server start times
Built-in ES module support
Hot Module Replacement out of the box
To switch from Mix to Vite, start with
bash
composer require laravel/vite-plugin
npm installBlade
@vite(['resources/css/app.css', 'resources/js/app.js'])And remove any references to webpack.mix.js from your project entirely.
📚 Official Guide – Laravel Vite
Laravel 12 works best with Vue 3 — Vue 2 is no longer supported in the Laravel Breeze and Jetstream stacks. You should upgrade or switch entirely to Inertia.js or Livewire, depending on your app type.
If your app is JavaScript-heavy:
Use Inertia.js with Vue 3 or React for seamless SPA development powered by Laravel routes.
If your app is form-heavy or dashboard-style:
Use Livewire to build reactivity without managing API calls or JS state.
Jetstream allows you to choose between Inertia or Livewire during installation.
bash
php artisan jetstream:install inertia
npm install && npm run build
php artisan migrateYes — modern Blade prefers reusable components and layout slots over inline PHP or duplicated markup. Start by moving your repeated UI elements (buttons, modals, alerts) into components using:
bash
php artisan make:component ButtonThen use it like this in your Blade file:
blade
<x-button type="submit">Save</x-button>This makes your views cleaner, testable, and easier to maintain — especially on large teams.
If you’re using Laravel as a backend for an SPA, set up Sanctum for token-based or cookie authentication. Laravel 12 includes better headers and CORS config defaults for apps using:
Vue 3 or React with Inertia
Next.js or Nuxt with Laravel APIs
Standalone frontends communicating over REST or GraphQL
Make sure to:
Enable withCredentials: true in your frontend HTTP client
Allow cookies to be scoped across subdomains if using multi-tenant auth
Review CSRF token handling in /sanctum/csrf-cookie route
Laravel 12 introduces important structural improvements to how you manage your database — from seeders to timestamp precision. If you’ve skipped version upgrades for a few years, this is a critical area to revisit. Updating here reduces errors, makes tests more predictable, and unlocks support for advanced features like UUIDs and schema-based testing.
Laravel no longer uses static or inline DB::table() insert calls inside DatabaseSeeder.php. The modern approach relies on:
Class-based seeders
Model factories with typed attributes
Factory states and sequences for more predictable test data
To modernize your seeders:
bash
php artisan make:seeder UserSeederThen refactor your code:
php
public function run()
{
\App\Models\User::factory()->count(10)->create();
}If your seeders still manually insert using arrays or SQL, they should be rewritten for testability and futureproofing.
Yes — Laravel 12 now encourages more explicit, type-safe column definitions. For example:
Use uuid() for identifiers instead of string()
Use timestampsTz() if you manage global data across time zones
Default to enum() where applicable for status fields (Laravel supports native DB enums)
Before:
PHP
$table->string('id');
$table->timestamps();After:
PHP
$table->uuid('id')->primary();
$table->timestampsTz();Check that your older migrations don’t rely on defaults that behave differently in MySQL 8+, PostgreSQL, or SQLite — especially when testing in containers or CI/CD.
If your team runs tests with SQLite or in-memory databases, consider switching to containerized MySQL or Postgres. Laravel 12 is built with real-world testing in mind, and many new DB features aren’t supported in SQLite.
Popular setups now include:
MySQL in Docker with GitHub Actions
PostgreSQL with Fly.io or Laravel Vapor
SQLite fallback for ultra-fast unit tests
You can configure your .env.testing like:
env
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_DATABASE=testing_db
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=secretThen launch it via GitHub Actions or Docker Compose for each test job.
If you’re still using Laravel Mix, Vue 2, or raw SQL in your seeders, the upgrade won’t be smooth. We’ll help you modernize your UI stack and bring your database up to Laravel 12 standards — clean, fast, and future-ready.
A Laravel upgrade isn’t finished when the code is merged — it’s successful only when it’s deployed, tested, and monitored in production. CI/CD pipelines help automate this workflow so you can run tests, sync changes, and deploy safely without human error. Laravel 12 is built to work with zero-downtime CI/CD pipelines across cloud and container platforms.
In 2025, most Laravel teams use one of these CI/CD platforms:
GitHub Actions – For customizable pipelines and easy integration
Laravel Forge – For provisioning servers and auto-deployment
Envoyer – For blue-green deployments with rollbacks
Laravel Vapor – For serverless Laravel hosting on AWS
For most teams using GitHub, Actions remains the best balance of control and visibility. Laravel Forge or Envoyer can handle zero-downtime deploys with minimal setup.
A complete Laravel 12 CI/CD pipeline includes:
Composer install
Frontend build (Vite)
Static analysis (optional): PHPStan, Larastan
Feature and browser tests (Pest, Dusk)
Deployment to staging
Database migrations
Post-deploy cleanup
Here’s a GitHub Actions snippet:
yaml
- name: Laravel Setup
run: |
composer install --no-interaction --prefer-dist --optimize-autoloader
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate
- name: Run Tests
run: php artisan testYou can also trigger deploys to Forge or Envoyer using GitHub deploy keys or webhooks.
Yes — especially for SaaS, enterprise, or B2B apps that can’t afford even 30 seconds of downtime. Blue-green deployment means:
You deploy to a duplicate production environment
All upgrades, caches, and tests run on the “green” version
When it passes, traffic is switched over instantly
If anything breaks, you roll back to “blue” with no disruption
Both Envoyer and Vapor support this pattern out of the box.
After every Laravel upgrade, run the following commands as part of your CI/CD post-deploy script:
bash
php artisan config:clear
php artisan cache:clear
php artisan route:clear
php artisan view:clear
php artisan migrate --force
php artisan queue:restartThese commands ensure your Laravel 12 app runs cleanly, with no outdated caches or queue hang-ups.
Laravel 12 is no longer just a backend framework — it’s becoming a solid foundation for AI-powered applications. Whether you’re integrating OpenAI, building chat assistants, or offering predictive automation inside your platform, Laravel 12 now supports the structure and speed these use cases require. Teams investing in Laravel AI development services are already taking advantage of this evolution.
Laravel 12 encourages typed method signatures and controller attributes, which make it easier to define consistent AI endpoints. You can now build strongly typed APIs for LLM prompts, structured inputs, and safe validation.
Example: Prompt request controller
php
public function generateSummary(Request $request): JsonResponse
{
$validated = $request->validate([
'prompt' => 'required|string|max:1000',
]);
$result = AIService::summarize($validated['prompt']);
return response()->json(['summary' => $result]);
}Strict request types help prevent prompt injection and input corruption — two critical security risks in AI workflows.
AI workloads like chatbots, summarizers, and image processors run best in background jobs. Laravel 12 pairs perfectly with:
Redis queues for fast, in-memory processing
Octane or Swoole for high concurrency and warm workers
Supervisor or Horizon for queue monitoring and auto-restarts
You can dispatch queued AI prompts like this:
php
AIJob::dispatch($prompt)->onQueue('ai-tasks');Laravel’s job batching and retry logic also ensures that failed LLM calls can be retried without crashing the user experience.
Laravel middleware makes it easy to:
Add rate limiting per user or tenant
Require authentication tokens for AI API access
Tag requests per plan (e.g. free vs premium usage)
Example of middleware-protected route:
php
Route::middleware(['auth:sanctum', 'throttle:ai'])->post('/ai/process', [AIController::class, 'handle']);This is especially useful for SaaS platforms offering AI services to users on different pricing tiers.
Yes — Octane enables concurrent request handling and persistent memory for Laravel apps. That means your AI services can:
Keep warm instances of your AI client library
Store active user sessions across requests
Reduce latency for every prompt interaction
With Octane + Swoole, response times for AI calls can drop by 40–60%, especially on chat or real-time generation endpoints
From blue-green CI pipelines to real-time AI endpoints, Laravel 12 is built for scale. We’ll help you configure safe deployments and prepare your app for OpenAI, chatbots, and machine learning features.
Laravel 12 is built to work in distributed, serverless environments. Whether you’re using Laravel Vapor or deploying to AWS Lambda via Bref, Laravel 12 now supports fast, stateless execution — and is flexible enough to handle scaling, background jobs, and caching in environments without persistent infrastructure.
You have two stable and production-tested options in 2025:
Laravel Vapor – Laravel’s official serverless deployment platform for AWS
Bref – A PHP runtime for AWS Lambda that supports Laravel and Symfony apps
Both solutions remove the need to manage servers. They let you deploy directly to Lambda and scale automatically based on demand.
Serverless apps are stateless, so Laravel must adapt:
You cannot rely on session files stored on local disk
Cache, queue, and session drivers must use remote stores like Redis, S3, or DynamoDB
Every boot cycle must be optimized to reduce cold starts
This makes Laravel 12’s Octane-ready architecture, config caching, and route optimization essential in serverless mode.
Laravel 12 improves boot time with:
Faster config caching
Vite-based assets for reduced JavaScript weight
Octane compatibility (especially with Swoole)
To reduce Lambda cold starts:
Use config:cache and route:cache
Set memory to at least 512 MB for Laravel workloads
Avoid initializing unused service providers
You can add this to your deployment script:
bash
php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache
php artisan view:cacheYes. Both Vapor and Bref support running queues as separate Lambda functions. In Vapor, you define worker types (like default, emails, ai-tasks) and attach them to SQS queues. Laravel 12’s updated job batching works well with these systems.
In config/queue.php:
php
'connections' => [
'sqs' => [
'driver' => 'sqs',
'key' => env('AWS_KEY'),
'secret' => env('AWS_SECRET'),
'queue' => env('SQS_QUEUE_URL'),
'region' => 'us-east-1',
],
],This allows Laravel jobs to run even while your app sleeps, and scale under load without needing EC2 or managed servers.
Laravel upgrades don’t just affect performance or features — they can also impact how your app handles user data, consent, and compliance. From session behavior to API exposure, even a minor change in logic could create legal risks. Laravel 12 introduces more predictable behavior, but every upgrade should include a privacy and security audit.
Laravel 12 supports better logging, session handling, and database precision — all of which help maintain compliance. But the upgrade process itself can break key features that users depend on to manage their data, including:
Exporting personal records
Deleting accounts completely
Honoring cookie consent or data retention periods
Make sure your upgrade testing includes these privacy workflows, especially for EU and California-based users.
Yes — in most cases. Laravel upgrades may alter encryption keys, session signatures, or storage behavior. If your app uses sessions to manage login or token state, invalidating old sessions ensures clean state handling and avoids bugs or silent failures.
After deploying the upgrade, restart queue workers and clear session data with:
bash
php artisan queue:restart
php artisan session:clearIf you’re using Redis for sessions, confirm that expiration policies and TTLs are properly scoped per user or tenant.
If you serve multiple clients or organizations from one Laravel app, the upgrade must preserve tenant data boundaries. Laravel 12 improves middleware and route-level tenant separation, but your system should still enforce:
Tenant-specific data exports
Session scoping (no shared tokens across orgs)
Isolated job queues per tenant (if needed)
These are especially critical in finance, healthcare, or legal SaaS platforms.
Yes — especially in apps using Inertia or SSR frontends. After upgrading to Laravel 12 and Vite, your frontend structure might change in ways that affect cookie scripts.
Make sure:
Cookie banners appear on first load
No tracking cookies are fired before consent
Analytics tools respect opt-out configurations
Tools like Cookiebot or Klaro.js may need to be re-tested after asset builds or layout refactors.
Whether you’re migrating to Laravel Vapor or handling sensitive user data under GDPR or CCPA, we’ll help you upgrade securely — with tenant-aware logic, scalable serverless setup, and zero compliance gaps.
Even if your Laravel upgrade passes CI and looks stable in staging, it’s what happens in production that truly matters. Thorough testing and real-time monitoring ensure your app runs smoothly, features behave as expected, and any post-upgrade bugs are caught before they cause damage.
Run a full suite of automated tests before pushing to production. If you’re using PestPHP or PHPUnit, make sure you cover:
User authentication
Payment flows
Admin access
API endpoints
Background job logic
If your app uses forms, dashboards, or JS-heavy views, also run Laravel Dusk for browser-based testing:
bash
php artisan duskThis simulates real user interactions and helps catch frontend issues related to Blade, Vue, or Inertia changes after the upgrade.
The best Laravel-native tool is Telescope, which gives you visibility into:
HTTP requests
Exceptions and failed jobs
Database queries
Log entries
To install Telescope in Laravel 12:
bash
composer require laravel/telescope --dev
php artisan telescope:install
php artisan migrateOnce live, it gives you a visual dashboard at /telescope, great for real-time debugging during rollout.
Yes — tools like Sentry and Bugsnag give you visibility into production errors across devices and environments. They integrate with Laravel easily and notify your team when something breaks.
For example, with Sentry:
bash
composer require sentry/sentry-laravel
php artisan vendor:publish --tag=sentry-configThen configure your DSN in .env.
In the first 24–48 hours post-upgrade, watch for:
Queue job failures
Slow database queries
Session expiration anomalies
Increased exception logs
Drops in conversion or checkout success
If you’re using Laravel Octane or serverless deployment, monitor cold start latency and memory usage to ensure consistency.
A mid-sized SaaS company offering HR automation software approached Acquaint Softtech in early 2024. Their app, built on Laravel 7, was still functional but had started to show strain:
Features failed after minor package updates
PHP 8 compatibility was blocked
Their CI/CD pipeline broke during every deployment
Users experienced slow dashboards and session drops during peak hours
The platform served over 8,000 daily active users, ran in a multi-tenant mode, and handled everything from recruitment workflows to payroll exports. It was a mission-critical tool for enterprise clients — downtime was not an option.
Their Laravel 7 stack was out of security support. Performance lagged due to outdated helpers, bloated Blade files, and tight coupling between the UI and backend. They couldn’t implement new features like document previews or AI-based resume parsing because modern packages required Laravel 10+ and PHP 8.2.
Acquaint Softtech proposed a staged upgrade path across multiple sprints:
Phase 1: Freeze master branch and establish a clean staging clone
Phase 2: Audit packages, replace 11 outdated ones including laravelcollective/html and custom macros
Phase 3: Move to Laravel Breeze, refactor auth, implement multi-guard support
Phase 4: Shift frontend to Vue 3 via Inertia.js, enabling better dashboard performance
Phase 5: Upgrade from Laravel 7 → 8 → 10 → 12, testing every step with Pest and Dusk
Phase 6: Deploy using Forge and GitHub Actions with a blue-green strategy
In just 6 weeks, the company went from a stagnant Laravel 7 codebase to a fully modular Laravel 12 platform with zero user-visible downtime. Improvements were seen immediately:
Job queues stabilized, reducing stuck jobs by 90%
API response time improved by 2×
Monthly support tickets dropped by 30%
Time-to-market for new features improved by over 40%
Their new AI module for job matching launched smoothly on top of the upgraded foundation
“Acquaint didn’t just update our code — they unlocked our roadmap. We were stuck with technical debt for two years. Now we deploy faster, onboard clients with less friction, and our dev team is confident again.” — CTO, HR SaaS Company
We don’t guess — we simulate, test, monitor, and validate. Just like we did for our HR SaaS client, we’ll walk your app through the upgrade safely, with real-time logs and full rollback protection.
Even experienced teams can run into trouble during Laravel upgrades. Small oversights — like outdated packages, session mismatches, or rushed deploys — can cause production failures or rollback disasters. This section outlines the most common upgrade pitfalls and how you can avoid them with planning, testing, and clean execution.
Many teams attempt to jump from Laravel 6 or 7 straight to 12 to save time. The result: cascading breakages in factories, routes, Blade components, authentication logic, and tests. Laravel’s upgrade path isn’t built for long jumps — and skipping versions means skipping incremental changes that matter.
Always follow a staged path:
Laravel 6 → 7 → 8 → 10 → 12
Run tests and check changelogs at each step to isolate what broke and fix it early.
Upgrading Laravel can change how sessions are encrypted, stored, or expired — especially when jumping to Laravel 10+. If sessions are stored on disk or in misconfigured Redis buckets, users may get logged out unexpectedly or see token mismatch errors.
Switching to Redis or database-backed sessions
Running php artisan session:clear post-upgrade
Validating all session cookies, token expiries, and CSRF flows manually
Yes. Developers often upgrade Laravel core but forget to check if their third-party packages support the new version. This can lead to silent failures, deprecated helper usage, or fatal errors in production.
Running composer outdated and checking GitHub issue trackers
Replacing abandoned packages before upgrading Laravel itself
Locking stable dependencies before running major updates
Teams sometimes upgrade in staging but forget to update CI/CD scripts or post-deploy commands. This results in cached configs, queue worker failures, or broken views on the live site.
Post-upgrade musts:
bash
php artisan config:cache
php artisan route:cache
php artisan view:cache
php artisan queue:restartAlso validate that your .env.production variables match your upgraded configuration files.
Not freezing the codebase before upgrade
Skipping session or auth testing
Deploying without database backups
Upgrading directly on production servers
Ignoring log output or Telescope exceptions after go-live
Each of these can turn a simple upgrade into hours of damage control.
Upgrading Laravel is no longer just a technical task — it’s a business-critical decision. If you’re running an older version of Laravel, choosing the right upgrade partner directly impacts your ability to innovate, scale, and stay secure. The right team won’t just push code; they’ll protect your users, align with your roadmap, and future-proof your stack.
That’s why more businesses are turning to companies with deep specialization in Laravel development services — teams that treat every upgrade like a production launch, not a side task.
As an official Laravel partner, Acquaint Softtech brings the discipline, experience, and confidence needed for high-risk, high-impact version upgrades. We’re not generalists — we’re a focused Laravel development company with a proven track record across SaaS, marketplaces, enterprise portals, and B2B platforms.
We’ve executed complex upgrades from Laravel 5.x through 12
We use Laravel Shift, Rector, Pest, Octane, Vapor, and best-in-class DevOps practices
We treat every client as long-term product owners — not short-term contracts
We enable full-stack modernization including AI features, serverless, and multi-tenant support
Whether you’re rebuilding your pipeline or preparing for AI integration, we help you get there faster, safer, and smarter.
If your current Laravel version is blocking features, performance, or integrations, now is the right time to act. Waiting only compounds technical debt and limits what your app can do.
When you hire Laravel developers from Acquaint Softtech, you’re getting more than code — you’re getting process, accountability, and deep alignment with the future of Laravel.
Version jumps fail when handled without structure, strategy, or the right Laravel partner. Let Acquaint Softtech guide your upgrade with the same precision we bring to every Laravel migration.
Laravel 12 isn’t just faster — it’s smarter, leaner, and built for what modern applications actually need: performance under load, seamless AI integration, and clean developer workflows. If your app is still running Laravel 7, 8, or even older, every quarter you delay adds more friction, more patchwork, and more long-term risk.
Upgrading now means:
Better performance across API, jobs, and UI
Easier integration with OpenAI and emerging AI tools
Compliance with PHP 8.3 and cloud deployment standards
Freedom from deprecated packages and outdated practices
The truth is simple: technical debt grows fast. But handled right, a Laravel version upgrade resets your entire foundation — and sets you up to scale confidently into 2025 and beyond.
Laravel 7 and 8 are no longer supported with security fixes or PHP 8.2+ compatibility. Staying on these versions opens your app to vulnerabilities, slows development, and blocks access to modern tools like Vite, Octane, and typed routes.
No. A direct upgrade will break authentication, factories, routing, and more. You must upgrade incrementally (Laravel 6 → 7 → 8 → 10 → 12) to avoid critical compatibility issues.
For a medium-sized application, a full upgrade (with staging, testing, deployment) usually takes 2 to 6 weeks, depending on app size, test coverage, package complexity, and number of deprecated features.
Not always. But if you’re using Laravel Mix, Vue 2, or jQuery, you’ll benefit from switching to Vite, Vue 3, Inertia, or Blade components — which Laravel 12 supports out of the box.
They might. Laravel 12 may change how sessions are stored or encrypted. It’s common to force a logout and refresh all session data after upgrade to prevent silent authentication issues.
Only if they’re maintained and Laravel 12 compatible. Many packages from the Laravel 6–8 era are now abandoned or incompatible with PHP 8.3. We recommend replacing outdated ones during the upgrade process.
You can still upgrade — but you’ll need extra manual QA and staging environments. We often help clients add basic test coverage before upgrading to catch common issues automatically.
Upgrading Laravel across major versions is complex and not suited to general PHP developers. It involves framework internals, package resolution, CI/CD adjustments, and Laravel-specific best practices. A certified Laravel development company is your safest option.
We’re Acquaint Softtech, your technology growth partner. Whether you're building a SaaS product, modernizing enterprise software, or hiring vetted remote developers, we’re built for flexibility and speed. Our official partnerships with Laravel, Statamic, and Bagisto reflect our commitment to excellence, not limitation. We work across stacks, time zones, and industries to bring your tech vision to life.
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