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Introduction

Deploying a fullstack Laravel Breeze API + Next.js application requires careful consideration of both backend and frontend infrastructure. This guide provides an overview of deployment strategies, hosting options, and production requirements.

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Deployment Architecture

Your application consists of two separate components that must be deployed independently:
  • Backend (Laravel API): Requires PHP 8.2+ hosting with database support
  • Frontend (Next.js): Requires Node.js hosting or static hosting depending on rendering strategy

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Communication Flow

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Hosting Options

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Backend Hosting

Traditional VPS

Full control over server configuration. Ideal for complex requirements.
  • DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr
  • AWS EC2, Google Compute Engine
  • Requires server management skills

Platform as a Service

Managed PHP hosting with automatic scaling and maintenance.
  • Laravel Forge + DigitalOcean
  • Heroku (with PHP buildpack)
  • Platform.sh, Laravel Cloud

Serverless

Pay-per-request pricing with automatic scaling.
  • AWS Lambda (via Bref)
  • Vapor (Laravel’s serverless platform)
  • Google Cloud Run

Shared Hosting

Budget-friendly option for small applications.
  • cPanel hosting with PHP 8.2+
  • Limited control and resources
  • Not recommended for production

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Frontend Hosting

Vercel

Optimized for Next.js with zero configuration.
  • Automatic deployments from Git
  • Global CDN and edge functions
  • Free tier available

Netlify

Static and SSR hosting with simple setup.
  • Git-based deployments
  • Form handling and functions
  • Free tier available

Custom Server

Full control with Node.js hosting.
  • VPS with PM2 or Docker
  • Requires server management
  • More configuration needed

Static Hosting

If using static export only.
  • AWS S3 + CloudFront
  • Cloudflare Pages
  • GitHub Pages (with limitations)

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Production Requirements

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Backend Requirements

  • PHP 8.2 or higher
  • Composer 2.x
  • MySQL 8.0+ or PostgreSQL 13+
  • Redis (optional, for caching and queues)
  • Supervisor (for queue workers)
  • Cron access (for scheduled tasks)
  • BCMath
  • Ctype
  • cURL
  • DOM
  • Fileinfo
  • JSON
  • Mbstring
  • OpenSSL
  • PCRE
  • PDO
  • Tokenizer
  • XML
  • Nginx (recommended) or Apache
  • SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt)
  • HTTP/2 support
  • Gzip/Brotli compression

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Frontend Requirements

  • Node.js 18+ (LTS recommended)
  • npm, pnpm, or yarn
  • Environment variables configured
  • HTTPS enabled (required for Sanctum cookies)

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HTTPS Requirements

HTTPS is mandatory for production. Laravel Sanctum requires secure cookies for authentication, which only work over HTTPS connections.

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Why HTTPS is Required

  1. Laravel Sanctum Security: Sanctum uses secure, httpOnly cookies for authentication
  2. Cookie Transmission: Browsers block secure cookies over HTTP
  3. API Communication: Cross-origin requests require secure connections
  4. Modern Standards: HTTPS is a baseline security requirement

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SSL Certificate Options

  • Let’s Encrypt: Free, automated SSL certificates
  • Cloudflare: Free SSL with CDN and DDoS protection
  • Commercial Certificates: Wildcard and extended validation options

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Production Checklist

Before deploying to production, ensure you’ve completed these tasks:

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Backend Checklist

1

Environment Configuration

  • Set APP_ENV=production
  • Set APP_DEBUG=false
  • Generate strong APP_KEY
  • Configure database credentials
  • Set proper APP_URL and FRONTEND_URL
2

Security Hardening

  • Review CORS configuration
  • Configure trusted hosts
  • Set secure session settings
  • Enable CSRF protection
  • Configure rate limiting
3

Performance Optimization

  • Run composer install --optimize-autoloader --no-dev
  • Cache configuration: php artisan config:cache
  • Cache routes: php artisan route:cache
  • Cache views: php artisan view:cache
  • Enable OPcache
4

Database Setup

  • Run migrations: php artisan migrate --force
  • Seed production data if needed
  • Configure database backups
  • Set up read replicas if needed
5

Queue and Cron

  • Configure queue workers with Supervisor
  • Set up cron job for scheduler
  • Test queue processing
  • Monitor queue failures
6

Logging and Monitoring

  • Configure log channels
  • Set up error tracking (Sentry, Bugsnag)
  • Enable application monitoring
  • Configure log rotation

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Frontend Checklist

1

Environment Configuration

  • Set NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL to production API URL
  • Configure any additional environment variables
  • Remove development-only variables
2

Build Configuration

  • Choose rendering strategy (SSR vs Static Export)
  • Configure output settings in next.config.js
  • Optimize images and assets
  • Enable production optimizations
3

Security

  • Review API endpoint configurations
  • Ensure no sensitive data in client code
  • Configure Content Security Policy
  • Enable security headers
4

Performance

  • Run production build: npm run build
  • Test build locally: npm start
  • Analyze bundle size
  • Configure CDN if needed

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Deployment Strategies

Deploy backend and frontend independently:
  • Backend: Deploy to PHP hosting (Forge, VPS, etc.)
  • Frontend: Deploy to Vercel, Netlify, or custom Node.js server
  • Advantages: Better separation of concerns, independent scaling, easier rollbacks

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2. Monolithic Deployment

Deploy both on the same server:
  • Backend serves API at /api
  • Frontend served by Node.js or built as static files
  • Advantages: Simpler infrastructure, single deployment
  • Disadvantages: Harder to scale, more complex configuration

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3. Containerized Deployment

Use Docker for both services:
  • Separate containers for Laravel and Next.js
  • Orchestrate with Docker Compose or Kubernetes
  • Advantages: Consistent environments, easy scaling, portability

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Domain Configuration

api.yourdomain.com  → Laravel Backend
app.yourdomain.com  → Next.js Frontend

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Alternative Setup

yourdomain.com      → Next.js Frontend
yourdomain.com/api  → Laravel Backend (via reverse proxy)

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Environment Variables

Ensure these critical environment variables are set:

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Backend (.env)

APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_URL=https://api.yourdomain.com
FRONTEND_URL=https://app.yourdomain.com

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=your-db-host
DB_DATABASE=your-db-name
DB_USERNAME=your-db-user
DB_PASSWORD=your-secure-password

SESSION_DOMAIN=.yourdomain.com
SANCTUM_STATEFUL_DOMAINS=app.yourdomain.com

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Frontend (.env.production)

NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL=https://api.yourdomain.com

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Post-Deployment Testing

After deployment, verify:
  • API health check endpoint responds
  • Database connection works
  • Authentication endpoints functional
  • Queue workers processing jobs
  • Scheduled tasks running
  • SSL certificate valid
  • CORS headers present

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Next Steps

Backend Deployment

Deploy your Laravel API to production

Frontend Deployment

Deploy your Next.js application

Environment Configuration

Configure production environment variables

Backend Testing

Learn about testing your Laravel backend

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