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If your Laravel homepage loads but every other URL returns 404, first find out whether the web server is failing to forward the request to Laravel or Laravel is receiving it without a matching route. Those are different problems, and the right fix depends on which layer returns the response.
First identify which layer returns the 404
Record the exact failing URL and HTTP method, then determine whether the response comes from the web server or from Laravel. The symptom alone does not establish the cause. A server-level failure points toward document-root or rewrite configuration; a Laravel 404 means the request reached the application but did not match a registered route.
- Compare the failing response with Laravel’s normal error page and check server or application logs where available.
- Test a known route using its intended method. A URL that works with one method may not have a route registered for another.
Check that the web server sends requests to Laravel
Laravel’s deployment guidance says the web server should direct requests to public/index.php, with the site’s document root set to the application’s public directory. Do not move index.php into the project root: Laravel warns that doing so can expose sensitive configuration files. See Laravel’s deployment documentation.
If the server uses Nginx
Compare the active virtual-host configuration with Laravel’s current example, which includes this fallback:
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try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;This sends requests that do not match an existing file or directory to the front controller. Treat the directive as a starting point, not a universal drop-in configuration: confirm that your PHP-FPM and front-controller handling also matches your server setup.
If the server uses Apache
Check that mod_rewrite is enabled, that the expected .htaccess file is present, and that the host’s directory configuration permits its rewrite rules to take effect. Laravel’s documentation for version 5.4 identifies mod_rewrite as necessary for the shipped .htaccess to provide pretty URLs; because that guidance is historical, verify the configuration for your current Apache and Laravel versions rather than copying old settings blindly. See Laravel 5.4 installation documentation.
If Laravel receives the request, inspect registered routes
Laravel defines routes in the application’s routes directory. A request that does not match a registered route returns a 404. Check the route’s path and HTTP method, any group or resource prefixes, and whether the relevant route file is registered for your installed Laravel version. Laravel’s routing documentation explains route definitions and matching.
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After deployment, compare the routes registered on the server with the routes you expect. If your deployment uses route caching, regenerate the cache after changing routes; Laravel documents route:cache as a deployment optimization and advises rebuilding the cache when routes change. A stale route cache is one possibility to check, not a diagnosis to assume.
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Use the results to choose the next fix
- The request appears not to reach Laravel: check that the document root is the project’s
publicdirectory and that the server forwards non-file paths topublic/index.php. - Laravel handles the request but returns 404: verify the requested path, HTTP method, prefixes, and route-file registration against the routes actually registered on the server.
- You changed routes and use route caching: regenerate the route cache, then confirm the expected routes are registered.
Avoid starting with broad cache-clearing commands or permission changes. The checks above address the two documented branches—front-controller forwarding and unmatched Laravel routes—and the symptom by itself does not establish permissions as the cause.
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