How to Setup Laravel Authentication in Few Simple Steps

How to Setup Laravel Authentication in Few Simple Steps

Learn how to quickly set up authentication in your Laravel application using Laravel's built-in authentication features.

Introduction

Laravel provides a robust authentication system out of the box. This guide will show you how to set up authentication quickly and efficiently using Laravel's built-in features.

Prerequisites

  • Laravel 6.x or higher
  • Database configured
  • Basic understanding of Laravel

1 Install Laravel UI Package

Install the Laravel UI package via Composer:

composer require laravel/ui

Generate the authentication scaffolding:

php artisan ui bootstrap --auth
npm install && npm run dev

2 Configure Database

Update your `.env` file with database credentials:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=your_database
DB_USERNAME=your_username
DB_PASSWORD=your_password

Run migrations to create the users table:

php artisan migrate

3 Configure Routes

Add authentication routes in `routes/web.php`:

Auth::routes();

Route::get('/home', [App\Http\Controllers\HomeController::class, 'index'])->name('home');

4 Configure User Model

Update your `app/Models/User.php`:

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Foundation\Auth\User as Authenticatable;
use Illuminate\Notifications\Notifiable;

class User extends Authenticatable
{
    use Notifiable;

    protected $fillable = [
        'name',
        'email',
        'password',
    ];

    protected $hidden = [
        'password',
        'remember_token',
    ];

    protected $casts = [
        'email_verified_at' => 'datetime',
        'password' => 'hashed',
    ];
}

5 Configure Authentication Controller

Update your `app/Http/Controllers/Auth/LoginController.php`:

namespace App\Http\Controllers\Auth;

use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
use App\Providers\RouteServiceProvider;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Auth\AuthenticatesUsers;

class LoginController extends Controller
{
    use AuthenticatesUsers;

    protected $redirectTo = RouteServiceProvider::HOME;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->middleware('guest')->except('logout');
    }
}

6 Add Authentication Middleware

Protect routes in `routes/web.php`:

Route::middleware(['auth'])->group(function () {
    Route::get('/dashboard', function () {
        return view('dashboard');
    });
});

7 Customize Views

Views are located in `resources/views/auth/`. You can customize:

  • login.blade.php
  • register.blade.php
  • forgot-password.blade.php
  • reset-password.blade.php
  • verify-email.blade.php

Key Features Covered

  • User registration
  • Login/logout
  • Password reset
  • Email verification
  • Remember me functionality
  • Route protection

Best Practices

  • Use strong password validation
  • Implement rate limiting
  • Enable CSRF protection
  • Use secure session handling
  • Implement proper error handling

Common Issues

  • Missing database configuration
  • Incorrect route definitions
  • Missing middleware
  • Session configuration issues
  • Mail configuration problems

Additional Resources