Laravel Folder Structure Explained for Beginners

A beginner-friendly breakdown of the Laravel folder structure — understand what app/, routes/, resources/, and config/ actually do.

When you open a fresh Laravel project, the number of folders can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down exactly what you need to know as a beginner — and which folders you'll actually touch on a daily basis. The Root Directory Overview example-app/ ├── app/ ├── bootstrap/ ├── config/ ├── database/ ├── public/ ├── resources/ ├── routes/ ├── storage/ ├── tests/ ├── vendor/ ├── .env └── artisan Let's go through the important ones. app/ — Your Application's Core Logic This is where you'll spend most of your time. Key subfolders: app/Models/ – your Eloquent models (represent database tables) app/Http/Controllers/ – handle incoming requests and return responses app/Http/Middleware/ – code that runs before/after requests (e.g., authentication checks) app/Providers/ – service providers that configure your app on boot routes/ — Where URLs Are Defined routes/web.php – routes for your website...

Home · Projects · Articles · Developer tools · Contact