The summary.
NEVER UPLOAD A LARAVEL PROJECT INTO THE PUBLIC DIRECTORY AS IT STANDS
Everything outside the public folder becomes browser-reachable, including your configuration file with database credentials and keys.
Place the application outside the served directory, put the public contents in it, and adjust the entry point's paths.
Then try requesting your configuration file in a browser. It must not be served.
SPECIFY THE PHP VERSION EXPLICITLY IN THE TERMINAL AND IN CRON
The terminal default frequently differs from the version serving your site, and cron inherits nothing.
THE MOST COMMON DEPLOYMENT REPORT
Changes not taking effect, because configuration and routes are cached. Rebuild them after every deployment.
ONLY STORAGE NEEDS TO BE WRITABLE
Never broaden permissions to clear an error — the error is then replaced by a compromise.
DEPLOY IN ORDER
Back up, deploy code, install dependencies, migrate, rebuild caches, restart workers, verify.
CHECK THE STORAGE LINK AFTER EVERY DEPLOYMENT
It is a common silent breakage.
WHEN SOMETHING FAILS
The storage log directory first, then the server error log. Debug is off in production, so the browser tells you nothing.
