A Laravel site normally returns an Nginx 403 because the virtual host points at the wrong directory, the request is not falling back to Laravel’s front controller, Nginx is deliberately denying a hidden path, or Nginx/PHP-FPM cannot traverse and read the application files. Set the document root to Laravel’s public/ directory, route non-file requests to /index.php?$query_string, pass the resolved public path to PHP-FPM, and verify traversal, read, and write permissions.
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- Use
/srv/example.com/public, not the repository root, asroot. - Keep
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;in the/location. - Make PHP-FPM execute the same
public/index.phpthat Nginx can read. - Give Laravel write access only to
storageandbootstrap/cache. - Leave hidden-file denial enabled; a 403 for
.envor.gitis usually the desired result.
What a 403 means in a Laravel deployment
HTTP 403 means the server understood the request but refused to serve it. In a Laravel installation, the refusal can happen before PHP runs, while Nginx is choosing a file, when Nginx hands index.php to PHP-FPM, or when the operating system rejects a file access.
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Laravel is designed as a front-controller application. Public assets and the front controller live in public/; application code, configuration files, and environment secrets live above it. Nginx should therefore expose only that public directory. Laravel’s deployment documentation explicitly warns against moving index.php to the project root because doing so can expose sensitive configuration files to the internet.
Identify the failing layer first
| What you observe | Most likely layer | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Every URL, including a known image, returns 403 | Nginx root, directory traversal, or a broad deny rule | Active server block, parent-directory permissions, and the Nginx error log |
| A CSS, JavaScript, or image file returns 403 but another static file works | File or directory permissions, an ACL, or a location rule | The exact path and each parent directory with namei -l |
Static files work, but pretty URLs such as /profile return 403 or 404 |
Missing or incorrect front-controller fallback | The try_files line in the loaded configuration |
/ fails while a direct static asset works |
Index handling or PHP-FPM handoff | index index.php, the PHP location, socket path, and PHP-FPM logs |
/.env, /.git/config, or another dot-file returns 403 |
Intentional hidden-file protection | The hidden-file deny location; do not disable it merely to remove the status code |
Read the Nginx error log and the PHP-FPM log after each change. The wording distinguishes an Nginx access denial from a filesystem “permission denied” and from a failed FastCGI connection.
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Use a safe Laravel Nginx server block
This is the baseline shape from Laravel’s deployment guidance and Nginx’s documented request-processing model. Change the hostname, application path, and PHP-FPM socket to match your server.
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com;
root /srv/example.com/public;
index index.php;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
}
location ~ ^/index.php(/|$) {
fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name;
include fastcgi_params;
}
location ~ /.(?!well-known).* {
deny all;
}
}The exact PHP version in the socket name is only an example. A valid Nginx configuration that points to a nonexistent socket still fails at the application handoff, so check the PHP-FPM service configuration before copying that path.
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Nginx’s root directive builds a filesystem path by appending the request URI. With root /srv/example.com/public, a request for /build/app.css maps to /srv/example.com/public/build/app.css. Pointing root at /srv/example.com instead exposes the wrong directory tree and can make Nginx attempt to serve application files that are not intended to be public.
Why try_files needs the fallback
try_files checks the requested path as a file or directory. If neither exists, its final argument internally redirects the request to Laravel’s front controller while preserving the query string. Without /index.php?$query_string, a route that is valid in Laravel but has no matching file never reaches the framework.
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Why the FastCGI filename uses $realpath_root
The PHP-FPM process must receive the resolved path to the same public index.php that Nginx selected. fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name; avoids a mismatch when the document root contains a symbolic link and keeps the execution path aligned with the served path.
Why the dot-file rule should stay
The final location denies hidden paths except .well-known. That protects files such as .env and repository metadata. A 403 for those URLs is evidence that the protection is working, not a Laravel failure. Never remove the rule simply to make a test request return 200.
Repair the configuration step by step
- Find the configuration Nginx is actually loading. Run
sudo nginx -Tand locate the server block whoseserver_namematches the request. Editing an unused site file has no effect. Check for another default server that may be catching the hostname. - Confirm the public root. The active block must contain a path ending in
/public, such asroot /srv/example.com/public;. Confirm thatpublic/index.phpexists at that exact location. - Set the index file. Add
index index.php;at server level or in the applicable location. This lets a request for/resolve to the front controller instead of attempting to list a directory. - Restore the front-controller route. In the root location, use
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;. Keep the fallback as the final parameter; placing it earlier changes how existing files are handled. - Check the PHP location. Match
^/index.php(/|$), use the socket for the installed PHP-FPM pool, includefastcgi_params, and setSCRIPT_FILENAMEto$realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name. - Check deny rules for scope. A broad
deny allor an inherited location can block the whole application. Keep the targeted hidden-file rule, but remove accidental rules that match ordinary public paths. - Validate before reloading. Run
sudo nginx -t. Fix every syntax or include-file error reported; do not reload a configuration that fails the test. - Reload and inspect logs. Use your operating system’s normal service reload command, then request a known asset and the site root. Review both Nginx and PHP-FPM logs immediately if either still returns 403.
Fix filesystem permissions without exposing the repository
Correct Nginx syntax cannot overcome an operating-system denial. The account used by Nginx and PHP-FPM must be able to traverse every parent directory leading to the application, read public/index.php, and read the public assets. Laravel also requires its web-server process owner to write to storage and bootstrap/cache.
Check each directory in the path
Use namei -l /srv/example.com/public/index.php to inspect permissions on every path component. A readable file is not enough: the service account needs execute (directory-traversal) permission on /srv, /srv/example.com, and /srv/example.com/public. Check the effective account configured for the PHP-FPM pool rather than assuming it is the same as your login user.
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Test access as that service account. For example, on systems where the pool runs as www-data:
sudo -u www-data test -r /srv/example.com/public/index.php && echo readable
sudo -u www-data test -x /srv/example.com/public && echo traversable
sudo -u www-data test -w /srv/example.com/storage && echo storage-writable
sudo -u www-data test -w /srv/example.com/bootstrap/cache && echo cache-writableSubstitute the actual pool account when it differs. If the first two tests fail, correct ownership, group membership, ACLs, or directory mode on the affected path. If only the write tests fail, grant write access to storage and bootstrap/cache rather than making the entire project writable.
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Separate read access from Laravel write access
Nginx needs to read public files, while PHP-FPM needs to execute the front controller and Laravel needs runtime write locations. Giving broad write permission to the repository can expose or alter application code and configuration. Keep secrets and source files outside the document root and limit write capability to the two directories Laravel identifies.
Check symbolic links and deployment releases
If /srv/example.com or public is a symbolic link, compare the link target with the path in the server block. The $realpath_root FastCGI setting is useful only when the resolved target itself is readable and traversable. A deployment that switched the link to a new release can therefore produce a sudden 403 even though the Nginx file was not edited.
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Use logs and controlled requests to isolate the cause
Change one layer at a time and test in a fixed order. This prevents a permissions change from hiding a routing error.
- Known static asset: request a file that definitely exists under
public, such as a deployed CSS or image. A 403 here points to the root, path traversal, file permissions, or a matching deny rule. - Site root: request
/. If the asset worked but the root fails, inspectindex index.php, the PHP location, the socket, and PHP-FPM’s log. - Non-file Laravel route: request a route that is registered in the application but has no physical file. Failure here usually means the
try_filesfallback is absent, misspelled, or overridden by another location. - Intentionally denied path: request a hidden path such as
/.env. A 403 confirms that the protection rule is active; do not “fix” this expected response.
In the Nginx error log, messages about an access restriction or permission failure identify Nginx or the filesystem as the refusing component. In PHP-FPM logs, a missing script, unreachable socket, or pool permission message indicates that the handoff needs correction rather than another change to Laravel routes.
Common 403 scenarios and targeted fixes
The repository root is configured as root
Change the root to the application’s public directory and ensure the front controller remains there. Do not copy or move index.php into the repository root as a workaround; that defeats Laravel’s public/private boundary and can publish environment and configuration files.
Only application routes fail
Keep the static-file checks in try_files, then use /index.php?$query_string as the final fallback. Verify that no earlier regex location captures the request and returns a denial before the root location can run.
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The root URL fails with an “index” message
Confirm that public/index.php exists, that index index.php; is active, and that the PHP-FPM socket belongs to a running pool. A correct Nginx root with an incorrect socket still leaves the front controller unavailable.
Static assets fail after a deployment
Inspect the new release directory and every parent directory for traversal permission. If the document root is a symlink, verify that it points to the release containing the asset and public/index.php. Test the resolved path as the service account.
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Removing the deny rule appears to “fix” the error
Restore the hidden-file protection immediately. If the denied URL was a legitimate public asset, rename or relocate that asset rather than allowing arbitrary dot-files to be served. The exception for .well-known exists for standard validation files and should remain narrowly scoped.
When a managed deployment may be preferable
If the configuration is correct but ownership, PHP-FPM pools, releases, and permissions are difficult to maintain, Laravel’s documentation identifies Laravel Forge as a managed server-management and deployment service and Laravel Cloud as a managed deployment option. Their current pricing, included operations, and referral terms are not established here, so compare those details directly before choosing one. The technical checks remain the same: a managed platform must still expose only public, route through the front controller, pass the correct resolved script to PHP-FPM, and protect hidden files.
Quick Recap
Final verification checklist
- The active virtual host, not merely an edited file, has
rootset to the Laravelpublic/directory. public/index.phpexists and is readable; every parent directory is traversable by the relevant Nginx/PHP-FPM account.index index.php;is active.- The root location uses
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;. - The PHP location points to the running PHP-FPM socket and sets
SCRIPT_FILENAME $realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name. - The service account can write to
storageandbootstrap/cache, but the whole repository is not broadly writable. - The hidden-file deny rule remains enabled.
nginx -tpasses before reload.- A known static asset, the root URL, a non-file Laravel route, and an intentionally denied hidden path produce the expected responses.
- Nginx and PHP-FPM logs are clean after the final request.
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