Upgrading your Laravel project from version 5.8 to Laravel 12 is a major upgrade that requires careful planning. Since Laravel 12 is significantly different from Laravel 5.8, you need to follow these steps systematically:

Step 1: Review Laravel Upgrade Guides

Laravel follows semantic versioning, so you need to upgrade step by step:
5.8 → 6.x → 7.x → 8.x → 9.x → 10.x → 11.x → 12.x
Each major version may introduce breaking changes, so check the Laravel Upgrade Guide.

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Step 2: Backup Your Project

Before making any changes:

• Backup your database
• Backup your project files
• Store a copy in a safe location in case you need to rollback.

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Step 3: Upgrade PHP Version

Each Laravel version has specific PHP requirements:

• Laravel 6.x to 9.x → PHP 7.3 – 8.0
• Laravel 10 → PHP 8.1
• Laravel 11+ → PHP 8.2
• Laravel 12 → PHP 8.2+ (Recommended)

Make sure your server has PHP 8.2 installed before upgrading Laravel.

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Step 4: Update Dependencies

Upgrade dependencies in steps, modifying composer.json and running composer update for each version.

Upgrade to Laravel 6.x (LTS)

1. Update composer.json:jsonCopyEdit"laravel/framework": "^6.0"
2. Run:bashCopyEditcomposer update
3. Follow the Laravel 6.x upgrade guide for breaking changes.

Repeat this process for each Laravel version step by step:

bashCopyEditcomposer require laravel/framework:^7.0
composer update

… and so on, until you reach Laravel 12.

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Step 5: Update Core Laravel Files

After each upgrade step, run:

bashCopyEditphp artisan migrate
php artisan cache:clear
php artisan config:clear
php artisan route:clear
php artisan view:clear

Manually review and update:

• config/app.php
• bootstrap/app.php
• New files in config/
• Middleware, routes, and controllers (as Laravel changed its structure over versions)

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Step 6: Update Authentication System

• Laravel 5.8 uses auth.php with controllers.
• Laravel 8+ uses Laravel Breeze, Jetstream, or Fortify.
• If you’re using the default auth system, you may need to install:bashCopyEditcomposer require laravel/ui php artisan ui bootstrap --auth

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Step 7: Update Dependencies and Packages

Many third-party packages used in Laravel 5.8 may not support Laravel 12.
Run:

bashCopyEditcomposer outdated

• Check the latest compatible versions.
• Update package dependencies.

If any package is no longer maintained, find alternatives.

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Step 8: Update Blade and Routing System

• Laravel 8 introduced Route Caching and Route Caching Improvements.
• Laravel 9+ prefers implicit model binding.

If you’re using:

phpCopyEditRoute::get('users/{id}', 'UserController@show');

Change it to:

phpCopyEditRoute::get('users/{user}', [UserController::class, 'show']);

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Step 9: Fix Deprecated Functions

Run:

bashCopyEditphp artisan deprecations

Laravel will list any deprecated functions you need to replace.

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Step 10: Test Everything

• Run unit tests:bashCopyEditphp artisan test
• Check logs for errors:bashCopyEdittail -f storage/logs/laravel.log
• Ensure all pages and API endpoints work correctly.

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Step 11: Deploy and Monitor

Once you’re confident everything works:

1. Push to Staging → Test thoroughly.
2. Deploy to Production → Ensure all dependencies, routes, and services work.

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Alternative: Fresh Installation & Code Migration

If the upgrade path becomes too complex, another approach is:

1. Install a fresh Laravel 12:bashCopyEditcomposer create-project laravel/laravel my_project
2. Move your app/ logic, routes, and database migrations manually.
3. Rewrite old authentication & services using Laravel 12 standards.