Upgrade Laravel 12 to 13: Steps and Breaking Changes

Before you start: check PHP and back up

Laravel 13 will not install on older PHP, so check this first.

Step by step: upgrade Laravel 12 to 13

• Edit composer.json.
• Run composer update.
• Update the Laravel installer if you create new projects.
• Confirm the version with php artisan --version.

Breaking changes that matter

Laravel lists one high-impact change, two medium-impact changes and a longer set of low-impact ones. Here is what the first three mean for a real app.

Common errors and how to fix them

• Composer says a package conflicts.
• Tests fail after bumping PHPUnit or Pest.
• Cached objects stop working.
• Everyone is logged out after deploy.

What you get after upgrading

You do not have to use any of these, but they explain why teams upgrade.

Should you upgrade now?

Upgrade now if your app is on PHP 8.3 or higher and your key packages support Laravel 13.