File Uploads & Storage in Laravel (Local + S3)

rahul.laravel821

30 June 2026

Laravel File Upload & Storage (Local + S3)

Laravel file upload is a common requirement in modern web applications, whether it’s user avatars, documents, or media files.

Moreover, Laravel provides a powerful and simple API to handle file uploads and storage using both local and cloud drivers like Amazon S3.

In this guide, we will learn how to upload files in Laravel and store them using Local Storage and Amazon S3.

Understanding Laravel Filesystem

Laravel uses the Filesystem abstraction powered by Flysystem. It supports multiple storage drivers:

Local (default)
Public
Amazon S3
FTP / SFTP

All configurations are defined in the config/filesystems.php file.

Basic File Upload in Laravel

Step 1: Create a Form

<form action="/upload" method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data">
    @csrf
    <input type="file" name="file">
    <button type="submit">Upload</button>
</form>

@csrf

<button type="submit">Upload</button>

</form>

Step 2: Handle Upload in Controller

use Illuminate\Http\Request;

public function upload(Request $request)
{
    $request->validate([
        'file' => 'required|file|mimes:jpg,png,pdf|max:2048'
    ]);

    $path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads');

    return "File stored at: " . $path;
}

use Illuminate\Http\Request;

public function upload(Request $request)

{

$request->validate([

'file' => 'required|file|mimes:jpg,png,pdf|max:2048'

]);

$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads');

return "File stored at: " . $path;

}

Storing Files in Local Storage

By default, Laravel stores files in the storage/app directory.

Example

$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads');

1	$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads');

This will store the file in:

storage/app/uploads

1	storage/app/uploads

Public Access

To make files publicly accessible:

php artisan storage:link

1	php artisan storage:link

Then store files like this:

$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads', 'public');

1	$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads', 'public');

Now files will be accessible via:

/storage/uploads/filename.jpg

1	/storage/uploads/filename.jpg

Custom File Names

$file = $request->file('file');

$filename = time() . '_' . $file->getClientOriginalName();

$path = $file->storeAs('uploads', $filename);

$file = $request->file('file');

$filename = time() . '_' . $file->getClientOriginalName();

$path = $file->storeAs('uploads', $filename);

File Upload Using Storage Facade

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage;

Storage::put('uploads/file.txt', file_get_contents($request->file('file')));

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage;

Storage::put('uploads/file.txt', file_get_contents($request->file('file')));

Uploading Files to Amazon S3

1: Install AWS SDK

composer require league/flysystem-aws-s3-v3

1	composer require league/flysystem-aws-s3-v3

2: Configure .env

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_secret
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=ap-south-1
AWS_BUCKET=your_bucket_name
AWS_URL=https://your-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_key

AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_secret

AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=ap-south-1

AWS_BUCKET=your_bucket_name

AWS_URL=https://your-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com

3: Configure Filesystem

's3' => [
    'driver' => 's3',
    'key' => env('AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID'),
    'secret' => env('AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY'),
    'region' => env('AWS_DEFAULT_REGION'),
    'bucket' => env('AWS_BUCKET'),
],

's3' => [

'driver' => 's3',

'key' => env('AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID'),

'secret' => env('AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY'),

'region' => env('AWS_DEFAULT_REGION'),

'bucket' => env('AWS_BUCKET'),

4: Upload File to S3

$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads', 's3');

1	$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads', 's3');

Making Files Public on S3

$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads', 's3');

Storage::disk('s3')->setVisibility($path, 'public');

$path = $request->file('file')->store('uploads', 's3');

Storage::disk('s3')->setVisibility($path, 'public');

Get File URL

$url = Storage::disk('s3')->url($path);

1	$url = Storage::disk('s3')->url($path);

Deleting Files

Storage::delete('uploads/file.jpg');

// S3
Storage::disk('s3')->delete('uploads/file.jpg');<code dir="ltr">

Storage::delete('uploads/file.jpg');

// S3

Storage::disk('s3')->delete('uploads/file.jpg');<code dir="ltr">

Checking File Exists

if (Storage::exists('uploads/file.jpg')) {
    // File exists
}

if (Storage::exists('uploads/file.jpg')) {

// File exists

}

Validation for File Uploads

$request->validate([
    'file' => 'required|file|mimes:jpg,png,pdf|max:2048'
]);

$request->validate([

'file' => 'required|file|mimes:jpg,png,pdf|max:2048'

]);

mimes: allowed file types
max: size in KB

Best Practices

Always validate file uploads
Use unique file names
Store sensitive files privately
Use S3 for scalable applications
Clean unused files regularly

Local vs S3 Comparison

Feature	Local Storage	Amazon S3
Setup	Easy	Moderate
Cost	Free	Paid
Scalability	Limited	High
Performance	Fast (local)	CDN optimized
Best For	Small apps	Production apps

Conclusion

Laravel makes file uploads and storage extremely simple with its powerful filesystem abstraction.

Use local storage for development or small apps, and switch to Amazon S3 for scalability and production environments.

With just a few lines of code, you can handle uploads, manage files, and scale your storage effortlessly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are files stored in Laravel?

By default, files are stored in the storage/app directory.

How do I access uploaded files?

Use php artisan storage:link and access via /storage URL.

Is S3 better than local storage?

Yes, for production apps due to scalability and reliability.

Can I use multiple storage disks?

Yes, Laravel supports multiple disks like local, public, and S3.

Final Tip

Start with local storage during development, and switch to S3 when your application grows.

You can also hire laravel developers to build your custom solutions on laravel.

For exploring the available extensions for Bagisto, you can check out the bagisto extension marketplace.