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Guide · Open source

How to use laravel-admin: install, configure and build CRUD screens

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

laravel-admin is an administrative interface builder for the Laravel PHP framework. According to its README, it helps developers build CRUD (create, read, update, delete) back-office screens with only a few lines of code. This guide walks through installation, first login, configuration and the extension list so you can decide whether it fits your Laravel project.

laravel-adminz-song/laravel-admin · ★ 11.1k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Check requirements. Confirm PHP 7.0.0 or higher, Laravel 5.5.0 or higher, the Fileinfo extension and Composer are available.
  2. 2Install the package. Run composer require encore/laravel-admin in your Laravel project.
  3. 3Publish assets and config. Run the vendor:publish command with the AdminServiceProvider to create config/admin.php.
  4. 4Edit config/admin.php. Set the install directory, database connection or table names as needed.
  5. 5Run admin:install. Run php artisan admin:install to finish the setup.
  6. 6Log in. Open http://localhost/admin/ and sign in with the default admin credentials, then change them.

Check the requirements before you install

laravel-admin is a PHP package, so it needs a working Laravel project and a few server components. The README lists PHP 7.0.0 or higher, Laravel 5.5.0 or higher, and the Fileinfo PHP extension. Composer is needed to install the package.

The README says the package requires PHP 7+ and Laravel 5.5, and points to the 1.4 documentation for older versions. Those minimums are old, so confirm your project's versions are supported before you start.

  • PHP 7.0.0 or higher
  • Laravel 5.5.0 or higher
  • Fileinfo PHP extension
  • Composer
  • A database connection that is correctly configured in your Laravel project

Install laravel-admin with Composer

The README first asks you to install Laravel 5.5 and make sure the database connection settings are correct. Then install the package with Composer.

composer require encore/laravel-admin

Publish the assets and config file

Next, publish the package assets and configuration using the service provider. After this runs, the config file is available at config/admin.php. In that file you can change the install directory, the database connection and table names.

php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Encore\Admin\AdminServiceProvider"

Run the installer and log in

Run the installer command to finish setup. When it completes, open http://localhost/admin/ in your browser. The README gives the default login as username admin and password admin, so change these credentials as soon as you can.

  • Open http://localhost/admin/ in a browser
  • Log in with username admin and password admin, as stated in the README
php artisan admin:install

Configure and customise the admin

The file config/admin.php holds the configuration array, and the defaults are in that file. For right-to-left languages, the README explains how to switch to the RTL versions of the Bootstrap and AdminLTE CSS files by editing the $baseCss array in the package's HasAssets.php file inside vendor. Edits made inside vendor may be overwritten when you update the package.

  • Config file: config/admin.php
  • RTL: change bootstrap.min.css to bootstrap.rtl.min.css and AdminLTE.min.css to AdminLTE.rtl.min.css in $baseCss

Add extensions for extra features

The README lists a range of extensions maintained under the laravel-admin-extensions organisation. They cover areas such as a media manager, a log viewer, a config manager, a backup interface, rich text and markdown editors, charts and a Google authenticator. Each extension page lists the laravel-admin version it targets, so match the version range to your installed release.

  • helpers, media-manager, log-viewer, config and backup for admin tools
  • wangEditor, summernote, simplemde and simditor for rich text or markdown editing
  • chartjs and echarts for charts
  • google-authenticator for two-step login

What people use it for

  • Building an internal back office to manage records in an existing Laravel app
  • Creating CRUD screens with grid, form, show and tree views for models
  • Adding a media manager or log viewer to an internal admin area through extensions
  • Giving a Laravel team a ready-made admin panel instead of building one from scratch

Frequently asked questions

Is laravel-admin free to use?

laravel-admin is released under the MIT licence, as stated in the project's details. The MIT licence allows use, with the licence terms that apply, so check the LICENSE file in the repository for the full text.

What do I need to install laravel-admin?

The README lists PHP 7.0.0 or higher, Laravel 5.5.0 or higher, the Fileinfo PHP extension and Composer. You also need a correctly configured database connection in your Laravel project.

What is the install command for laravel-admin?

Run composer require encore/laravel-admin, then publish the config with php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Encore\Admin\AdminServiceProvider", and finish with php artisan admin:install.

What is the default login for laravel-admin?

The README says to open http://localhost/admin/ and log in with username admin and password admin. Change these credentials after installation.

Does laravel-admin work with the latest Laravel or PHP?

The README lists PHP 7.0.0 and Laravel 5.5.0 as minimums and describes them as old. Check compatibility with your current versions before you adopt it.

How does laravel-admin compare to Filament or Laravel Nova?

The project is compared with SleepingOwlAdmin, rapyd-laravel, Filament and Laravel Nova. This guide does not cover feature-by-feature comparisons, so review each project's documentation against your needs.

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Our verdict

laravel-admin suits Laravel developers who want a quick, code-driven back office with grid, form, show and tree views and a set of extensions. It is a poor fit for non-developers wanting a no-code tool, for non-Laravel projects, or for teams that need current Laravel or PHP versions, since the listed requirements are old.

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