Fix Laravel 404 Errors Using .htaccess on Apache

Learn how to fix Laravel 404 errors using .htaccess on Apache. Enable mod_rewrite, configure AllowOverride, clear Laravel cache, and restore working routes with easy step by step instructions.

When a Laravel website opens the home page but every other page shows a 404 error, the issue is usually related to Apache rewrite rules or the server configuration. Laravel sends every request through the public/index.php file, so Apache must allow URL rewriting for routing to work correctly.

This guide explains the most common causes and the exact steps to get your Laravel routes working again.

Common Reasons for Laravel 404 Errors

A Laravel application may show 404 errors because of one or more of these reasons.

Apache Rewrite Module is not enabled.
The .htaccess file is missing or modified.
AllowOverride is not enabled in Apache.
The website points to the wrong document root.
File and folder permissions need to be refreshed.
Laravel route cache needs to be cleared.

Step 1: Verify Your Website Points to the Public Folder

The document root for your website should point to the public directory inside your Laravel project.

Example:

/var/www/laravel-app/public

Laravel is designed so that every web request starts from the public folder. Using the project root instead of the public directory prevents Laravel routing from working correctly.

Step 2: Check the Laravel .htaccess File

Open the .htaccess file inside the public folder.

cd /var/www/laravel-app/public
nano .htaccess

The default Laravel .htaccess file should look like this.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    <IfModule mod_negotiation.c>
        Options -MultiViews -Indexes
    </IfModule>

    RewriteEngine On

    RewriteCond %{HTTP:Authorization} .
    RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]

    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]
</IfModule>

Save the file after confirming its contents.

Step 3: Enable the Apache Rewrite Module

Laravel routing depends on Apache's rewrite module.

Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

Restart Apache.

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 4: Enable AllowOverride

Open your Apache virtual host configuration.

Example:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

Locate the <Directory> section for your Laravel project and make sure it contains:

<Directory /var/www/laravel-app/public>
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted
</Directory>

Save the file.

Restart Apache.

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Apache ignores .htaccess rewrite rules when AllowOverride is disabled.

Step 5: Clear Laravel Cache

After updating Apache or .htaccess, clear Laravel's cached files.

Go to your project directory.

cd /var/www/laravel-app

Run:

php artisan optimize:clear

You can also refresh the route cache.

php artisan route:clear

Refresh the configuration cache.

php artisan config:clear

Refresh the application cache.

php artisan cache:clear

Step 6: Check File Permissions

Make sure Apache can access the Laravel files.

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/laravel-app

Set directory permissions.

sudo find /var/www/laravel-app -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

Set file permissions.

sudo find /var/www/laravel-app -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

Step 7: Verify Your Routes

List every registered Laravel route.

php artisan route:list

If your expected routes appear in the list, Laravel has loaded them successfully.

If a route is missing, check your routes/web.php or routes/api.php file and confirm the route has been defined correctly.

Step 8: Restart Apache

After making all changes, restart Apache once more.

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Open your browser and test several pages, such as:

https://example.com/
https://example.com/about
https://example.com/contact

All routes should load normally.

Troubleshooting Checklist

If the issue continues, verify the following items.

The website document root points to the public folder.
The mod_rewrite module is enabled.
AllowOverride All is configured.
The .htaccess file exists inside the public directory.
Laravel cache has been cleared.
Routes are listed with php artisan route:list.
Apache has been restarted after every configuration change.

Conclusion

Laravel 404 errors are usually resolved by confirming the Apache document root, enabling the rewrite module, allowing .htaccess rules, and clearing Laravel's cache. Once these settings are in place, Apache forwards every request to Laravel, allowing the framework to handle routing as intended.