CORS errors in Laravel usually pop up when your frontend tries talking to a different domain but the right headers aren’t set. Laravel (v7 and up) gives you built-in support or you can handle it cleanly through middleware.
What Is CORS and Why Laravel Handles It Differently
CORS is a browser security rule that blocks APIs from other domains unless allowed. Laravel handles this via built-in or manual middleware setup.
- Laravel 7+ supports CORS using fruitcake/laravel-cors out of the box
- Older versions need manual middleware to enable cross-origin requests
- CORS is required when frontend and backend use different domains or ports
- Without CORS setup, frontend API calls will fail silently or trigger browser errors
How to Enable CORS in Laravel (Latest Versions)
Laravel 7+ supports CORS out of the box using the fruitcake/laravel-cors middleware.
- Publish the CORS config file
php artisan vendor:publish --tag="cors"
- Edit config/cors.php with your CORS rules
return [ 'paths' => ['api/*'], 'allowed_methods' => ['*'],
'allowed_origins' => ['https://yourdomain.com'],
'allowed_headers' => ['*'],
'exposed_headers' => [],
'max_age' => 0,
'supports_credentials' => true,
];
- No need to register middleware manually Laravel auto-loads \Fruitcake\Cors\HandleCors::class
Also Read: Laravel Performance Optimization Tips In Detail
CORS Setup in Older Laravel Versions (Before v7)
Laravel versions below 7 require a custom middleware to handle CORS manually.
- Create a custom CORS middleware
php artisan make:middleware CorsMiddleware
- Add your CORS headers in app/Http/Middleware/CorsMiddleware.php
public function handle($request, Closure $next){ return $next($request)
->header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*')
->header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS')
->header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'Content-Type, Authorization');
}
- Register it globally in app/Http/Kernel.php
protected $middleware = [ // ... \App\Http\Middleware\CorsMiddleware::class,
];
Apply CORS Middleware to Specific Routes
For finer control, attach the CORS middleware only to routes that need it.
- Register the middleware with a short name in app/Http/Kernel.php
protected $routeMiddleware = [ 'cors' => \App\Http\Middleware\CorsMiddleware::class,
];
- Apply it to a specific route or group
Route::middleware(['cors'])->group(function () { Route::get('/api/data', function () {
return ['message' => 'CORS-enabled data'];
});
});
Did You Know?
PhpStorm tops the list for Laravel devs with 54.01% still backing it for its speed, smart autocompletion, and Laravel-ready features thanks to the Laravel Idea plugin.
Common CORS Mistakes in Laravel
Miss one of these, and your API calls might silently fail or throw those dreaded CORS errors:
- Using * for Allow-Credentials breaks requests with cookies or auth headers.
- Skipping custom headers like Authorization or X-Requested-With.
- Forgetting to apply CORS middleware to the right route or group.
- Covering only GET requests, but ignoring OPTIONS (aka preflight requests).
Conclusion
Fixing Laravel CORS issues comes down to either using the built-in support in modern versions or adding a custom middleware for older setups.
Stick to correct headers and middleware registration once configured right, cross-origin errors won’t block your API anymore.
