Why Laravel maintenance is important

We are a Laravel development agency which means we work with Laravel daily. We use it to create web applications, mobile apps, and tools for business owners who are planning a digital transformation and want the best solutions. 

We could talk all day about why we’re all in on Laravel (we have in another article!), but just like any application tool, there are times when Laravel maintenance is required. Understanding the ins and outs of Laravel maintenance can help you get through these periods with ease. 

When is Laravel maintenance required?

First, let’s look at some of the common reasons Laravel has to go into maintenance mode:

Security updates

One of the most critical aspects of maintaining your site or web application is staying on top of security updates. As security threats become more sophisticated, your Laravel framework needs to develop too. Maintenance means you safeguard sensitive data, helping you to maintain trust with your users.

Performance improvements

Did you know 90% of consumers will stop using an app if it performs poorly? Without proper maintenance, any site or app can experience performance problems, including: 

• Slow load times

• Reduced user experience

• Potential revenue loss

Regular performance optimisation ensures your platform remains fast and responsive. Performance audits and improvements are a key part of our Laravel maintenance service.

Bug fixes

Regular maintenance allows for quick bug fixes and improved functionality. Our team will proactively monitor your platform to identify and resolve issues like this before they escalate. 

Database issues

Databases are the backbone of many Laravel applications, storing virtual user and business data. Regular database optimisation—including index management and query refinement—ensures your database remains efficient and responsive, reducing the risk of app downtime.

Feature enhancements

As your business grows, your application needs to adapt with it to meet new demands. Regular Laravel maintenance doesn’t just fix problems—it allows for feature enhancements and additions. This continuous improvement cycle keeps your application relevant, providing users with new functionalities and a better overall experience. 

Laravel maintenance mode

When upgrades are available, you should always incorporate them as a way of providing an ever-improving service. 

Laravel has a useful ‘maintenance mode’ that allows you to take your application temporarily offline while updates are happening. This prevents users from encountering issues while modifications are being made. 

Laravel’s maintenance mode also lets you communicate with users during downtime by displaying a customisable maintenance message. This page lets you inform visitors when services will resume and avoid what looks like a broken interface.

Laravel's versioning and support lifecycles

One of the reasons we like Laravel is that a new framework version is released on a regular basis. Minor releases happen frequently, while major versions are released annually to reduce the maintenance burden. 

Laravel 11 is the latest major version (released March 2024), which brought with it plenty of new features. We expect to see Laravel 12 in Q1 2025.

Laravel provides long-term support for major versions (18 months for bug fixes and two years for security fixes). The support structure ensures that businesses can plan maintenance cycles effectively.

Best practice for Laravel maintenance

Building a web application is just the first step. The Steadfast Collective team offer comprehensive support and maintenance services to ensure the smooth operation of your Laravel application, including:

• Regular monitoring and patching 

• Database backups

• Version upgrades

• Server migrations

• Code optimisation

How Steadfast Collective can help

At Steadfast Collective, we’re a Laravel Development Agency and we will ensure your Laravel applications remain efficient, secure, and future-proof. 

Whether you’re looking to optimise performance, handle bug fixes, or plan for version upgrades, we provide Laravel maintenance plans that keep your digital applications running smoothly. 

Let’s get started!